‘I’m making a difference’: Former youth center inmate helps guide at-risk youth
By Waverle Monroe
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OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Alexis Lawson, who was once incarcerated at the Douglas County Youth Center (DCYC) as a teenager, now returns to the facility to mentor and inspire youth through her program, Life Identity Training and Transformation (L.I.T.T.).
“No one at the age of 12 decides they’re going to be a crack addict at 18. I didn’t,” Lawson said.
Her life was filled with challenges, and as a teen, she sought validation from the streets.
“I wanted to drink alcohol, smoke weed or sell drugs. Then by the time I was 18, I started smoking crack cocaine,” Lawson said. “I tell the youth all the time, that was never part of my plan, you know?”
Lawson’s struggles led her to DCYC.
“I was at DCYC, as a youth, for truancy and fighting. When I was in DCYC, it was like a second home for me,” she said.
Her challenges continued into adulthood, with time spent in the Douglas County Jail, multiple charges, and two felonies.
At 35, sobriety gave her a new path.
“I have to let them know you don’t have to wait that long,” Lawson said.
Now, she’s back at DCYC, but this time as a mentor, teaching her program called L.I.T.T. — Life Identity Training and Transformation.
“It’s something that I wish that I had when I was younger. No one ever asked me about my goals and my dreams and visions. I was always told what I was and what I was going to be based off of my behaviors,” she said.
Through L.I.T.T., Lawson teaches youth how to set life goals and transition from negative behaviors to positive ones.
“I’m still a leader, but it’s not negative stuff no more. We’re not pulling licks, we’re not selling drugs, and we’re not robbing people. Now I get to lead you guys,” she said.
Her goal is to help kids get on the right track early, so they don’t carry the burden of crime into adulthood.
“You don’t want to be at 18, 19, 20 because now that’s going to affect you getting a job and when you need a place to stay. I tell them that’s hard,” Lawson said.
The impact of her L.I.T.T. program has extended beyond DCYC, as she now offers it to youth outside the facility as well.
“Y’all following me? What I say? Last time I worked from the outside in, this time I’m going to work from the inside out,” she said.
Returning to DCYC brings back memories for Lawson, but now she experiences it on her own terms.
“Get to go through the units, and I hear the doors clinging. And I see the rooms, and I remember the rooms and the orange Bob Barker slides. And now I get to go home at night. You know, it’s not my life no more,” she said. “I’m making a difference.”
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