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Follow-up With Former Meth Addict

By Joanne Faryon / Investigative Reporter,  Off Mic
Published June 17, 2008 at 5:47 PM PDT
This story was published more than 16 years ago.

Lisa got a job. She works for an organization called Second Chance . The name is no coincidence. The agency helps people like Lisa get a job and keep a job. Lisa is a graduate of the agency's job training program, STRIVE . With her permission, here's how Lisa describes her job in an email to me.

"I AM THE FIRST PERSON THAT OUR CLIENTS SIT AND MEET WITH. I DO THEIR INTAKES AND IT IS MY JOB TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION OUT OF THEM THAT I CAN. I NEED TO KNOW THEIR CHARGES AND IF THEY HAVE SEX CHARGES AND IF THEY ARE ON PAROLE OR PROBATION. THAT'S WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY JOB IS FINDING OUT ALL THE BACKGROUND ON MY CLIENTS. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I CAN RELATE TO AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHECK CHARGES AND I TELL THEM THAT I USE TO DO IT AND THAT IF THEY CONTINUE THEY WILL SOON BE ADDICTED TO IT AND END UP DOING A LOT OF TIME. I BOND WITH A LOT OF MY CLIENTS AND WHEN I SEE THEM GRADUATE IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY. "

Lisa invited me to visit her office and see the kind of work Second Chance does. She's cut her hair since I last saw her, wearing a tan suit with pointy shoes, looking like a woman on her way up the company ladder. Her desk is cluttered with photos of family and friends. She's obviously happy -- happy being herself instead of pretending to be the name on stolen mail.

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Here's more from Lisa in her own words:

"I AM VERY HAPPY AND I AM ENJOYING LIFE. MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY PARENTS IS SO GOOD AND MY KIDS ARE WITH ME EVERY WEEKEND AND ONE LIVES WITH ME. I GO TO OPEN HOUSE AT THEIR SCHOOLS AND WE DO FAMILY OUTINGS EVERY WEEKEND. I WAS NEVER ABLE TO DO ANY OF THAT BECAUSE I ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT GETTING HIGH AND MAKING CHECKS AND ID'S, SO I NEVER WANTED TO BE AROUND ANYONE BUT MY LAPTOP. THINGS HAVE NOW CHANGED. I AM AROUND PEOPLES' CALIFORNIA ID'S AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS AND PERSONAL INFORMATION AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I'M NOT COPYING THEM OR STEALING THEIR IDENTITY. THAT'S A FIRST. I DON'T EVEN GET TEMPTED TO DO IT. I HAVE A LOT OF TRUST FROM MY CO WORKERS. I HAVE COME A LONG WAY. I HAVE BEEN CLEAN FOR 395 DAYS AND I FEEL GOOD."

Joanne Faryon
As an investigative reporter, Joanne Faryon worked with the team of journalists at inewsource, a nonprofit journalism enterprise embedded in the KPBS newsroom. Faryon has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist, working in a print, radio and TV. She previously worked in Canada and the U.S., specializing in investigative reporting. During her time at KPBS, Faryon served as reporter, host, and producer for both TV and radio. Among her many stories and investigations is the 2010 look into the effectiveness of the Whooping Cough vaccine. The series of in-depth features lead the Centers for Disease Control re-examine their reporting and change their guidelines. Faryon’s work has been honored by the USC's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism with the Walter Cronkite Award for political journalism. The prestigious honor was for the Envision special, “Who’s Supervising San Diego?” – an in-depth look at the County’s Board of Supervisors. Faryon has also received an honorable mention from the National Press Foundation in 2010 for an in-depth look at the state's prison system as part of the Envision series. In addition, Faryon has earned two regional Emmys and several awards from the San Diego Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists. Her Canadian honors include a Manitoba Human Rights award for meritorious service for her investigative work on the Ku Klux Klan and right-wing extremism in Canada. Joanne has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Winnipeg and a creative communications diploma from Red River College.
See stories by Joanne Faryon
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