The Power of Second Chances

Sometimes the biggest change starts with a simple choice: to believe in someone—not for who they’ve been, but for who they can become. As we continue highlighting stories that push back against stigma, Gordon Smith’s journey offers a powerful reminder: sometimes the biggest change begins when someone chooses to see potential instead of the past.

Gordon Smith is the Regional Area Director at Mirror, Inc., one of Kansas’ leading organizations for recovery and reentry. Gordon is also currently on the board of PARS Topeka. But before he was helping others find their way, Gordon was struggling to find his own.

“I grew up in a relatively positive household,” Gordon said. “My parents were both alcoholics, but I never needed for anything. I grew up with a lot of privilege.”

What he didn’t have was a deep sense of acceptance. After his parents’ divorce, Gordon changed schools and entered a new environment where he still didn’t feel like he fit in.

“There was a lot of violence in my youth… and in that, seeking acceptance became one of my primary motives,” he explained.

That desire to belong led him to early substance use and eventually into environments that rewarded violence, fast money, and risky behavior. His first incarceration came at just 18, shortly after being discharged from the Navy and already being an alcoholic. 60 days after being discharged, he was incarcerated for armed robbery. The pattern repeated from then on – incarceration, reentry, relapse – from age 18-33.

“There really wasn’t a whole lot of fear about going and being incarcerated,” Gordon said. “After my first experience with it, it just became part of the game.”

However, the cycle didn’t repeat for long. During all this time, Gordon’s federal supervising officer, Rod Freeman, spoke with Gordon’s defense attorney with high hope and did one thing that no other place had ever done before. Rod took a chance.

“Rather than send me back to the penitentiary, they sent me to treatment again,” Gordon said. They sent me to the same treatment facility and [specifically] in that facility provided the dual diagnosis program to where my mental health and my substance use could be addressed simultaneously.

This second chance saved his life. The treatment wasn’t easy. Gordon was struggling with intense anxiety, paranoia, and confusion.

“When I got there, I was not in a good mental space because of the cocktail of substances that I was using. I couldn’t really tell you what was real and what I was imagining. It was one of the most scary periods of my life,” he said. “I’m in this really safe environment and I cannot feel safe.”

Slowly, things started to change. With the help of medication and a counselor who treated him like a human being, despite the shackles he arrived in, Gordon began to rebuild.

“One of the things I told myself was, from here moving forward, I’m going to be as honest with myself as I can possibly be.”

Gordon started over. He worked two jobs. Moved a few times, struggled to make rent, ate a lot of Subway and enrolled at Washburn University. He mentioned, with a smile, how he made very little money while at Washburn, but he had a “whole lot of hope now because I’m in school”.

That single second chance became a mission. Today, Gordon walks into rooms not in cuffs, but in leadership, helping others get the second chance they deserve. Everyone at Mirror, Inc. knows his face. They smile and wave when they pass him by, calling him out happily by name. He gives attention and a truly listening ear to all those who are walking on a parallel journey next to him.

Be part of someone’s first step. Take action today!

• Educate Yourself About Stigma: Attend or host events that focus on justice reform and reentry challenges surrounding substance abuse.
  
  
• Send a Note of Encouragement: A few kind words can mean everything to someone rebuilding their life.
  
  
• Support Access to Dual Diagnosis Treatment: Advocate for or donate to programs that treat both mental health and substance use disorders together.
• Encourage Human-First Interactions in the Justice System: Whether you work in law enforcement, the courts, or community services, remember how far kindness goes. Just one counselor treating Gordon “like a human” made all the difference.

Gordon shares his story so others have a chance to write a new one. Want to share yours? Add your voice to “Human: A Project by PARS Topeka,” and contact PARS at (785) 266-8666 or email: info@parstopeka.org.