I Wasn’t Alone — Not Even In Solitary Confinement

What would you do if you had a Second Chance?

People don’t believe me when I tell them the 30 days I spent in solitary confinement were the most wonderful days of my life.

You might not believe it either. But I hope you will give me a minute to explain. You see, you and other supporters of The Salvation Army played a big part in helping me along the path from addiction and homelessness to sobriety and serving others. This is my story.

I had everything a kid could want while growing up:?A loving family, good friends, and success in a variety of high school sports—including being named an All-State football player. After attending the University of Arizona, I was hired as a securities trader at a Wall Street firm. I quickly made a name for myself along with enough money to retire at age 29.

What my coworkers, clients, and even family members didn’t know, however, was I had a huge addiction to cocaine.

From Wall Street To Living On The Streets

My cocaine addiction was well-hidden. By all appearances—including a new house overlooking the ocean, fancy car, and zero debt—I was a successful young man.

My addiction was also well-financed “thanks” to the money I made. But after just four years, I had blown through all my money, lost all my worldly possessions, and found myself living on the streets of Phoenix. It was a big fall from living life to the fullest, or so I thought, to sleeping under a bush and devoting every minute to trying to get drugs. But I still hadn’t hit rock bottom.

Simply being homeless was illegal at the time. That “crime,” as well as a series of misdemeanor, non-violent offenses, landed me in four different jails across Arizona. When I stole more than $3,000 from a girlfriend in California, it was a felony that carried a long prison sentence.

Devastating Diagnosis

While behind bars in a Northern Arizona jail, I became very ill with a mysterious disease. I couldn’t keep food down and began losing weight at an alarming rate.

Results from a blood test showed I was HIV-positive—apparently due to the one time I used a needle to inject drugs. At the time, 1995, HIV was essentially a death sentence that would end after about two years of painful suffering.

The jail’s policy was to put anyone who tested positive for HIV/AIDS in solitary confinement.?

Solitary is just like what you see in movies:?a small dark cell, an iron door with a slot for food to be pushed through, and absolutely no human contact. But I wasn’t completely alone for those 30 days of enforced isolation.

That’s because God revealed Himself to me while I was sitting in that pitch black cell contemplating the terrible death awaiting me. I didn’t actually see God. But He clearly communicated with me. And his message filled me with peace:

?“Everything is going to be okay because I am here with you.

You will never be alone, and you will always be loved.”

I knew that to be true when my next blood test came back with no trace of HIV. The next miracle God worked in my life brought me to The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army Saved My Life

A judge who realized I was an addict who would get nothing from 4-6 years in prison instead “sentenced” me to The Salvation Army’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

For six months, I got up on time, made my bed, washed dishes, attended meetings, and grew even closer to God while learning to value myself.

My first job at The Salvation Army was as administrator of a nursery for pregnant women battling addiction to help ensure they give birth to drug-free babies and can stay with their newborns in a safe, healthy setting. Out of 28 women in the nursery’s first year, 27 delivered a drug-free baby. And 25 came back two years later to celebrate sobriety and share photos of their children.

That great success rate led me to start meeting with Arizona lawmakers to seek funding for programs that get imprisoned addicts into treatment and are proven to reduce recidivism rates. I have since helped draft and advocate for legislation that has gotten more than 20,000 people out of jail and into effective drug rehabilitation programs, including The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehab Centers.

I tell politicians, people enrolled in our Adult Rehab Center programs, and anyone else who will listen: The Salvation Army saved my life. I’m telling that to you today to confirm that your contributions make a difference—literally a life-saving difference in my case.

I also hope you will be kind enough to help again today by making a tax-deductible gift to The Salvation Army. https://TheChanceTo.org

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to turn my life around so I can now give back to other people who need and deserve the same opportunity. Thanks as well for supporting The Salvation Army as generously as you can.

Jeff Taylor, Chairman, Advisory Board, The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers Western Command

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