 This just in August is hotter than ever at Appalachian Wireless, as they are slashing all normal contract pricing on all smartphones by 50% when you sign up for service. Better service, bigger saving, serving you for the last 25 years at Appalachian Wireless. It's not a place many would associate with hope, but a new program being offered at the Pike County Detention Center may offer just that by way of self-discovery. The Moral Recognition Therapy Program, or MRT Program, offers state inmates housed in Pike County a chance to examine themselves from within and get to the root of what led to them becoming a criminal. You know, it's kind of a class that teaches them to go ahead and be honest within themselves. If they've got a problem, admit your problem. Then once you admit that problem, then you can start working on that problem. Inmates in the MRT program are required to complete numerous lessons, including reflection upon life experiences in relationships, positive thinking lessons, and other self-discovery activities. They also have to set goals for what they hope to achieve after they complete their jail sentence. The instructor for the program, Deputy Jailer Sergeant Michelle Smith, said the MRT program allows inmates to acknowledge what led them down the wrong path and begin working toward a positive change. This class makes them realize that not because I had a hard life when I was younger, I can make better choices now. Jailer Freddie Lewis said the class is a way to reach out to individuals who typically don't have someone reaching out to them. These people need help, and they need somebody that will reach out to them and try to get to the root cause of why they're doing what they're doing. Why their behavior is why, you know, why they're here. The way they've came to class, they're showing positive thinking. I mean, I can tell a difference in these girls already. And in a couple weeks, within the next week and a half, maybe two weeks, I will open it up for the males. So I think this class is going to help the inmates. Inmates completing the course, which lasts in some instances up to six months, are eligible to have 90 days cut off their prison sentence. The MRT program is certified through the state's Department of Corrections and is currently only open to state inmates. Sergeant Smith said she completed the class herself and she believes it can help break a vicious cycle. This class helps them break that chain and realize that they can be somebody in and out. And stop doing that revolving door of coming in and out of jail all the time. Reporting in Pikeville for EKB News, I'm Chris Anderson.