“I SAW MYSELF as a teacher, in a bank, as a doctor — never prisoner number 00660725 at the Bedford County Correctional Complex,” wrote Shawna Barrier. “My pathway to becoming a habitual offender began after a major car accident. I began abusing prescription drugs.”
After Barrier completed the lengthy letter, she sent it to County Commissioner Sylvia Pinson, and the Shelbyville Times-Gazette published it last November. Pinson is actively involved with Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), a cognitive-behavioral program that enhances moral reasoning, improves decision-making, and promotes appropriate behavior among offenders.
The concept of “reconation” pertains to the development of higher moral reasoning. As of February, 150 inmates have graduated from the program taught by Lt. Chris Cook, and Barrier is one of many whose lives have been forever changed by it.
“This program gave me the tools to reexamine my life, my choices in the past, and how my past can help forge a new path but not define my path. It showed me what I could and could not control in my life. It reframed addiction as a disease that could be overcome through hard work and seeking out additional resources outside of the jail. Lt. Cook is like a second dad to me. He is a good mixture of stern and having compassion. I’ve taken some of his personality traits and built them into my own personality,” said Barrier, who had been accepted into the MRT program in 2022.
“As I approached my parole, I had many decisions to make. Another benefit of MRT was finding my faith. After prayer and utilizing the growth techniques I learned from MRT, I decided that the Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry (TPOM) was the best option for me. TPOM supported my aspirations while anchoring me to my faith. I was fortunate enough to be selected for the Tennessee Builders Alliance (TBA) while I was residing at TPOM. I spent three weeks learning how to be a tradeswoman. It connected me to those happy memories of helping my dad on his job sites and at our home. My whole life I was searching for myself, and I found a piece of it at TBA.”
TPOM is a 120-day program that focuses on workforce development as well as a person’s spiritual and emotional well-being. Barrier discovered the program while researching opportunities available to her once she’d completed her two-year sentence. After she finished the TPOM program, she was asked to be a “house shepherd,” allowing her to live on their property and mentor other women who also enrolled.
Another exciting opportunity opened to Barrier while she was at the TBA due to their partnership with Skilled Workforce. This led to her current position with the Lee Company.
“If anyone would have told me that I would be cutting pipes, welding, analyzing blueprints, and learning about fittings, I would have laughed. However, here I am, a testament to many people believing in me and my ability to do more. Every day, I wake up excited about my career path at Lee Company. Megan Hendrickson, my HR partner, has been a huge influence in my life. She exemplifies what it means to be a tradeswoman, and I look up to her as one of my biggest cheerleaders in developing my career.”
Metal is one of the strongest materials in the world, but through the use of extreme heat, a skilled tradesman — or tradeswoman like Shawna Barrier — can create something completely different than what they started out with. Oftentimes, it is completely unrecognizable. For Barrier, the “extreme heat” that forged something unrecognizable in her life was a prison sentence coupled with the MRT program and those who have invested in her along the way.
“I have enrolled at Nashville State Community College to get an associate degree in business administration, and from there, the sky is the limit! I see myself in a project coordination role, working in human resources, or as a corporate accountant one day.” GN
