Hard Work and Happy Endings
by Angela S. Tillotson

Diane Matthews knows hard work. She is a Sacramento attorney who practices civil rights law, music law, and medical malpractice. She is also a mentor to two women on parole. Matthews first got involved with Volunteers In Parole (VIP) three years ago and is now in her fourth and fifth mentorships. She also serves as a member of the VIP Sacramento Local Advisory Board and the VIP State Governing Board.

VIP is a non-profit organization that uses attorney volunteers, and only attorney volunteers, to mentor men and women on parole with the California Department of Corrections.

Matthews' reasons for participating in VIP are largely personal. Growing up in a disadvantaged home, she found it difficult to believe that she could create a better life for herself. She remembers thinking to herself, "I'll prove to you I can do it!" Matthews left home at 16 and never returned. Her brother took a different path; he went to prison.

Shelley Harding and Diane Matthews

Matthews attributes much of her own success to mentorship. Friends, co-workers, and teachers showed support and guidance. In each job, she found a mentor.

Matthews said that it is a gift to help others like she was helped. She currently mentors two women on parole, Cynthia Drakos and Shelly Harding. Each of her mentees, their interests and the challenges they face, are very different.

Harding recently earned full custody of Joy, her eight-month-old daughter, after losing custody of four other children over the course of a decade. Joy had been placed in foster care as a newborn. Harding worked tirelessly to fulfill the demands of the courts, and undertook additional classes to better herself. Matthews went to court the day Harding was due to learn if she would be granted custody of Joy. "I was so excited to see Diane when she showed up at court, Harding said. "I was scared, and it meant so much to me that she was there for me."

Diane Matthews and Cynthia Drakos

"Many people had begun to think Shelly was a lost cause and they weren't going to give her any more chances," Matthews said. "That is one of the things I really admire about Shelly. She worked hard to get Joy back. All those people who didn't believe in her, she proved them wrong!"
Matthews and Harding frequently get together for coffee or just to hang out, and Joy is now a regular part of their meetings. Through her perseverance and the support of her mentor, Harding has become a role model for mothers who are in similar situations.

Matthews' other mentee, Cynthia Drakos, said she has much in common with Matthews. The more the two have gotten to know each other, the more they have discovered that they have many shared interests, including appreciation for the same musical groups and the hobby of stained glass.

Like Harding, most people had given up on Drakos. She was on her way back to prison when her parole agent put her in a new program and told her about VIP. "Cynthia is really evolving," Matthews said, "with a new understanding about what is important in life, those things like trust, honesty, happiness, and peace. She came from an economically advantaged family and used to believe that status by way of materialism was important, but she is learning that integrity and gratitude are much more valuable. She is also learning how to ride through the tough times and that there are people who will be there for her."

Matthews' match partner prior to Harding and Drakos discharged from parole and is doing very well, but she recently encountered a troubling situation in her life. Almost a year after she discharged from parole, the mentee still sought Matthews' guidance and together they figured out how to deal with the situation in a new way.

"VIP is about teaching people how to solve problems with new resources. It's wonderful to be a part of someone's success -- to watch someone grow," Matthews said.

If you are interested in learning more about VIP or becoming a mentor, please contact Angela Tillotson, program director at (916) 324-4141, extension 259.