Maryville strips offenders of the feeling that they're society's victims. They become responsible for themselves and others. They even receive a list of new slang. The new lingo, officials said, helps inmates shape new personae. Families are up by 5 a.m. for roll call.
Family leaders organize the morning meeting, where they plan daily business.
The meeting may include a game of hot potato or tossing balls into milk jugs. Playing together helps them live together and handle criticism, he added. Then half the inmates attend classes and half work on the grounds, doing chores such as cleaning, cooking and yard work. In the afternoon, the groups switch. Classes include group therapy in which family members talk about how to move past addictions that defined their lives.