Discusses Operation Kick-It (OKI), which enlists a panel of 3-4 inmates convicted of drug-related offenses to travel throughout Texas to tell their life stories to the public, and to examine the rehabilitative impact of OKI on participants. Conceptual issues are reviewed, and statistical analyses are conducted of Ss' success after release. Of the 177 released participants, only 20% were returned to prison, whereas 66% of nonparticipants were returned. Conversations with present program participants suggest that increased self-awareness and acceptance of responsibility, together with positive reinforcement, explain the positive program impact. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)