Raye is eager to work.

He’s been a painter, a welder, and a mechanic. After being at Soteria for just a few days, he quickly saw a need and deep cleaned the men’s kitchen, and offered up his painting skills for anything Soteria needs. 

He recently finished an 18-year sentence. When he was younger, he owned a painting company, and his goal is to return to it. 

“This is the first time I ever decided to straighten my life up,” he says. 

When Ray got to prison, he faced horrific treatment, and a sentence much longer than the time it took him to get motivated to turn his life around. 

“After 5 years, it’s excessive. It’s almost inhumane. The way they house you, it’s like you’re a dog in a kennel.”

He wants people to know that people often end up in prison due to drugs. Family members often enable their habits – even if they are loving and supportive. Ray describes his dad as the “best in the world,” and says he always went above and beyond to be there. Now, one of Ray’s biggest goals is to rebuild his relationships with his own children. 

As far as the personal growth that lies ahead of him at Soteria, he says, “I’m doing it for myself, but I'm doing it for my kids.”