Success Stories
“They are triumphed…by the word of their testimony.”
“When I was locked up, I always said ‘when I get out I’m going to find [Dr. Byrd] again.’”
— Ramona
Ramona was awaiting trial on several major charges, facing upwards of 25 years in prison. Ramona joined the DART Woman’s Program at Nassau Correctional Facility led by Dr. Saroya Byrd-McKinney.
Over the course of the program and speaking with Dr. Saroya Byrd-McKinney in her chaplian capacity, Ramona developed a strong sense of faith and belief that in the midst of the greatest battle of her life, she could find freedom again.
“When I was locked up, I always said when I get out I was going to find Dr. Saroya Byrd-McKinney again.” Some ten months later, she got her wish. After all charges were dropped against her, Ramona re-entered society determined to remove herself from the people, places, and things that placed her life in jeopardy previously. Now, she serves in the Breaking Free organization specifically helping assist other women transition out of the prison system and reduce recidivism.
“I was…dying inside and nobody saw or confronted it until I found Breaking Free.”
In Rhonda’s own words: “I was hurting and dying inside and nobody saw or confronted it but Dr. Saroya because I looked the part from the outside. I needed help and didn’t know it because my degrees and intellect said ‘I can do it by myself.’ The Breaking Free organization provided me with transitional housing and counseled me through the bondage and imprisonment of my mind, heart, and spirit. Dr. Saroya Byrd-McKinney saw something in me I didn’t see in myself and this encouraged and restored my confidence in myself.
Through Breaking Free, I’ve had the opportunity to give a piece of my testimony to a group of men at San Quentin State Prison. My life is changing for the better. I’m being set free from the internal imprisonment I’ve experienced. I now know that freedom is a state of being. So I’m committed to be free indeed and doing it unapologetically to help others within and outside the criminal justice system do the same.”
Rhonda G. Brown
When I came to Breaking Free, I didn’t know where else to go.
Jermanie Scott
Jermanie grew up in South Carolina and lived a tumultuous life filled with violence and loss as a high-ranking member of the Blood gang. After being introduced to Dr. Byrd, he made a decision to change his life before risk losing it all in violence back at home. Seeking refuge and opportunity, Jermanie volunteered as an Assistant Manager at the transitional home for over a year.
After learning he had a daughter he never knew he had, Jermanie moved back to South Carolina to form a relationship with her. He has since married, and now plays semi-professional football. In the future, he hopes to help other young men like himself make a transition from being at-risk to thriving.