{"id":465,"date":"2026-05-16T04:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T04:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=465"},"modified":"2026-05-16T04:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T04:34:40","slug":"they-save-lives-nash-correctional-institution-focusing-on-mental-health-for-offenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=465","title":{"rendered":"\u2018They save lives\u2019: Nash Correctional Institution focusing on mental health for offenders"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NASHVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) \u2014 Mental health awareness week comes to an end Friday inside of one North Carolina Prison, a place where staff say mental health often isn\u2019t talked about enough.<\/p>\n

Read more Plaintiffs in Hedingham civil trial seek to use criminal pleas against defendants: Records<\/a><\/p>\n

Liandra Wheeler, a Human Services Program Manager at Nash Correctional Institution, and other staff put on their first ever Mental Health Awareness Week.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put together several different groups with different topics that are relevant to the male population, coping in this environment, getting through,\u201d Wheeler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this has been a beautiful reminder this week that healing and accountability can exist together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wheeler and Patty Hays work every day with offenders inside of the prison to get to the root of their mental health concerns. They said focused weeks like this help offenders know it\u2019s okay to ask for help, even behind prison walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think culturally, the expectation is for men to be strong and strong is not emotional is how that kind of transcribes,\u201d Hays said.<\/p>\n

For Brandon Blakeney and Marlon Cruz, the week reinforced their mission to support their fellow inmates every day. They are peer observers, two of 18 men in the prison tasked with overseeing mental health in their units and sitting with offenders who are in a crisis and put on suicide watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times presence is everything, as opposed to words,\u201d Blakeney said. \u201cIn here, there\u2019s not a lot of being present with somebody. Those are moments people get to see someone cares about their wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Raleigh teacher now facing 19 charges linked to child sexual assault allegations<\/a><\/p>\n

According to Blakeney and Cruz, the programs are helpful, but the real change comes when men leave the programs knowing it\u2019s okay to reach out for help.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s us guys in this uniform, when we\u2019re together, amongst each other, it\u2019s a lot easier for us to converse,\u201d Blakeney said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot easier for things to come out, opposed to if a staff member ask if we\u2019re you okay. There\u2019s a boundary some people don\u2019t want to cross, especially when it comes to your personal life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staff said it\u2019s an investment worth making because they want to equip the men who will be released to handle their own mental health on the outside.<\/p>\n

According to staff, it\u2019s equally important for men who may never be released.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are in here serving time for their crimes,\u201d Hays said. \u201cWhile they are in here, we need to treat human beings as human beings. We need to remind them they do have choices, they do have dignity, and there\u2019s hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Blakeney and Cruz, being a safe space creates purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing from my veteran background, it gives me a sense of being able to serve and put my duty in place,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cEven in this place, it\u2019s a place that can tear you down and you can lift it up just by doing what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Blakeney and Cruz, this week and the vulnerability that came from it is priceless.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The programs] save lives, that\u2019s why,\u201d Cruz said.<\/p>\n

Staff say there\u2019s more to come. They sent feedback surveys to offenders and will take that feedback into consideration to see how they can make it better in the future.<\/p>\n

Read more Chapel Hill skincare clinic provides free cancer screenings to NC firefighters<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mental health awareness week comes to an end Friday inside of one North Carolina Prison, a place where staff say mental health often isn’t talked about enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018They save lives\u2019: Nash Correctional Institution focusing on mental health for offenders - Raleigh Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=465\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018They save lives\u2019: Nash Correctional Institution focusing on mental health for offenders - 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