Category: News

As we move into April, Second Chance Month, I’ve been thinking a lot about what that really means—and what it’s meant in my own life.

A lot of you know my story. I spent years cycling through homelessness and incarceration—many of those nights on Skid Row, some behind bars. I was stuck in the pattern too many in our community know all too well: survive, get locked up, get out, start over—only to end up right back where you started. At one point, I was living in a cardboard box. And I’ll never forget when God spoke to me and said, “Get up, and get help.”

That was the beginning of my second chance.

I entered a long-term, intensive rehab program. It wasn’t easy. But that process—the recovery, the support, the structure—that lit a fire in me. A fire not just to rebuild my own life, but to help others access the same kinds of services and opportunities that helped me.

When we talk about second chances, that’s what I think of.

It’s not just about giving someone an opportunity—it’s about giving them the access to take advantage of that opportunity. You can have an open door, but you’ve got to be able to walk through it.

Second Chance Month is a powerful reminder of how important that access is. And it’s also a reminder that second chances aren’t just for “certain people”—they’re for all of us.

We all get second chances. They may not look the same because we all do different things. But we all restart—move to a new city, change careers, go back to school. We get a second chance every day we wake up.

And yet, for those of us who’ve been incarcerated, that grace isn’t always extended. Even after we’ve done our time, paid our restitution, gone through the programs—society still finds ways to hold our past over our heads. That’s why the work we do at LARRP and across the reentry community—is so important. Together, we’re working to remove those barriers so people don’t just survive reentry, but have a chance to truly thrive.

This month, I want to challenge each of you to make Second Chance Month personal.

Just one person. That’s what I always tell folks. If each of us wakes up and decides to help just one person—give them a resource, a connection, a word of encouragement—that’s how we change lives. And if we did that every day for a year? Imagine that.

That’s the mindset I live by. Me and my wife try to wake up every day and ask: “who is one person we can help today?”

It doesn’t take a huge system overhaul to make an impact—although we’re working on that too. But we don’t need to wait for legislation or funding to start offering grace and opportunity. We can be part of someone’s second chance right now.

And one of the most important ways we do that—especially at the systems level—is through diversion.

Diversion changed my life. It gave me the chance to stabilize. I was able to enter programs that offered job training, group therapy, support systems—things that helped me understand not just what I’d done, but why I did it. That’s where real accountability begins.

To me, diversion means a different opportunity than custody. It’s about giving people something real and meaningful instead of jail time. And that doesn’t mean there’s no accountability—there’s still structure, there’s still restitution, there’s still work. But there’s also healing.

And it’s not just about individuals. It’s about public safety. At LARRP, we’ve worked alongside partners to create and grow community-based restorative programs across L.A. County—and the outcomes speak for themselves.

When someone has a place to live, when they’re working, when they feel like they belong—they’re not just staying out of jail, they’re contributing. That’s how we build safer neighborhoods.”

That’s why I’m proud that LARRP is co-sponsoring AB 1231—a bill that would expand access to diversion programs across California. This bill is about building the kind of infrastructure our communities need: treatment instead of time, support instead of a cell, dignity instead of delay.

We know this works. The data shows it. But more importantly—we’ve lived it.

We’re not saying don’t hold people accountable. We’re saying do it in a way that actually leads to change. That actually restores. So as we recognize Second Chance Month, let’s keep that focus.
Let’s celebrate redemption, yes—but let’s also fight for systems that make redemption possible.

Let’s keep pushing for diversion, for investment in our people, and for the kind of policies that treat humanity as something worth protecting—not punishing.

And let’s not forget: we don’t have to wait for legislation to start making a difference. That starts with us. We all get a second chance every day we wake up. Let’s make sure we’re offering that same chance to someone else.

Thank you for being in this work with us.

In solidarity,

Pastor Troy Vaughn