Listening to the Stories That Matter

In the past few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time listening — really listening — to recovering addicts and gamblers across Wyoming. These aren’t just statistics; these are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who have faced the darkest moments of their lives and are fighting their way back.

One thing became clear: while Wyoming has some good pieces in its recovery process, we’re falling short of offering a complete path to real second chances.

The Numbers and the Gaps

From what I’ve learned, there’s potential for up to 98% improvement in recovery outcomes if we’re willing to take a hard look at what works — and what doesn’t.

Faith-based programs are repeatedly cited as the most successful — but our own Wyoming Constitution prohibits state funding for them. That means some of the most effective solutions are left to scrape by on private donations, while less effective programs get the lion’s share of resources.

And then there’s the cultural gap — the public’s willingness to accept someone back after they’ve served their time or completed treatment. Too often, “recovery” is treated as a label to carry for life rather than a stage to move beyond.

The Overcriminalization Problem

I also can’t ignore how our justice system handles certain offenses. Too many crimes that have no direct victim, and no real harm to others, carry severe penalties that make it harder for people to rebuild their lives.

I’ve said before: if a law is more about control than justice, it needs to be reexamined. Criminalizing people in ways that make recovery nearly impossible isn’t just bad policy — it’s a recipe for hopelessness.

Be Something Different

To Be Something Different in leadership means actually addressing the root causes of addiction and gambling struggles, instead of just throwing more laws or more money at the symptoms.

It means:

• Working to remove barriers to the most effective recovery programs — even if they’re faith-based.
• Promoting community partnerships that welcome people back into society.
• Reducing the legal roadblocks that keep people chained to their past mistakes.

More Than a Political Talking Point

Addiction and gambling recovery can’t be reduced to a campaign slogan. When I talk about second chances, I’m talking about sitting across from a man who’s been clean for 18 months and still can’t find a job because of one mistake years ago.

I’m talking about a young mother who beat her gambling addiction but still fights for custody because the system can’t see past her history.

These aren’t hypotheticals — they’re people I’ve met. And they deserve leaders willing to fight for real solutions.

The Bottom Line

We can Give Freedom Back — because real freedom doesn’t need permission, but that also means freeing people from the chains of a broken recovery and justice system.

Wyoming can lead the way by embracing what works, cutting what doesn’t, and treating recovery as the beginning of a new chapter — not a lifelong sentence.

Wyoming, let’s be the state that believes in second chances, in restoration, and in helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.