Eatonville man rebuilds his life post-prison

Chris Curry hadn’t ever really been in trouble before, so when a judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison, he was stunned. He knew his life had changed forever.

But it was a detour his life needed, he said. The Eatonville native was living too quickly, hanging out with the wrong people and making bad decisions without a thought. In 1996, he was charged with aggravated assault. It stopped him in his tracks, turned his point of view completely around, and opened his eyes to how he should be living. He finally asked himself the question — “What is my purpose?”

“This was destiny calling — I had a rude awakening,” Curry said. “I had this new frame of mind — I want to better myself.”

To some, a prison sentence might mean a life on pause. For Curry, it was the start of a new one.

“That was critical; it was paramount to changing my life,” he said. “Now all of a sudden I wanted to do something.”

And he took action immediately. While awaiting sentencing for a year and without any prior experience in the business, Curry started a positive message, musical talent search show on a local television network. It was an instant success.

Positive talk

But those dreams were put on hold after sentencing. Curry then spent 12 1/2 years in prison. He longed to make a difference while there, not content to lie around, getting bitter like others he saw. He couldn’t wait years to start his work and wanted to put his new outlook on life to action. He connected with other inmates who had similar goals and ideas on how to spend their time in prison. Two years into his time, he started his “positive talk” program.

“Most guys, they just sit there,” said Ann Reed, Curry’s girlfriend. “They go in there not doing anything and they come out not doing anything, and Chris is the opposite.”

The program, which lasted three years at the first prison he went to, and continued into the next, was a group where inmates could talk to each other about improving their lives once they were out, making the right choices and getting back on track. He got speakers to come in and talk about many topics, including being a good husband and father, buying a home and contributing to their community.

Friends said it’s not a surprise that Curry took not only improving his life, but others’ lives as a responsibility while there. He’s the sort of friend you can always count on.

“He chooses to put other people before him,” said Ron MCcoy, Curry’s friend of 30 years. “Not only have I seen it, I’ve been a recipient, and that’s a big part of where he’s at now.”

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In addition to focusing on nurturing others’ mental and emotional health with his positive talk program, Curry also created an exercise program, which he taught to other inmates. He calls it the Reactorball Reflex Training System, and it combines martial arts and boxing moves with a bouncing ball mixed in. He said it helps improve fitness, hand-eye coordination and self-discipline.

“I put my life into it, my beliefs, my values,” he said.

It also builds self-esteem, he said. Many inmates are constantly afraid and have a hard time controlling their emotions and feeling positive. One inmate always wore sunglasses and couldn’t look people in the eye. He couldn’t forgive himself for the crime he committed and was full of shame. The exercise helped him let some of that go, and he was eventually able to take off his glasses, looking right at people when he talked to them. It was a huge step.

“A lot of people thought he wasn’t going to make it – now he’s part of that history,” Curry said.

Learning from the past

Now Curry hopes to take what he’s learned in prison and share it with others. He hopes they can learn to be positive through rough times, gain knowledge from mistakes and follow their dreams. His videographer and friend Kyle Small said he’s learned a lot from his friendship with Curry. He’s inspired daily by Curry’s persistence and passion for life.

“When he told me his story I knew I wanted to help him,” Small said. “I learned you always have to look forward, you can’t dwell on the past.”

He’s taken his exercise system to the Boys and Girls Club in Eatonville and trained the kids there, and wants to build up his program so it’s a household name, practiced in gyms all over the country. He plans to participate in his community and possibly start another positive talk group for residents in Eatonville. He said he doesn’t regret his time spent in prison, because it’s made him the person he is today.

“In 12 1/2 years I accomplished more there than in my whole life,” he said.