York PA--Merle Weaver said some York
County Prison inmates stumble when they are released and begin thinking
they can make it on their own. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS -- CHRIS DUNN)York, PA -
Merle Weaver was facing trial on federal gun charges. His father-in-law had just died.
And he lost his business, a gun shop in West Manchester Township.
It was early 2004 and Weaver, now 45, was at his nadir. That's when a
friend asked him to attend a marriage retreat sponsored by Christ
American Baptist Church (CABC) in Jackson Township.
"I said, 'I don't need no marriage retreat. I need a few good lawyers,'" Weaver recalled.
The Weavers, Merle and his wife Christy, attended the weekend retreat
and, on Jan. 25, 2004, they accepted Jesus Christ into their lives. They
were baptized at CABC before Merle went to prison for about 30 months.
the
North Codorus Township couple have rebuilt their lives on Christian
principles. In 2010, Merle decided it was time to reach out to York
County Prison inmates who might be traveling similar roads.
Today, he leads a Celebrate Recovery program on Wednesday nights at the
prison. The condensed, 10-week program is a faith-based effort to
address substance abuse issues.
"It's kind of like AA with a Christ-centered program," Merle said. "We
tell them if they don't want to hear the word of God, there's the door.
They all stay."
Celebrate Recovery and similar programs help to reduce recidivism, Warden Mary Sabol said.
"We've made it our priority to work with volunteers in our community to
enhance our re-entry services," she said. "One of the biggest reasons
they return to the facility is the lack of ability to function once they
get on the outside."
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