Success Stories

Scott Lemmon ...

Scott McLemon’s story is not an uncommon one.  His drug-related activities led ultimately to his incarceration.  In 2003, because of his drug use, his girlfriend left him with his best friend taking Scott’s infant son with them.  He lost hope to the point he didn’t much care what happened to him and began stealing.  In October of that year he was arrested for auto theft following a two-hour chase by the police.  He was able somehow to convince the police he was not the thief, but merely a passenger in the vehicle and was released.  Armed with the confidence this gave him, he reasoned it would be a good idea to steal from trains.  This time he was caught “red-handed”, convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Inside prison he met people who seemed to evoke different thinking.  He began thinking about solutions rather than acting out.  He began to practice doing the right thing.  He said others helped keep him on track and kept him focused.  He enrolled in the Prisoner Re-Entry Program (PREP) through the Primavera Foundation – a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to help former inmates on the road to self-sufficiency through steady employment and mentor support provided by Old Pueblo Community Services.

Scott was matched to Alan Mielke, a former Arizona Department of Corrections prison employee, as his mentor.  Following Alan’s retirement, he helped a man following his release from prison who, while in prison, served as an instructor’s aid in a class Alan was leading.  Alan spent about 6 months helping this man, who now – 4 years later – owns his own business.  This experience led Alan to volunteer in Old Pueblo’s Mentoring Program.  He describes the service as fulfilling by helping others find a future that is so much brighter.  Scott describes Alan as very wise and says he provides good advice without being overbearing.

Scott is now working full-time with Burger King, having been promoted to Production Coordinator.  He is also enrolled nearly full-time in college, which Scott says comes first with his employer’s support.  He has recently acquired an apartment which Alan says he has seen and, with a smile on his face, tells me it is really nice.  Because of the time and interest a man like Alan has given, Scott is on the road to a better, more productive, more fulfilling future.  In fact, Scott has volunteered to become a mentor in the program so that he may help someone else.