A Life Given Back: Frank S.’s Second Chance
Frank S. remembers his childhood as rough-edged and haunted from the beginning. Born in 1976 to a teenage mother and a barely-sixteen-year-old father, his earliest memories are marked not with cartoons and playgrounds, but with absence. His father was gone [...]
Finding Hope: Drug and Alcohol Support for Returning Citizens
Walking out of prison can be a shock. The world has changed while you were gone, and suddenly you’re supposed to catch up and keep pace with everyone who has…
From Silence to Strength: Sean J.’s Second Chance Journey
Growing up deaf in California, I faced challenges that many people never have to experience. Often, I was the only deaf person in my family, school, or community, leaving me…
Proof That Second Chances Can Rewrite Any Story
Some stories seem destined to end in tragedy, until someone decides to write a new chapter. This is one of those stories. It belongs to Summer W., a woman whose…
You’re Home—Now What? Your Guide to Life After Prison
It’s over. No more prison. You step out, but suddenly the world feels bigger, faster, and a lot less forgiving than you remember. Maybe you don’t have a job lined up, or a place to stay, or even an ID. [...]
Have a Plan: 5 Tips to Know Before Release Day
Whether it’s you, someone you care about, or someone you’re working with that is being released from prison, this is a very important time. It’s exciting, yet scary, full of possibility, yet a big shift. What’s the best way to [...]
Where Can Families Turn for Help During a Loved One’s Incarceration?
The struggles that come with incarceration are not limited to the individual on the inside. When a family member or loved one is incarcerated, it can be challenging to deal with their absence and the burdens that come with it. [...]
Overcoming a Lifetime of Violence: How Barry M. Is Rewriting His Future After Decades in Prison
Early Struggles Barry M. grew up surrounded by instability and violence. From the age of eleven, his life was marked by frequent encounters with the law, a string of poor…
A Mother’s Journey to Redemption
Jamie D. didn’t have an easy childhood. It was marked by abuse, and those early traumas shaped the path her life would take. By sixteen, she was a mother, and over the next decade, she would have six children—five boys [...]
