Category: Second Chance Stories
Stopping the Cycle
Kenneth grew up in the juvenile system living in detention centers for seven years. The cycle continued into adulthood after he was charged with a criminal offense. He was released on bail to reentry programming where he learned about substance abuse and was able to accept his drug addiction. Now 19, Kenneth has interrupted the [...]
Venturing Off Track
Al-Tariq and his siblings grew up in a single parent home. Raised by his mother and maternal grandmother, he excelled in school and avoided getting into trouble with the law despite his tough childhood. Al-Tariq received a full scholarship to a preparatory high school, but his curiosity led him to drug experimentation and hanging out [...]
The Wrong Crowd
Darris was the youngest of 10 children and lived with both parents until they divorced when he was 7 years old. As a teenager he started hanging out with the wrong crowd, dropping out of high school by the age of 16. Darris developed a drug and alcohol dependency which led to criminal activity and [...]
A Longtime Addict
Joshua was an active addict involved with drugs for as long as he can remember. He went to prison at 26 years old and did fourteen months on the inside. While in prison he made the decision to start a new life. He soon realized that everything in his life would have to change and [...]
Growing Up In Detention
Lonnie grew up in a single-parent home and was the middle child of three siblings. Because of his upbringing and the lifestyle to which he was exposed, he turned to the streets and got involved in criminal activities at a young age. By 13 years old, Lonnie was arrested and sent to a juvenile detention [...]
His Father’s Dream
Edgar was the first child born in the United States to a traditional Portuguese family. His father came here with a dream of great opportunity and a better life for his children. Edgar’s father taught his family to work hard, have faith, and realize their special talents. Instead, Edgar took some missteps and became an [...]
Faith Helps
Gary comes from a large family of nine, he is married and has seven children. He depends on his faith to maintain his sobriety. When offering advice, Gary recommends recovering addicts take one step at a time, and make sure God, your family, your church family, and friends are all part of your support system. [...]
Total Transformation
Dejon was incarcerated for 7 ½ years and during that time realized he needed to make a major transformation in the way he thought and acted. He realized the best way to change himself was starting from within and building outwards. Throughout the years, Dejon met many men on their journey to reform and began [...]
Staying Sober: a Success Story from GEO Reentry Connect
Nate described himself as “an out of control alcoholic” for 11 years. It wasn’t until he spent time in a prison treatment center that his eyes were opened to some of his addictive behaviors. Now that Nate is living a life of sobriety, he has some advice for others going through what he went through. [...]
Focus on Needs
Tobin worked with his case managers as he prepared to leave prison. Because of his sex offender status, he knew it would be difficult to find housing. A New Opportunity After a month of searching for work, Tobin’s probation officer granted him permission to look in a neighboring county. Tobin landed a temporary painting job, [...]
