‘These guys want sobriety and a better life’
Published Sept. 24, 2026
Here’s Nick, from the Yankton Minimum Center where he coaches individuals behind the walls:
Today, I’m seeing how badly some of these guys want sobriety and a better life, and honestly, it’s reassuring. This opportunity has taught me so much, not just about addiction and recovery, but about people in general.
I’m supposed to be helping them, but they teach me a lot about life too. It’s been pretty cool to be a part of.
I had a member tell me today that before coming here and starting these sessions, he had never even heard of recovery.
He now looks at his history of use almost as a blessing because of what it has taught him about himself. One thing he realized is that he has incredible loyalty – he was just loyal to the wrong thing. Now, he’s shifting that loyalty from meth to getting better.
That one stuck with me.
One thing I wish society understood is that a lot of the guys I work with in prison just want to be seen as people. They’ve made mistakes, but many of them genuinely want something different.
They want sobriety, jobs, normal lives and their families back.
Sometimes, people don’t need to be defined by their worst decision. They just need someone to see the person they’re trying to become.
I’m sitting here, thinking about the conversations I’ve had today, and I can’t help but think, "Man, I really think we’re making an impact.” Pretty grateful to be a small part of it.