Category: Second Chance Stories
Fitting In
At 13, Tim smoked marijuana for the first time, so that he would fit in with other kids. He was the oldest son of a proud Irish-Catholic police officer and grew up middle class. Tim attended Catholic school and was a cross-country track star in high school, achieving scholarships for his athletic abilities. Throughout his [...]
Battling Addiction
At 13, Dorothy started experimenting with drugs, and by 15 she was addicted. After high school, she turned to the streets full time, where she sought acceptance and approval while battling her addiction. Her criminal activities and drug use lead to more than 30 arrests and 8 incarcerations. Dorothy ultimately lost parental rights to her [...]
Trouble at a Young Age
Jesse got involved in criminal activity at a very young age. He first encountered trouble with the law for shoplifting when he was just nine years old and had joined a gang by the age of 10. By the time Jessie was 13, he had stolen cars and sold drugs. At 15, Jessie was carrying [...]
Rebelling
Vernard was 9 years old when he witnessed his mother kill his father. Without a positive role model at home, he turned to the streets and started to rebel. His first encounter with the law was at 10 years old, and he continued down a destructive path throughout his teenage years, ultimately dropping out of [...]
Maladaptive Behaviors
A native of Puerto Rico, Aurea reports that her history of maladaptive behaviors began when she was around the age of 21. At that point, she began to indulge in alcohol and drug use which subsequently lead to troubles with the law. In total, her criminal history led to 15 arrests and two convictions. Aurea’s [...]
Criminal Lifestyle
Lawrence was 12 years old when he first experimented with marijuana, and by 16 he had moved onto stronger drugs like meth and heroin. He received his first felony and was sentenced to six years of incarceration. While incarcerated, Lawrence claims he found solace in befriending gang members and even inherited the nickname “Big Country.” [...]
A Lifetime of Addiction
Mark drank and used drugs most of his life, beginning with alcohol when he was only 12 years old, then progressing to marijuana, followed by hard drugs. Mark’s father worked three jobs and provided for his family, but Mark wanted more. When Mark was 13, he figured out the way to get everything that he [...]
Lifestyle of Addiction
As a dual diagnosed addict, Jacob found himself in and out of institutions most of his life starting at the age of 15. Jacob would steal from his closest friends and family and found himself in court often. His behavior and lifestyle choices led him down a damaging path of addiction. Jacob hated life and [...]
Prison as a Means to Change
Tommaso ended up in prison where he claims his journey of recovery began. He became open-minded to programs of recovery and creating positive change while incarcerated. He embraced the programming offered to him and dedicated himself to pursuing a second chance. He considers himself hard-working, driven, and strong-willed and applied these traits to achieve recovery. [...]
