Second Chances

Life is about second chances, thirds and fourths. But for people coming out of the prison system, it can feel like the first and only shot you had was blown the day you made that mistake.

Will Avila had been in and out of prison for 10 years. His choices were not ideal, his life had taken some unplanned and unfortunate steps. According to Avila, he applied for jobs 22 times and got rejected 22 times. He decided then that he would not let his fate be decided by hiring committees or HR directors. He decided to start his own business, a company called Clean Decisions. He employed former inmates, and also began a non-profit called Changing Perceptions, a mentoring program that gets former inmates linked up with mentors so that they can stay out of trouble.

It's much easier to give up after you've blown a chance. The effect on your life is hard, but the giving up part is easy and after a while it can feel like an old friend and comfort. And the sting of making a mistake can make you want to keep as far away from that feeling as possible. So there becomes no second chances, no thirds, no fourths. If Will had given up, there might not be other people whose lives were affected in a positive way. Instead of taking a chance, he may have ended up making a mistake again. Mistakes hurt. But with every mistake comes a second chance. You may end up making another misstep, another wrong move, but don't ever forget the chance that will follow.

By, Stephanie Foltz