By Kohl Jackson
Freshman Prison Divinity Program student, Charles Weimer has altered his life with the help of his OBU professors, peers, and newfound faith in Jesus. This being his first year inside the program, he says his attitude has noticeably changed for the better.
Weimer faces a life-sentence with eligibility for parole in 2050 and a possibility for a lighter sentence under the program in Lexington. Before prison, Weimer had taken college classes in criminal justice, however once admitted he was never able to enter a stable education program to complete a degree.
“When I was at Cushing, they started a theology program there. It was Bearing Life University, and I was attending that. I was probably about six months away from getting my associates in that but they closed it down for covid, and then they shut the yard down so we never even got to finish it,” said Weimer.
Weimer will now be able to achieve a bachelor’s degree within the span of his four years of classes thanks to the Prison Divinity Program offered by OBU.
“I was at another yard and I seen that they were doing applications, so I applied. I didn’t really think I would get in. I’ve been in prison for a while. I’ve been in for 14 years. So, I wanted to try to change some of the stuff that I was doing, and I felt this program would be perfect for me as soon as I got here. This is my first experience with anything like this, and I’m really grateful for this opportunity,” said Weimer.
Weimer used to struggle with prison behavior and joined the program to escape the chaos of his previous locations. However, since entering the program he has steered away from the poor choices of his past and the people around him are noticing the spiritual difference in his life.
“I did a lot of bad stuff, really. And coming here, it changed me. I stay away from everything. I actually have a lot of friends on this yard from other yards, and I talked to them, they see the change, and some of them want to change and do what I do. My parents, my girlfriend, all of them see the change in me, and they’re happy. My mom, she’s really happy for me,” said Weimer.
Weimer said he has grown both spiritually and academically. He has a noticeably calm demeanor, and his faith plays a large role in that.
“God talks to you when you’re at your lowest point. That’s how I felt when I got in prison. He’s always been speaking to us, but we had so many distractions, and now there’s no distractions. The only thing I have is to focus on Him. And so I think that’s really my turning point,” said Weimer.
When Weimer is outside of class, he finds time in his routine schedule to take part in athletics and club work. He is also a member of the veterans organization AMVETS.
“I play a lot of sports, we have football tournaments [and] basketball. I’m the secretary of AACG, which is African American Culture Group, and we just ran a three-on-three basketball tournament last month. It went really well. We had a great time,” said Weimer.
Similar to his peers, Weimer stated that he felt an inner freedom as a result of his involvement in the PDP. Despite keeping up with rigorous class work, his studies are a distraction from outside noise.
“I think, even if I was out in the world, this experience is great. Coming here, I didn’t know what to expect, it’s very hard. It’s a hard program. They keep us focused on school and God. So, I think with a lot of stuff that we have going on, it separates us from the prison in general. This is almost like an escape from prison just being here in this program,” said Weimer.
With the help of donors, the leadership of director Bruce Perkins and faculty, prisoners like Weimer are receiving a second chance at their lives. Their stories of redemption will continue to be shared and mirror the hope that Christ provides to everyone.
