From the brilliant lights to headlights.
Former St. John’s standout and NBA nice Jayson Williams is main a Nassau Nation rehab program that has remodeled practically a dozen previously incarcerated women and men — giving them a brand new lease on life as truck drivers.
“Once I was up there getting the diploma, man, I nearly cried. … I labored laborious for this present day,” Timmy Jones, 39, instructed The Publish after Monday’s commencement ceremony at Nassau Group Faculty.
Jones, who served greater than 15 years for manslaughter, was a member of Rebound on the Highway’s first Lengthy Island class.
“You bought relations that received’t offer you one other likelihood after coming dwelling from jail throughout a long run, so this meant loads,” he stated.
The eight-week initiative is the brainchild of the ex-New Jersey Internet, who himself was locked up for 27 months after the unintended 2002 capturing of his limo driver, Costas Christofi.
Williams, as soon as a ferocious rebounder on the hardwood, is now utilizing that keenness to assault this newest enterprise.
“I’m right here seven days every week — at the very least. I feel Sundays are in all probability ten hours a day, all the pieces else about 13,14 hour days,” stated Williams, who has devoted his life to serving to others since his launch.
“I find it irresistible. I actually do. You see the distinction it makes … and we put out an excellent product.”
Full velocity forward
Past abilities behind the wheel of a giant rig, Williams prioritizes life classes and psychological well being for his college students as they prepare for what he calls not a second likelihood, however one other likelihood.
Classmates who don’t say good morning get despatched dwelling, whereas Williams additionally invested in boxing gloves, which he calls the “suggestion field,” to air out grievances.
He additionally takes the category jet snowboarding, prioritizes prayer and requires those that can to skydive as a approach of breaking via their consolation zones.
“I’ve been desirous to do skydiving exterior of this system, so I’m really actually enthusiastic about that,” stated latest grad Clayrone Garner, who’s but to plunge from the aircraft.
“It provides you one thing extra to work in direction of.”
The religion Williams places into his college students isn’t misplaced on Jones both, who stated that the apprentices pay it again of their work ethic.
“We’ve been out right here going laborious from sunup to sunset for the reason that program opened,” he stated of the group that bonds over barbecues and a vegetable backyard they develop close to the truck lot on campus.
Garner, who additionally went away for a violent crime, stated the backyard grows watermelon and squash — and has was a psychological well being metaphor about treating oneself.
Name it the backyard of goals.
“The backyard teaches you life’s worth slightly bit extra from progress … the extra you realize, the extra information you set into your thoughts, the extra good stuff you put into the ambiance, the higher off you’re,” he stated.
“It’s nearly like a house away from dwelling,” Garner added of this system.
Williams, in the meantime, touts success on the scholars’ want for optimistic change.
“It solely works due to the vitality,” he stated.
“I’ve been out of the colleges and different packages the place individuals simply are available like they’re doing you a favor. Right here, they arrive in and so they’re thirsty.”
Nassau County Government Bruce Blakeman knew immediately issues would transfer a mile a minute when Williams first pitched him on this system just a few months in the past.
“We imagine in regulation and order,” Blakeman stated. “That’s why we’re the most secure county in America. However simply placing individuals in jail will not be the only answer to the issues.
“We’ve to get individuals to reinvent their lives in a productive approach, to be good residents and good members of society.”
Nassau initially poured $1 million into Rebound on the Highway and not too long ago pledged one other $300,000 after seeing the success of the primary graduating class.
“In the long term, this makes us safer as a result of these individuals received’t get again into crime,” Blakeman stated.
“It brings down our recidivism charge — and it provides them hope.”
On high of that, it’s given Williams a dream job for all times on Lengthy Island.
“If Saint John’s known as me up and requested me to educate, I might say no,” he stated.
“I need to be serving to individuals with their lives, not rating extra factors.”
