From the brilliant lights to headlights.
Former St. John’s standout and NBA nice Jayson Williams is main a Nassau Nation rehab program that has remodeled almost a dozen previously incarcerated women and men — giving them a brand new lease on life as truck drivers.
“Once I was up there getting the diploma, man, I virtually cried. … I labored exhausting for this present day,” Timmy Jones, 39, advised The Submit after Monday’s commencement ceremony at Nassau Neighborhood Faculty.
Jones, who served greater than 15 years for manslaughter, was a member of Rebound on the Street’s first Lengthy Island class.
“You bought members of the family that gained’t offer you one other likelihood after coming residence from jail throughout a long run, so this meant rather a lot,” he mentioned.
The eight-week initiative is the brainchild of the ex-New Jersey Internet, who himself was locked up for 27 months after the unintentional 2002 taking pictures of his limo driver, Costas Christofi.
Williams, as soon as a ferocious rebounder on the hardwood, is now utilizing that zeal to assault this newest enterprise.
“I’m right here seven days per week — at the least. I feel Sundays are in all probability ten hours a day, every part else about 13,14 hour days,” mentioned Williams, who has devoted his life to serving to others since his launch.
“I find it irresistible. I actually do. You see the distinction it makes … and we put out an excellent product.”
Full velocity forward
Past expertise behind the wheel of a giant rig, Williams prioritizes life classes and psychological well being for his college students as they prepare for what he calls not a second likelihood, however one other likelihood.
Classmates who don’t say good morning get despatched residence, whereas Williams additionally invested in boxing gloves, which he calls the “suggestion field,” to air out grievances.
He additionally takes the category jet snowboarding, prioritizes prayer and requires those that can to skydive as a method of breaking by way of their consolation zones.
“I’ve been eager to do skydiving outdoors of this system, so I’m truly actually enthusiastic about that,” mentioned current grad Clayrone Garner, who’s but to plunge from the airplane.
“It offers you one thing extra to work in direction of.”
The religion Williams places into his college students isn’t misplaced on Jones both, who mentioned that the apprentices pay it again of their work ethic.
“We’ve been out right here going exhausting from sunup to sunset for the reason that program opened,” he mentioned of the group that bonds over barbecues and a vegetable backyard they develop close to the truck lot on campus.
Garner, who additionally went away for a violent crime, mentioned the backyard grows watermelon and squash — and has become a psychological well being metaphor about treating oneself.
Name it the backyard of desires.
“The backyard teaches you life’s worth slightly bit extra from progress … the extra , the extra data you set into your thoughts, the extra good stuff you put into the environment, the higher off you’re,” he mentioned.
“It’s virtually like a house away from residence,” Garner added of this system.
Williams, in the meantime, touts success on the scholars’ need for constructive change.
“It solely works due to the vitality,” he mentioned.
“I’ve been out of the faculties and different packages the place folks simply are available like they’re doing you a favor. Right here, they arrive in and so they’re thirsty.”
Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman knew straight away issues would transfer a mile a minute when Williams first pitched him on this system just a few months in the past.
“We imagine in legislation and order,” Blakeman mentioned. “That’s why we’re the most secure county in America. However simply placing folks in jail is just not the only real resolution to the issues.
“We’ve got to get folks to reinvent their lives in a productive method, to be good residents and good members of society.”
Nassau initially poured $1 million into Rebound on the Street and not too long ago pledged one other $300,000 after seeing the success of the primary graduating class.
“In the long term, this makes us safer as a result of these folks gained’t get again into crime,” Blakeman mentioned.
“It brings down our recidivism charge — and it offers them hope.”
On high of that, it’s given Williams a dream job for all times on Lengthy Island.
“If Saint John’s referred to as me up and requested me to educate, I might say no,” he mentioned.
“I need to be serving to folks with their lives, not rating extra factors.”
