[Music]
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my name is William Um I'm connected
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with the
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BHJI services in Springfield
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Massachusetts My case worker my assigned
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case worker is Aean and I've been
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working with him since April 26 2024
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when I was released from prison Well
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BHJI is a stepping stone but it's also a
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crutch for people that don't have stuff
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in the community that you're in Like if
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you're from out of town like I I'm from
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a different place I live out in
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Bergkshire County So for Springfield
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it's starting over new for me So they've
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helped me adjust They've helped me with
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the bus schedule They've taught me
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things like that I've never learned
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before Just simple everyday things that
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I've never learned because I haven't had
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the chance to They've helped me out with
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the job stuff They're still working on
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me with that Um they helped me get my
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learner's permit After a long time I
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finally can drive Um they've helped me
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out with my rent which was huge because
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it it's kind of takes weight off your
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shoulders you know everything's not
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crushing in on you that one time and uh
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support Like it's nice to be able to
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pick the phone up and talk to somebody
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that's not all about negativity and
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sucked into like the bad scene of like
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going back you know the prison scene and
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like the criminal aspect of life you
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know that I don't want to go back to So
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it's nice to have that like lifeline to
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call and say "Hey I'm feeling like
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this." And he tells me "Listen you're
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doing everything you can everything
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possible to keep yourself on the
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straight path It helps with the panic
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and the anxiety of things So um they've
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also helped me out with work boots
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because I do part-time work here and
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there for a friend And they've helped me
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out with some clothing They've helped me
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out with hygiene products They helped me
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get a phone The biggest thing is the
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support the moral support So that's been
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a huge factor for me So when I left
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prison on April 26th
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um I go out to the car He was sitting
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there I was looking around because I
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didn't know who it was My first
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experience was we stopped at a gas
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station so I get a coffee and like a
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soda or something to drink and I'm like
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uh yes ma'am no ma'am or you know it was
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like it was so weird like interacting
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with people It was so nerve-wracking
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because I the freedom I just did I just
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did 20 years in you know prison On the
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way home we talked and we got to know
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each other a little It was interesting
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like having that like just out of
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nowhere is you're just talking to
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somebody you know after doing all that
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time and it was just nice to have like
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somebody positive because it kind of
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calmed me down I was very anxious but it
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was a good experience for me It was very
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nice and like he kind of just broke down
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the program to me like what he what they
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want to see from me and what and that's
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the best They want like the best for me
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they don't they don't want to see me
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slip up and go back and stuff like that
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So that was that was kind of very big
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for me that first day you know the
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support the support is the biggest thing
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for me because um like I said I I did a
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long time So not having the people that
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I used to have in my life was like real
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it was a lot at first to take in because
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I'm like I didn't know what to expect I
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don't have the friends that I used to
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have Like I kind of like it was hard to
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adjust realize that like this is it for
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me I'm on my own I had a rooming house
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that I paid for before I left prison and
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I didn't know what to expect from that
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and like he was telling me it was a good
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residence to stay in I've always I've
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been codependent I was in a relationship
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for a lot of years So like a lot of
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stuff was done for me that I have to do
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for myself now So these guys have been
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able to help me with that you know just
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simple things like going to the bank all
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the stuff they've helped me with you
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know and then um trying to get me into
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other programs and stuff like that It's
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been a huge help for me And it's at the
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times when I felt like overwhelmed and I
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just want to be like I don't want to do
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this anymore They're like you know
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you're at look at all you've
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accomplished And it doesn't seem that
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way to me but like I I've really
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accomplished a lot And it's it's a good
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feeling Even if you have the family
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support and you could go back to that
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there's you have to have something else
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that's positive You have to have
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something else to fall back on And these
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guys like really they take care of you
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They have nothing but the best
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intentions in their heart They want to
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see you do good So that means a lot to
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me you know I would recommend this
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program for anybody because they walk
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you along the steps and they get you on
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the right path you know and like when
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you feel like you're going to veer off
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they're like "Oh well you know you've
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done this." And then it like you're like
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"Oh my god I have done this." You know
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it's it's just a really good feeling
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It's incredible And I'm glad I
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participated You know I'm got a long
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ways to go I still do I got a long ways
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to go with my my case worker Aean I
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enjoy working with them I enjoy his boss
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uh Richard Um they've been really good
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to me stuff I've needed You can call
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them anytime They're there for you And
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it's just it's just really nice to have
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that support system And anybody looking
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for that like to not to do the steps and
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just take it slow and get your life back
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together it's definitely worth a program
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to take a look at Definitely Today I can
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look at myself in the mirror and I'm
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like I feel good about what I see and
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like um when I go out in the community I
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feel okay now I'm not as like bottled in
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I don't feel as isolated They've kind of
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given me a lot of good ideas different
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stuff I need to do Like Aean's trying to
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get me to get into the CDL for my truck
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driving and stuff like that And um
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they've opened my eyes to a lot of
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possibilities Schooling is another thing
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they're big on So they're talking to me
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about maybe getting an education in
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something like a trade It's incredible
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Like my eyes are open to so much more
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And I will forever be grateful for this
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program and what it's given
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me