My name is Darrah Caprarelli and I am currently serving a 138 month sentence in the feds. While prison is not ideal and not the way I planned on spending my 30’s, I have turned it into a positive experience for growth and self-discovery. Prior to being arrested for my federal case, I had spent the majority of my teens and adulthood running a muck, getting away with a lot, making careless choices and remaining under the influence of drugs and alcohol. I was a broken soul with a traumatic background and childhood. I was depressed, hopeless, and I’d isolated myself from every healthy relationship due to shame and loss of love for myself. I was arrested in January 2022, three weeks after my 30th birthday for a drug indictment. Although I was devasted for the turn of events in my life, I came to realize that I had been given another chance at life.
Unfortunately prison isn’t very good at “rehabilitation”. It is a good thing that my fight and drive for a better, renewed life is. Two months after my arrest, I got off sleeping and anxiety medication and I found yoga, exercise, and meditation as a way to cope with my circumstances. I’ve found self-help books, the Yoga Sutras, my Bible, and inspirational people to guide me toward a new path. I slowly, but surely rekindled relationships with family, I proved over time that I am serious about changing my life and I’ve remained sober throughout my time in custody. This is the longest in 16 years that I’ve been sober. Two and a half years later, still going strong. I’ve found that life truly is beautiful, despite my external environment. I’ve found that I take joy in being PRESENT for the first time in my life. Who would have thought?
In addition to recreating a new me, I’ve found pleasure and fulfillment in helping others strive for a healthier, more enjoyable and rewarding life. I’ve joined the Peer Success Mentoring group at the prison I’m at to hopefully help women make better life choices and prepare for a beautiful future. I am currently in the process of enrolling for ASU to work toward a Bachelor degree in Business Administration. I maintain a full-time job on the electric crew, I work out and do yoga daily, I am incident report free and I am constantly striving for excellence. I’ve found a new light inside me that pushes me to continue working toward becoming the best version of me possible. If I can share that and motivate others than I know I am doing the right thing.
Have a beautiful and blessed day!
