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Everyone goes through difficult times in their lives, and it takes courage and strength to pull through and make a change. Joseph Hahne is a Missouri man who has experienced years of trouble with the law, but decided to turn his life around, and help others make better choices. KSMU’s Adam Murphy reports on Hahne’s story.
“I was kicked out of college for selling drugs, I stole from my mother and father more than once and I stole from my brother and sister-in-law and their friends. I’ve been charged with seven DWI’s, ten possession charges, I’ve been to prison three times in two different states, I have DOC numbers in three different states, and I’ve done prison time in a level five facility,” Hahne said.
These are just some of things Joseph Hahne has been through in his life because of the poor decisions he made.
Hahne is a native of Anderson, Missouri. He says his childhood was full of support and love.
“You know a lot of people talk about how bad their childhood was; mine was great, picture-perfect to what most kids, after they grow older, would want their childhood to be like. The problem when I was growing up was, nobody’s childhood, I believe, is as good as they ever want it to be, while they’re in it,” he said.
At the same time Hahne was excelling in school and athletics, he also became involved with drugs and alcohol at a young age. These dangerous choices he made went on to plague his future as he committed his first felony at age 20, and spent the majority of his adult years in and out of prison.
After numerous felony charges, he found himself in a solitary confinement cell on May 28, 2008. Hahne says after realizing that he had hurt his friends and family, he decided he needed to make a change for himself.
“When you find yourself in a solitary confinement cell, when your mother tells you they are not going to help and then she calls out your full name, you get to that point when you’re like, wow. And I think that point was in that solitary confinement cell, it’s like, I’ve burnt every bridge that I have and something’s got to change,” said Hahne.
Hahne went through various drug recovery programs, and ended up in the Ozark Correctional Center where he worked to change his life. He says his faith in God has made his dedication to change possible, and he wants to serve as an example for anyone going through the same things he had experienced.
As Hahne completed the program at the Ozark Correctional Center, he created four goals for himself to go back to college, plan an outreach event for youth and families in the Springfield community, publish a book of poetry from the over 400 poems he wrote in prison, and become a motivational speaker to share his story with anyone who needs to hear it.
Just over 200 days after being released from the correctional center, Hahne has fulfilled these goals, and is continuing to work with others who are struggling. That includes sharing his story over 90 times with young people, criminals, and other groups. He says he wants to inspire these people to make better decisions, and also through his life help other people have hope in those who are trying to change.
For KSMU News, I’m Adam Murphy.
