Is it possible?

Is it possible to make a difference in a criminals life? Are the people who go to prison capable of change? Do they even care or want to change?
All very good questions. Being an ex-convict myself, I can attest to rehabilitation.
Oh no, not the so called rehabilitation that exists in prisons today.
When I first went to prison in the early 80s, there was rehabilitation, really good programs that I actually could to apply to everyday life out here in the real world.
How did I wind up in prison?
Honestly, I never knew anything other than what I was doing, before I went to prison.
Why, Well because I started drinking and smoking pot around eleven years old. So basically that's all I knew.
And yes I did want to learn, did want to be productive.
I just didn't know how.
I found wood shop, re-upholstering, G.E.D., and becoming a paralegal deeply gratifying.
So why didn't I do it on the street?
Well, because all I knew, were drugs and alcohol, and in that state of mind your looking through a deep fog. And all you want to do is drugs and alcohol.
Here we come to the choices = consequences part.
Yeah I chose to do crime,
Wasn't I high and drunk when committing crimes?
Yes!
Is that why I committed the crimes?
No!
I made a choice to do what I did.
Yes, drugs and alcohol did have influence over my thoughts.
Even though I take full responsibility for my actions,
I was influenced by the actions of consumption,
leading to intoxication,
thus creating my delusion,
enabling me to commit a crime.
I did not mean to commit!!!
I just said I made a choice to commit the crime, didn't I?
I did.
So the question is
Is it possible to make a difference in a criminals life?
Are the people who go to prison capable of change?
Do they even care or want to change?
Havent I answered that?