“Um, I think I was just in denial that I had a problem,” explains Evan Waldo to a group of ladies also incarcerated at the Lockhart Correctional Facility in Lockhart, Texas.

“I think having a support system makes you feel like you’re not alone. It reestablishes that it’s not just you. So, if you have a problem and you can work through it, hearing other people’s experiences can make a difference, and you get to relate on a different level.”

Evan has served time at two other facilities. She says Lockhart has been a welcomed change.

“My experience here has been great. It’s completely different than any other units. You get treated with respect. And there’s a lot of opportunities here, so I just love it.”

Evan has taken advantage of many programs and says the facility is more like a school than a prison

“The staff makes it different. BIONIC. Believe it or not we care or believe it or not I care. And you know, you feel almost like you’re at a high school or a college. You feel like you’re with a lot of teachers or people who actually care about you.”

She’s being released early this year, and will rejoin her husband and children. Her next stop is Tarrant County Community College where she’ll complete her bachelor’s degree in business management.

She says Warden James Frawner and his staff have really helped her to chart a successful path forward.

“I feel like if someone believes in you, actually believes that you can actually be a good person—it makes you want to be a good person, you know, make better decisions; live your life in a positive way.”