PAYDIRT –

July 15, 2024 –  Melody Marr likes to give her testimony with individuals in jail, and she has been invited to speak at churches and rehab facilities. She has a down-to-earth, conversational tone resonating with audiences looking to improve their lives. She credits God for the opportunities she has to witness to others through her life … It’s not easy to change your nature, but through intense training and a lot of hard work, Melody Marr, now 51, overcame her bad habits and discovered how to live outside the boundaries of substance use and incarceration. Melody was part of the first graduating class for the Fort Payne Day Reporting Center Lite.

Except for a brief period of sobriety, Melody struggled with drug use through most of her adult life. While praying, she felt a sense of conviction and had the opportunity to turn herself in. She spent nine months in the Marshall County jail before spending three weeks in Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women until obtaining parole.

While at Tutwiler, she was offered drugs immediately upon arrival. She declined, which began a string of good decisions turning her into the accomplished woman she is today.

A friend was able to provide a drug-free environment for her to live in after her return from prison. That’s when she met the officers and support staff at the Fort Payne Day Reporting Center Lite. “When I started this program, everything I owned [could fit] in four Walmart bags.”

At first it was intense, but quickly she was able to adapt to the fast-paced programming. She was a quick study, finding immediate success in the program and finishing the moral reconation therapy programs offered by the DRC Lite program quicker than most. Melody is thankful for the efforts of the Fort Payne DRC Lite staff members, and believes they pour their heart and soul into the program. She particularly appreciates their sincerity, as they do not mince words in identifying problems before offering practical solutions. “Nothing has worked like what these guys are doing. Without them, I don’t know where I’ll be.”

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