Week of April 24, 2017

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AUGUSTA, MAINE -- 4/2/13 -- Nineteen-year-old Dakota Sanford was serving a sentence for burglary in Waldo county when he was accepted into the CARA program. Sanford joined nine other inmates from jails across the state to participate in the 34th CARA group. Inmates must apply to the program and demonstrate a connection between their criminal behavior and substance abuse. Sanford said he originally joined the program because it shortened his sentence. "I hated everybody in here the first day," said Sanford. "I was like 'why am I here?' These are all drug addicts, alcoholics, wash-up junkies. I don't need to be here." Carter F. McCall | BDN