The Story of Mr. J.I.

It was a freezing February day when Mr. J.I. walked into a shelter, shivering and unsure. He knew nothing about social services, not even what he was really looking for. He didn’t trust shelters anyway - most of his life had been spent behind bars or on the street. Thirty years in prison and a childhood in juvenile detention had taught him just one thing: how to survive without freedom.

The first steps were the hardest. He needed escorts just to handle government offices. Slowly, he began to learn how everyday life worked - social benefits, probation visits, overnight stays. Every small victory mattered. It took a long time before he was able to trust, and even longer before he decided to truly cooperate.

Eventually, he agreed to long-term accommodation in a shelter. He even found a job and went to work regularly. For the first time in his life, he experienced what “normal” might feel like.

He kept it up for more than two years. But the ending wasn’t happy. He struggled at work, lost his job, and drifted back into crime.

Even so, it wasn’t wasted time. For the first time, he saw that life could be different - that there was another way besides prison or the street. Those lessons stay with him. Maybe one day, he’ll use them when the next chance comes along.