Reformation 319

21Toward the end of my twenty-five-year career as a lieutenant with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and twenty-seven years total in correctional law enforcement, I was being led by God in a direction that I never expected. A funny statement coming from someone who grew up not believing in God! After everything I had seen, experienced, dealt with, and gone through in my career and in life, I knew that I was supposed to be doing something bigger.It was November 10, 2022, when I had a conversation with my wife, Amanda Brooks Zaharis, about starting Reformation 319-an organization to change the understanding of how staff view those incarcerated, conversely, to change the understanding of how staff are viewed by the incarcerated, and to incorporate both these views into one so that a cultural change takes place; Furthermore, to provide reformation in how to take care of your personal health, mental wellbeing, and family; Educating staff to not separate their biblical worldview from work.Before we can discuss Reformation 319, you need to understand the life of a correctional officer. This is where we start in this book, giving you the firsthand insight into my life, growing up not believing in God to later in life, realizing most of my problems could have been resolved if I had accepted him sooner.We discuss how working in our nation's prisons changes a person for the better in some ways but hardens you in more ways than good. If you work in one of our nation's prisons, this book may sound normal and will not impress you. I do not want to impress but rather introduce you to an avenue that can assist you out of your own darkness. If you are related to someone working in our prisons, this may give you a glimpse into this world they do not feel comfortable talking to you about. If you have no connection or insight into correctional law enforcement, I ask you to read this book with open eyes. Put aside any biases or preconceived notions about this line of work and learn.