CARLISLE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Wabash Valley Correctional Facility focuses on rehabilitation through their PLUS program.
The Program Living Units Serve (PLUS) program was created 16 years ago in hopes of encouraging offenders to choose an alternative to criminal behavior and thinking.
“The character faith program consist on helping you to demonstrate six core qualities that we instill the program on,” said Wabash Valley Correctional Facility inmate Allen Calligan.
Calligan is a member of the program and says his reason for joining the program is because he was ready to turn his life around.
“At some point, it was time for a change. To put away that criminal mindset to basically change my thinking and thought process,” said Calligan. “Be around some positive influence in the situation that I’m in.”
Once approved to be in the program, inmates live in the same unit as everyone in the community as they work towards a goal of change.
“They have coursework three days a week. They donate 5,000 quilts a year. This year they’ve done over 28,000 mask,” said community service director Jackie Storm. “They learn how to change their lifestyle and how to give back to the community.”
Some of the community service they do includes working with veterans, homeless and the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
“Being around the right people . All those things have to tie together for their success,” said Storm.
