There is a Michigan version of this being implemented now....
https://goo.gl/4uvkoMJamie Sharkey is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill.
He's also a Certified Peer Specialist for others dealing with mental illness in prison.
"I'm trying to be part of the solution, not the problem anymore."
His distinction is part of a new program within the Department of Corrections. According to the DOC, Pennsylvania is the first to use the Mental Health First Aid program so broadly. The program began in 2014.
"To be in the position that I'm in as an offender and to give back in this way and prepare to do the same on the outside, it's tremendous," Sharkey says.
Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel says the course is similar to a first aid or CPR training.