RAPID CITY (AP) – A new Lakota cultural and healing program in South Dakota is expanding after officials say it helped those who commit crimes get back on the right track.
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RAPID CITY (AP) – A new Lakota cultural and healing program in South Dakota is expanding after officials say it helped those who commit crimes get back on the right track.
State's Attorney Mark Vargo said the Pennington County jail and his office are expanding the Seven Directions program this year to ensure that incarcerated participants are released with a new mindset and skills, the Rapid City Journal reported. Vargo noted that it is difficult for offenders to change their behavior if they are released into the same environment with no treatment.
"The pilot programs have shown great promise," Vargo said at a news conference Monday.
Seven Directions has had a "profound impact" on participants and the entire "dynamics of the cell blocks" because those involved share the skills they learn with others, Jail Commander Rob Yantis noted.
Chissie Spencer and Ruth Cedar Face, who have worked in the mental health and addiction fields since 1993, run Seven Directions. The pair began offering classes last spring in the jail and at the Fork Real Cafe for people on pretrial release and probation. Courses also are provided for those who joined the adult diversion program, which expunges criminal charges for successful participants. The classes will soon expand to the inpatient addiction program at the Care Campus.
"Everything we do is clinical but we use it in our traditional ways," said Cedar Face, a licensed addiction counselor from Porcupine.
Damon Patton, a black 39-year-old electrician and commercial driver, said he was filled with anger after being booked last March into the county jail on an armed robbery charge. However, Patton noted that the programs taught him to deal with his emotions and connect with his culture.
"It helped me recognize my strengths and my weaknesses ... where I was right in life and where I was wrong in life. It helped me want to live a better life, make better choices," said Patton, who also identifies as Lakota. "It also helped me want to learn my culture."
After graduating from the program's 10-week course, Patton accepted a plea deal and was recently released from jail to begin his probation sentence. He continues to participate in Seven Directions classes.
