Tammy recalls praying in despair after receiving a 20-year sentence: “God help me, God help me. What have I done with every good thing You have ever given me?”

This wasn’t Tammy’s first prison sentence, but this time, being the age of 50 meant she would lose even more moments with her children, more family photos would be taken without her, and most painfully, there were now grandchildren she wouldn’t be there to hold.

Tammy resolved to make the most of her time, beginning with her relationship with God. She drew closer to Him, taking part in Prison Fellowship^® Academy—a yearlong, intensive program that invites all those living in prison to encounter Jesus—where she learned the value of community and faced the wounds and choices of her past.

When Tammy was released from prison, she admits, life became challenging.

“For many people who were incarcerated, it wasn’t just getting out of prison and reentering,” Tammy says. “It was entering a world for the first time, that I had never been in before.”

Learning to live on her own, to be there for her children, and to find employment were enormous obstacles for Tammy.

She leaned on God and the church for strength and encouragement. It was through her local church that Tammy received the second chances that she needed to begin again.

Today, she serves on staff with Prison Fellowship, helping other men and women in prison know that their pasts do not determine who they can become.

Take a moment to watch this short documentary and see how the trajectory of Tammy’s life changed because of a second chance—and how you can stand with those who need one.

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