Dallas County District Attorney's AIM program allows second chance for inmates

The Dallas County District Attorney's AIM program provides a second chance for young inmates.

The AIM program, which stands for "Achieve Inspire Motivate", gives young offenders the chance to complete certain classes. It targets young people who are in prison for non-violent offenses. After graduating from AIM, the participant's case will be dismissed and immediately expunged.

"You're now part of a new generation of criminal justice," State District Judge Brandon Birmingham said to the group of inmates. "We're trying to address the root causes of why y'all are sitting in the chairs that you're sitting in."

Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson said the program wants to make productive citizens out of people who've stumbled early in life.

"Can you imagine how much we spend for people who are incarcerated? So the idea is to make certain that we decrease the number of people who's going to prison," Johnson said.

The program is giving Madison Banks, 21, who's the mom of 2-year-old, the chance to move past the controlled substance possession case that bound her future.

"I am so excited and happy and thankful for the AIM program for giving me this second chance," Banks said. "I feel like we are young people and we make mistakes, so everybody deserves a second chance."