A former inmate at the Jessamine County Detention Center in Nicholasville is rebuilding his life thanks in part to the facility's re-entry program, an experience he says changed everything.Charles Duncan was once locked up at th e detention center with no clear path forward."I was at a place where I was completely lost," Duncan said.Inside the jail, Duncan connected with Robert Barbosa, a former inmate who now serves as a re-entry coordinator and works directly with those he once stood alongside behind bars."If I can do it, they can do it," Barbosa said.For Duncan, a turning point came from a message Barbosa delivered directly to him."'You don't even look like you belong here,'" Barbosa told Duncan. "That kind of set the tone, right, that I don't belong here."Duncan made the most of the jail's re-entry program during his time there, including its 24-7 Dads program and Fatherhood Initiative. Released from jail last summer, he now works at NetComm as an IT support technician a role he says he could not have imagined before."It's beyond me to be able to put into words how grateful I am for this position," Duncan said.The transformation has not gone unnoticed by Barbosa, who said Duncan's progress is a constant reminder of why the jail invests so much time and energy into its re-entry efforts."Watching him strive to be a better father each and every day means more to me than anything," Barbosa said.Duncan, who was baptized, said his 5-year-old son Anthony is his greatest motivation."It's a bound purpose of mine to make sure my son knows that he has a very valued father," Duncan said.Duncan said his personal motto guides him every day: to do the next right thing.Duncan, who is a little more than two months into his full-time role at NetComm after completing an internship, also credits mentors including Pastor Carter, Todd Stone and Jeremy Lamb for supporting his journey."I did some things that brought me here (to jail), but this doesn't define who I am," Duncan said. ...read more read less