Anthony recognizes the transformation that has occurred in his life over the last seven months. Today, he lives independently and is able to provide for his family and discuss his emotions. He is confident and self-sufficient, a stark contrast with the man re-entering society after serving more than 22 years in prison, trying to adjust to a world that looked vastly different from when he left.

Anthony grew up in North Lawndale. He was exposed to gang life early on and experienced abuse in the household. Trauma was familiar and constant. His entire family was in a gang, and so it seemed inevitable that he would join, too, when he reached his teenage years.

“The ‘gang thing’ was more a sense of family in the neighborhood,” Anthony said. “When you join a gang, it’s where you grew up or people you grew up with. All of my uncles and cousins were my biggest influences.”

In 1998, when Anthony was 16, he was sentenced to 44 years in prison. He never expected to get out, so when he was released in June 2018 after serving 50 percent of his sentence, he did his best to look at it as a fresh start, but it was difficult.

“I was frustrated,” Anthony said. “I had all these plans for when I got home, but when I got here, none of that stuff worked out. The world was so different.”

Anthony had trouble even finding a place to live with a felony on his record, and he experienced anxiety riding the bus and going to get groceries in an unfamiliar world. These struggles and anxieties, unfortunately, are common for men re-entering society on parole, said Patrick Daniels, a READI Chicago outreach supervisor for UCAN.

“It’s a struggle for a lot of guys on parole because there aren’t as many resources for them,” Patrick said. “They come out and end up right back in the same environment with the same people. Once they fall back into that trap, they find themselves back incarcerated. It’s a huge challenge, when guys come out feeling hopeless with no other alternative.”

Following READI Chicago outreach protocol for bringing in participants through the re-entry pathway, Patrick reached out to Anthony while he was still incarcerated, explaining that he may have a job and support program for Anthony upon his release.

“Patrick said he might have an opportunity for me, but he referred me to a therapist first to make sure I was mentally ready for it,” Anthony said. “That’s been the most vital part for me being successful, because coming home, I had things I needed to deal with. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding therapy, but it’s awesome.”

These sorts of referrals and checkpoints are standard practice for Patrick and his team, who work to provide every support necessary to help men stay out of prison and find a new path forward.

“We’re here to support these guys in every way we can,” Patrick said. “We’ll help them get employment, get their credit right, get their driver’s license, become self-sufficient citizens. These are people who are not looking to go back to jail. They just need an opportunity.”

In READI Chicago, Anthony works a transitional job, receives group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and continues to receive support from Patrick and his outreach worker and job coach. Anthony now has outstanding attendance, is excelling at work, and said he looks forward to seeing his individual therapist every Wednesday.

“CBT is very helpful, because most of us grow up seeing just one thing. It gives you a different way of thinking,” Anthony said. “If you take the time to think before you act, you get a better result. It’s still overwhelming, but I’m not going to let anything break me. People like me just need an opportunity.”