Embracing a Second Chance: “This is it for me.”

MARYLAND – If you’ve been locked up in Maryland, there’s a 20% chance you could go back.

Advocates are now sharing which resources need to be in place for those individuals to be given a second chance. Chris Harmon says to take it from him when you get a second chance make the right decision and don’t go back. “This is it for me, I’m 49,” says Christopher “Big Chris” Harmon.

Chris Harmon or Big Chris of Pocomoke in and out of prison since the age of 19. “I started hanging with the wrong people, and that’s how it really started, being introduced to the game, I started driving them around, I had a car they didn’t. I saw the money they were making,” Harmon said.

Big Chris quickly made a hundred dollars in just 5 minutes calling the fast money an addiction. Now out of prison for 7 months, Harmon is finally taking advantage of his second chance. “This time I said Imma really give myself a chance, and I’m not going to say it was easy when I first came home, but its getting easier and easier every day,” Harmon emphasized.

This is an opportunity that Big Chris says April Alexander, Founder of Positive Reinforcements help him set up while still incarcerated. As an advocate, she says it’s a second chance that could lead to changed lives. “Why not let them start over? They learn from their mistakes, why not let them start over? Why not help them become successful in that second chance?” April Alexander asks.

In order to thrive back in society, Alexander says the necessary resources have to be in place. “Housing, transportation, food, and employment are the biggest and most important things they are needing when they are released from incarceration,” Alexander said.

She says without these resources individuals can end up homeless or back in prison. Big Chris agrees “A lot of guys when they come out the system don’t have nothing, they don’t have no where to go, they don’t have no job to look forward to, even just to have someone to talk to, they don’t have that,” Harmon explained.

Big Chris says he hopes once you are on the outside you think twice before making the wrong decision. “Imma two time loser now, so one more will put me three-time loser which will put me 25 no parole. I never thought about the consequences, because I thought I was slick, I thought I could get away, think about the consequences, think about what could happen,” Harmon emphasized.

April Alexander of Positive Reinforcements says that with the next opportunity comes a domino effect. Jobs have to be in place so that the recently incarcerated or justice-engaged individuals find housing, but even then some still run into issues. “A lot of time a lot of employers do background checks, things of that nature that will prevent somebody from getting that position, so we’re looking for anybody that is willing to hire justice-engaged individuals,” Alexander said.

Alexander says with more of these employment options comes a higher success rate. To keep providing these resources to the community, Alexander says that her nonprofit is accepting clothing for individuals, food, volunteers, mentors, and monetary donations.

Positive Reinforcements will also be holding a legal aid clinic tomorrow at their Salisbury Office. That event is from 5 to 7 pm.