ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Graduated with an Associates’ degree in Business in June 2019 from Jackson College with 42 credits and a 4.0 GPA. Josh has been on the Dean’s List nearly every semester. Upon completion of the Associate’s degree, the recidivism rate dropped from 3.75% to only 1.75% chance of returning to prison. His loved ones—NOT the State of Michigan or a grant, paid for Josh’s education.
  • Volunteered as a Lab Assistant helping tutor other Jackson College students in Computer Information Systems (CIS) for 3 semesters.
  • Trained Leader Dogs for blind people, for “Leader Dogs for the Blind.” He is an accomplished dog trainer.
  • Completed and now tutors “Employment Readiness.” This class prepares inmates to be employable, write resumes, and have interview skills upon their release.
  • Mentors inmates struggling to adapt to prison life. His group is a part of the Mental Health Department overseen by Dr. A. Jones.
  • Wrote a Gang Intervention Program that could be used to combat the gang mentality, provide cognitive behavioral skills and ways to leave a gang.
  • Completed the “40 Days of Peace” program and was trained to be a gang mediator by Kit Cummings in this program. Joshua helped lower violence at the Muskegon Correctional Facility during this program.
  • Two Vocational Trade Certifications, one in Horticulture in which he graduated from the highest tier with a 96%. Also, Business Education Technology (B.E.T.) in which he also graduated at the top of his class.
  • Completed multiple criminal rehabilitation correspondence courses.
  • Certificate in greenhouse management and a certificate in ministry. He has also taken computer classes (where he is now a class mentor). He completed the anger management program and now helps facilitate the program.
  •  Volunteered in prison gardens that donate to the local women’s shelters in Jackson, Ionia, Muskegon, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan using horticulture skills.

JOSHUA PUCKETT

  • Completed every MDOC required class except one, in which he can’t enroll in since he has no outdate. He has completed “Thinking 4 a Change,” “Cage Your Rage,” Dialectic Behavioral Therapy,” and many other cognitive behavioral therapy classes to change his criminal thinking patterns. He was even trained to facilitate “Cage Your Rage,” which he did at the Michigan Reformatory Correctional Facility—one of Michigan’s oldest and most dangerous prisons.
  • With the help of the Prisoner Creative Arts Project from the University of Michigan, wrote his life story. The eBook is called Mourning Attire. He donated the proceeds to Affirmations Community Center in Ferndale, Michigan.
  • Renowned Dr. Steven Miller gave Joshua a complete psychological exam and Parole Risk Assessment in 2010. The evaluation revealed that Joshua was no longer a threat to society and predicted he would not re-offend.
  • Dr. James Henry, Ph.D. gave Joshua a second complete psychological exam and Parole Risk Assessment in 2019. From Western Michigan University’s Children’s Trauma Assessment Center. He opined that Joshua’s risk to society given his self-reflection and brain development is minimal to none. He has demonstrated a significant change that is consistent with brain science on the physiology of the developing brain and neuroplasticity. He is certainly a good candidate for prison release. He understands the enormous impact on others and himself from the violence that occurred (as a result of his participation in the crime). He does not dismiss or justify his actions at the time of the crime.