Nathan Lanthrum
The Men of Recovery Pod
Every day, the detainees of O-Pod in the Kane County Jail outside Chicago, IL, take steps towards reclaiming their lives from years of trauma and addiction. These men sit in custody awaiting court appearances, trials, sentences to the Department of Corrections - all directly related to this country's centuries-long approach of criminalizing the mentally ill, the poor, and the addicted.
They await these court dates while attending addiction treatment, trauma therapy, individual counseling, GED classes, trade certifications, and life-skills courses. And - bottom line - they are less likely to return to active drug use and crime as a result. They are less likely to die from a substance use disorder - a completely treatable condition. They are more likely to break the cycle of addiction and incarceration, becoming better mothers and better fathers, and hopefully ensuring that their children never have to utilize these programs.
