The Second Chance Chronicles w/ Chaddrick Thomas

  By Chaddrick Thomas They don’t just fear our violence. They fear our transformation. Because if people like me can change—can heal, can lead, can build— then everything they said about us was a lie. Redemption terrifies the system. Because it threatens the foundation it stands on: the belief that some people are permanently broken. To Keep the Cage Closed, They Have to Keep the Narrative Alive They call us “violent offenders” long after we’ve served our time. They write our names in ink, but our charges in bold, capital letters. They say: “He may have started a business, but don’t forget what he did.” “She got a degree? Great. But we can’t erase the past.” “Sure, he’s mentoring youth now—but he’s still a killer in our eyes.” What they’re really saying is: “We need you to stay who you were… so we can feel right about how we treated you.” Redemption Forces Accountability—And They Don’t Want That If I can change, then maybe I never needed 91 years. Maybe I needed counseling. Maybe I...

  By Chaddrick Thomas Violence is everywhere. In our headlines. In our prisons. In our schools. In our foreign policy. But somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves that some violence is righteous, and some is criminal. The only difference? Who’s holding the power when it happens. The Double Standard Is By Design A protestor breaks a window, and the whole city goes on lockdown. But an officer kneels on a man’s neck for 9 minutes and gets a press release saying “incident under investigation.” A teenage boy throws a punch and gets tried as an adult. But a politician signs off on airstrikes that kill entire families and gets reelected for being “strong on national security.” The message is clear: Violence is only legitimate when it serves the state. Legitimacy Is a Lie Wrapped in a Uniform They call it law enforcement. They call it national defense. They call it public safety. But it’s all just packaged violence. And the people who deliver it are protected, praised, and paid—while people lik...

  By Chaddrick Thomas They don’t just sentence us. They don’t just cage us. They define us. “Violent offender.” “Monster.” “Threat to society.” These labels aren’t just used in court—they live in the minds of lawmakers, parole boards, the media, and the public. They become the reason why we don’t get second chances. This is the danger narrative—and it’s one of the most powerful weapons ever created in American law. The Lie They Sell: “We’re Protecting Society” They say people like me are too dangerous to be free. Too violent to rehabilitate. Too risky to ever walk among the so-called “innocent” again. But what they’re really doing is selling fear. Fear sells policies. Fear keeps prisons full. Fear keeps society compliant. Because if people truly saw us as human—flawed, broken, and still worthy— They’d have to question the system. They’d have to admit that the numbers—40 years, 91 years, life without parole—aren’t about justice. They’re about control. We Are Punished for Violence. T...