The New Mexico Men’s Recovery Academy in Los Lunas celebrated the Fourth of July with an uplifting outing that included a visit to the parade and a lunch to honor the occasion. Several residents at the residential reentry center are veterans and requested to attend the well-known Los Lunas July 4 parade that is an annual draw for many in the area. The event was opened to all at the facility, and 31 residents enjoyed the outing accompanied by facility and New Mexico Probation & Parole staff.
“It was great to offer this opportunity to our veterans, residents and staff, to acknowledge the holiday by being part of this patriotic celebration,” Michael Betrus, facility director, said. “We are proud to be supporting veterans and providing residents with GEO Reentry Services programming that will help change lives, helping them become productive citizens.”
2018 marks the first year the New Mexico Men’s Recovery Academy attended the parade, a large event that draws individuals from all around Valencia County. Residents received handheld flags to commemorate the occasion and were treated to a special all-American lunch of hamburgers, french fries, ice cream and cookies.
NMMRA is a peer-led community program, encouraging interaction between members that reinforces positive socialization skills. This approach creates a healthy environment where residents can work together to become contributing members of society. Residents are required by New Mexico Probation & Parole to complete the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), a three-phase system that is 180 days in length.
GEO Reentry provides residential reentry services at two facilities in New Mexico, the NMMRA and the New Mexico Women’s Recovery Academy, a women’s facility located in Albuquerque.
Read more about GEO Reentry’s approach to residential reentry.