? ? , i t r in i iMtirrit t rttiir r,?i Keith Scobie stands with Monica Medina-Murphy outside of Auto Supply Company. Second chance program excelling New legislation may help more ex-felons BY LAYLA FARMER THE CHRONICLE Keith Scobie gets choked up when he hears Monica Medina Murphy talk about his stellar job performance. "I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude," he said, brushing tears from his eyes, "...to have people that are willing to give you a chance, willing to over look mistakes that you've made in the past." Scobie is one of more than 1 300 convicted felons who have come through an innovative pro gram known as Project Reentry. He found employment at Auto Supply Company, Inc. - where Medina-Murphy serves as VP of Human Relations - within weeks of his release from prison . He had served a four-year term for robbery with a dangerous weapon. "I love my job; I can't say it any other way," he gushed. "It's Monday and I'm looking for ward to going back to work." Founded in 2003, Project Reentry works with inmates prior to their release from prison to prepare them for their impending return to mainstream society. It is an initiative of Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments in conjunction with the Winston-Salem Police Department and the North Carolina Department of Corrections and has more than 30 local partners. The project is currently available to inmates in six facili ties statewide, and will expand to include two additional sites this summer. "It's not just about second chances," commented Robin Howell, director of the Criminal Justice Department at NWPCOG. "It's about the com munity working together as a whole." Through the 12- week pro gram, inmates gain education and support. Rebecca Sauter, from left, with Robin Howell Michael Thomas. They hear motivational speakers and forge relationships with Project Reentry staff members that will extend to the outside world. Within 24 hours of release or on the next business day, the ex-offenders meet with Project Reentry staff to plan for their transition back into society. It is the only pre-to-post program in existence in North Carolina, Sauter says. "They're coming home to someplace and someone they trust," said Program Director Rebecca Sauter. Project Reentry doesn't place its participants in jobs. Instead, it empowers them to make their own way, Howell says. "It's reinforcing what they have done for themselves," she said. "They realiae that their success is going to depend on their own efforts." The program helps the inmates adopt a more positive attitude about their futures, which its imperative to their suc cess, says Project Reentry Coordinator Michael Thomas. "Once you change your atti tude, you will get different results," he pointed out. "You're not hiring that ex-offender; you're hiring the person I am today." The project has seen consid erable success since its incep tion, according to Sauter. "We have an exceptional employment rate," she stated. "Employers are realizing this is an untapped labor pool." Participation in the program, which is completely voluntary, spiked 400 percent in the first two years, she added. For Medina-Murphy, hiring Scobie was both a practical and a moral decision. "I think about if I were in the same position, how desperate I would probably feel," she remarked. "If we don't give them an opportunity to reestab lish their lives, then we are con tributing to their recidivism." President Bush signed the Second Chance Act into law in early April. The new legislation will provide for the creation of similar services to help ex offenders reintegrate and become productive members of society. Additional legislation is still needed to bolster programs like Project Reentry, Sauter says. "There needs to be perma nent, statewide legislative fund ing for this," she asserted. 'To invest something in that infra structure - it is so needed." Cancer from page XT' "J How is testicular cancer diagnosed? Most testicular cancers can be found at an early stage. As part of your routine physical, your doctor should examine your testicles. Doing monthly self-exams can increase your chance of recognizing a change in your testicles, though not enough studies have been made to show conclusively whether self exams lower the death rate of testicular cancer. In addition to a physical exam, your doctor may use an ultrasound, which uses sound waves to make pic tures of internal organs: blood tests; a chest X-ray; or a CT scan, PET scan, or MRI; these last three allow the doctor to see if the cancer has spread to any other organs. How is it treated? There are several different kinds of cells in the testicles, so it is important to know which kind of cell the cancer started from because these types of can cer are treated differently. There are three main methods of treat ment for testicular cancer: sur gery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. According to the ACS, all stages of testicular can cer are treated with surgery, which can include removal of one or both testicles; depending on the stage, of cancer, some lymph nodes in the abdomen may be removed aS well. Following surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be used, again dependent on the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. Since the majority of men diagnosed with testicular cancer are young, it often affects men who are ting, starting a fami ly, or would like to have a fami ly in the future. These men may want to talk about storing frozen sperm cells before treatment (sperm banking). When a testi cle is removed, that side of the scrotum looks and feels empty; artificial testicles (prosthesis placed in the scrotum) are potential options following sur gery to give a more natural look. You should talk about these and any other concerns you have with your doctor when making treatment choices. - Contribution by Sarah Langdon For further information, questions or comments about this article, call toll-free 1-877 530-1824. Or, for more informa tion about the Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health, visit http .//www.wfubmc .edu/minorit y health. King Maker from page A2 said Fauntroy, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, who has pa&tored for more than 50 years. "Politics is the process of deciding who gets how much, he said as the pan elists voiced their approvals. The panels agreed that what took place decades ago set the foundation for today's youth and adults to take action. "It seems people are wait ing for the resurrection of Rev. Walker Martin Luther King. ..we are waiting on a messiah," said Cotton. "We are the ones we've been waiting for," she continued. "If things are going to change, we our selves have to change them." Cotton said African-American youth in today's society "easily forget and have become compla cent." But that the elders who attend ed the conference wanted to aid the redefinition of the movement, and fnake it appli cable to young people. Walker pointed to Democratic presidential front runner Barack Obama as a result of the struggle. "Obama is the symbol of a movement," Walker said. "Movements are ordained by God, and you can't stop God's movement." Panelist made clear their hopes that the message would catch fire and spread. They shouted amens from the au