It took time for Charlene Nackers to alter her lifestyle.

During the summer of 2007, the Port Edwards woman, now 32, received a 245-day jail sentence for her fourth drunken driving offense.

"I had sat in jail the summer before, in 2006, for another drunk driving at that time," she said. "I hadn't changed; I hadn't planned on changing my drinking habits."

Nackers had a job when she went to jail in 2007 and was able to keep it through her incarceration. Being upfront and honest about what was going on was important, Nackers said. She feels fortunate her employers were understanding.

Once Nackers got out of jail, she started getting involved in church, going through a treatment program and surrounding herself with positive influences.

"I decided living my life was a lot more important than the path I was leading myself down," she said.

Nackers also decided to pursue a longtime dream -- becoming a nurse. She's currently enrolled at Mid-State Technical College's Wisconsin Rapids campus.

"I sometimes wish I had made those decisions a lot earlier," she said. "But I'm making the best of where I'm at now and moving forward."

She does worry that her record will be held against her when she starts looking for a nursing job.

For other people trying to turn their lives around after jail, Nackers advises spiritual growth. She said God has made the biggest difference in her life.

Nackers also recommends those struggling remove themselves from the people and circumstances that encourage negative behavior. If someone always drinks beer during a Packers game, for example, that person might have to stop watching the games for a while to change the habit, she said.

"You have to make different choices than what you've made before," she said. "You can't keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results."