Volunteers of America 'Resolana Program' in the Dallas County Jail helps female inmates work through issues of trauma and addiction.
The stage was set Thursday morning for a unique performance. The theater had armed ushers and bars in the balcony seats. The stage was the 'Resolana Program' pod at the Dallas County Jail.
"Incarceration is just the last block on the path to self-destruction," said Resolana Program Director Lesley Mohney.
The Resolana Program is voluntary and available only to women inmates who have struggled with trauma and/or addiction. Part of the program uses art to help the women work through their issues.
The performance on Thursday featured songs, plays, and poems; all written by inmates. They were a window into what brought the women to jail.
"Come sit for a minute. Let's talk for a while. I want to figure out who stole your smile," read inmate Jennifer Heath. "I could talk about the rapes, being molested and abused...today I want to talk about being the light in the dark."
"We're not just criminals. We've made bad mistakes, but we're redeemable," said Cassie Kelly, who was put in the jail's Resolana Program while waiting for a bed in rehab. "I now feel strong enough to get out and face life."
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The Resolana Program is run by Volunteers of America. It's been in the Dallas County Jail for 10-years. Kelly said inmates in the program are less likely to end up back in jail.
"These women get out of jail, they will get out of prison, and they will come back into our community, back into our neighborhoods," Kelly explained. "We want to help them come back different."
