Journal Entry: Carolynne Noffsinger-01/17/2025

Journal Entry

For the three years prior to self-surrendering to prison, my professional life entailed two separate roles. One, as a managed care contract director for various substance use disorder and mental health hospitals and clinics, and two, serving in Americorps, Mercy Serves as a Community Health worker, directly serving patients with substance use disorders, the unhoused and those who needed resources due to lack of assistance with their social determinants of health.

In the eight weeks since I have been in this prison, I have learned that 85% of the inmates here are incarcerated due to drug-related crimes, predominantly heroin, K2 and meth. The sentences have ranged from a year and a day, to more than 20 years. I have listened to their stories over these past two months, and decided to launch a class to help them called “From Surviving to Thriving”. I am leveraging my educational and professional work to serve my fellow inmates and give them hope.

From Surviving to Thriving focuses on taking a look at what circumstances brought them into a world of opioid addiction, and then working with them to look at the world differently to heal from their past traumas and circumstances so that once they leave this prison, they get the support and treatment they need. They offer MAP treatment here, which is simply suboxone or methadone, but there is no IOP or PHP treatment here. Therefore, there is a rampant drug problem here, where there are several “drops” made, and inmates getting high. Over the holidays it was particularly evident, and my biggest fear honestly was that someone would overdose in here. On the outside, I carried Narcan, and used my training to meet the patients where they were. I no longer carry Narcan, but even in prison, I seek to understand, not judge.

I myself, have never had an issue with substances of any kind, however, I have had people close to me succumb to the addiction. In hearing the many stories in here, I really feel there needs to be a different approach to treating those with substance use disorders. Prison is not a viable solution for those with these addictions. Locking someone up for 7, 12 or 20 years is not going to help them heal. So in addition to the grass roots efforts I did before I came to have a food truck for the homeless and support the tiny homes community built back in Felicity, Ohio, I want to partner with local and state governments to improve the sentencing guidelines for those with SUD.

Rather than sitting in here and watching TV or playing cards, I read. A LOT. And I am writing two separate books. One, to benefit those in the medical community, and the other a plan for meaningful prison reform and hope for those afflicted by SUD. It has also made me want to obtain my Phd in Public Health, and seek to teach within universities. I realize my goals are lofty, but I am determined to leave this world a better place than I found it, and believe in this mission to continue to serve those without a voice.