John Mucher is a commercial drivers license (CDL) instructor at MTC’s North Central Correctional Complex in Marion, Ohio. As a former “trucker”, he decided to share his positive experiences at the facility by submitting the following article to Overdrive Magazine which in turn published his letter.

At some point during our driving careers, we’ve all taken that one wrong turn that almost seemed impossible to get turned around from. The same goes for guys who are here in prison. For most, this is the farthest they’ve ever been from home, but instead of getting out and going back down that wrong road in life, North Central Correctional Complex in Ohio gives men hope and direction by offering a CDL course that teaches them the knowledge (book) portion of the Ohio CDL test. This not only teaches them a new skill, but introduces a life/career choice different from what brought them to prison. In the past three years, I have proudly taught the class using my six years of OTR [over the road] driving to enhance the information with real-world experiences. Throughout 2018, 84 guys completed the class, and 2019 is on pace to have over 100. Though I miss the open road, I’m blessed to see guys who were once at rock bottom leave here with a new lease on life.

Though I’m still a driver at heart, I have had to shift my involvement in the industry to other avenues, and that’s where the opportunity to teach the CDL class came about. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with guys in order to give them hope for a better future. With that, I hope that your readers can be as uplifted as my students are. –John Mucher