Winter, who said her next goals are to purchase a home and obtain her college degree, credits the DRC programming and the staff that facilitate it with a large portion of her success.

“While they are with us, we help them with their substance use disorder, mental health, education, and employment,” said TDOC Correctional Administrator Sara Hodges. “Our goal is to provide them with the skills and resources necessary for them to successfully reenter our communities as productive citizens.”

The DRC is complimented by an on-site Community Resource Center, which connects offenders with resources in employment and housing, GED classes, health education, and more.

“It’s a very big accomplishment to walk across that stage,” Winter said. “During this time, I got my GED, and that was a very big accomplishment. It just means the world to me.”