Former Connecticut Inmate:
"You saved my life.  There's no doubt about it."
“You either change, go back to jail, or die,” states Ron, referring to his options when he entered Cochegan House, The Connection’s transitional program in Connecticut for men releasing from incarceration. “Everything I’d done in life was related to using,” he said. As Ron settled into the program, accountability was one key to his success. Staff assisted him with money management and making positive decisions.

He landed a job at an auto body shop, enjoyed the work  and found that he was good at it. Ron worked hard, gained visitation rights with his children, and focused on a future staying sober.

After graduating, he was hired to manage a Westport body shop where the owner encouraged him to get his adjusters license.

While completing the application, Ron paused at the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” He admits, “I wanted to lie and hope that they never checked.”

Instead, Ron acknowledged he had a record and wrote to the person responsible for licensing in Connecticut to explain his situation to her. The letter led to a lengthy
phone call, and he was told that if he passed the test he would be awarded his license.

Ron passed the test and has been the adjuster at the shop for several years now.  Ron enjoys shared custody of his daughters.  “It’s been very powerful having my two kids a part of my life,” he says. “If I tell them I’m going to be there, I’m going to be there.”

Ron also visits the program occasionally to talk to clients about his experiences and the driving forces that keep him leading a productive life. For him, it’s a small way to give
back to a program that gave him so much.  “You saved my life,” asserts an emotive Ron.  “There’s no doubt about it.”

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RON
Another life
transformed by The Connection
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