CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte organization helps inmates and ex-offenders transition back into society.
The Q Foundation Inc. partnered with the Mecklenburg County jail and anchor Natalie Pasquarella, who met one woman who explained how the program works.
Alijah Fuller, 20, said hanging out with the wrong crowd led her to some wrong decisions a couple of years ago.
"Smoking, drinking on the weekends, stealing, just bad things," Fuller said.
She eventually landed at the Q Foundation that offers educational and rehabilitative services for convicted offenders and ex-offenders.
"It gave me a new way of thinking, it really sat me down and I was just like I really need to get my life together," Fuller said.
In a 2009, Family Focus reported how the Q Foundation served as an alternative school for high school dropouts to earn a GED.
Founder Stephan Askew known as Coach Q has shifted the focus to helping those in trouble with the law get back on track.
He's partnered with the Mecklenburg County jail to help inmates and former inmates transition back into society. In addition to GED courses, they offer employment services, life coaching and substance-abuse counseling.
"We have hands-on individuals that are going to make sure they succeed if they truly want to change," Askew said.
Askew credits instructor Bryant Williams for help making the program a success.
"We show them a better way, give them the tools they need to make better choices in their lives," Williams said.
Fuller found her opportunity in the same place that's helped her make smarter decisions.
She's now an administrative assistant and will attend college this fall.
"It's all up to you and like the experience you want to gain from what someone's telling you,” Fuller said. “It's all up to you, if you listen or not."
The Q Foundation also offers court-ordered classes and recently started a scholarship program for children with incarcerated parents.
For more information on the Q Foundation, click here.
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