On Tuesday, I went to a local high school to view a documentary called InsideOut, by the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation. The documentary is being used to address drop out rates within our schools. The organization that I work for is partnering with the high school where this documentary was shown. Currently, this school has the lowest drop out rate in our county. The documentary presented a look into inmates lives, who mostly are serving life sentences without the possibility of parol. The inmates interviewed express regrets because they did not complete their education. Those interviewed said that if they finished high school, at least, they would not be in prison. It was gripping for me as an adult. The documentary had very few young adults shown, something that I thought would grasp the attention of teenagers more. However; it was interesting to see inmates who have served 19 + years, who were incarserated in the early 20s, and to hear them only imagine what could have been of their lives. If this is shown in our city/county schools, I hope that it speaks to our students. Drop out rates have been an issue since way before our time, as pointed out by the presenter, who showed quotes from presidents more than 60 years back. That's a scary thought.There was one quote that has stayed with me from the documentary. This quote from an inmate has made me realize how I thank God for the biggies in life, but not the everyday small things. An inmate said "I can't stand out in the rain if I want to. Just to feel the rain all over me." I have never thought about how much of a blessing it is to feel rain drops. Think about from an inmates stand point.
