Tag Page SecondChances

The New Golden Rule: Before You Hit Send

This is a piggyback off my last post about the Golden Rule in prison. Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of hateful comments on my stories. I don’t write about what the president has done that I like — I could, but that’d just be writing to half the country. I write about the things that matter to me: criminal justice reform, addiction and recovery, and mental health awareness — all from personal experience. The hate usually starts when someone flings wild, unproven accusations at the president. I try to moderate my comments. I push back on things that aren’t or can’t be proven. I’m not for shutting people up — that’s wrong. But when I do that, the same people turn on me. The truth is, the left is pushing away people like me — people who might have listened, people who just want real solutions for the issues that matter most. So before you hit send, think about what you’re doing. Are you writing for others in your echo chamber, or are you trying to reach everyone? Andrew Goltz writes straight from experience — 22 years in the federal system taught him a lot about justice, redemption, and what real change takes. Now free, he’s using his voice to bridge the divide between politics and people. --- Hashtags #RealTalk #FreeSpeech #SecondChances #PrisonReform #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #JusticeSystem #TruthTeller #NewsBreakCommunity #ThinkBeforeYouPost

The Counselor Who Helped Me Didn’t Survive His Own Addiction When I first got out of prison, I was wrecked. I had a serious addiction and zero coping skills. Then, a month out, my father died. I was still in a federal halfway house — technically still in custody — and I handled it the worst way possible. I went and bought weed to numb everything. In the federal system, weed = heroin. A dirty is a dirty. They sent me back for 102 days. When I got out again, they made me go to treatment at Bay Area Addiction and Recovery. I wasn’t trying to “get clean.” I was just trying to stay out of trouble. Then I met my peer support counselor, Jason Albertson. Jason didn’t talk down to you. He wasn’t fake. He was an ex-heroin addict who actually understood the life. I felt comfortable with him in minutes. After the feds switched my insurance and forced me to a different clinic, he and I still texted. Then I moved back to Sacramento, relapsed, caught new violations, and went right back to custody. That’s addiction — one slip and everything falls apart. Tonight, scrolling the news, I saw a name I recognized. Jason overdosed. He died on October 28th — three weeks after I got out. It crushed me. I even called BAART to see if he still worked there, but nobody there even knew him. That’s how addiction takes people: quietly, without headlines, without the world noticing. Jason helped people every day. He helped me at a time when I didn’t even think I needed help. He was real, honest, and fighting a battle he eventually lost. Addiction is brutal. One mistake can end everything. And fentanyl doesn’t give second chances. If you’re struggling — whether you’re in recovery, slipping, or still using — ask for help. Someone will pick up the phone. Someone will care. Don’t let this stuff take you the way it took him. I wish Jason had one more chance. I wish he were still here. #ReentryStruggles #AddictionRecovery #HalfwayHouse #SecondChances #RelapseRecovery #CriminalJustice

The Golden Rule — Convict Style

In prison, we live by a set of rules that go back so far nobody even knows who made them. You’ll hear guys say, “I didn’t make the rules, but we gotta follow them.” Out here, people talk about the Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” Inside, that rule still applies — but it’s got teeth. Everybody knows: snitches and sex offenders don’t last long. The penalty for either is final. But here’s what most people don’t know — if you falsely accuse someone of being one without proof (paperwork), then you wear that jacket. And your exit usually comes with a LifeFlight ride to the ER — if you’re lucky. So when you’re out here throwing wild accusations at politicians, public figures, or anyone else, remember — in the convict’s world, claims come with consequences. Better have the paperwork. Andrew Goltz writes raw, unfiltered stories about prison life, addiction recovery, and second chances. A reformed convict with firsthand experience in the federal system, he’s on a mission to expose the truth, break stigma, and change how people see those rebuilding after incarceration. #PrisonReform #ConvictStories #LifeAfterPrison #JusticeSystem #TruthTeller #RealTalk #SecondChances #ReentryMatters #RespectEarned #NewsBreakCommunity

In 2005, an Officer Saved Him From the Golden Gate Bridge. A Decade Later, They Met Again.

I came across these photos and the story behind them is just incredibly powerful. Back in 2005, Kevin Berthia went to the Golden Gate Bridge, planning to end his life. He was there, right on the edge, when Officer Kevin Briggs started talking to him. They talked for 92 minutes, right there on the bridge. And in the end, Officer Briggs convinced Kevin to step back. It's truly amazing to think about the impact those minutes had. But what really gets me is the second picture. Ten years later, they met again, at the very same bridge. This time, they're both smiling, laughing even, standing side-by-side. Kevin is even wearing a "Be The Voice #StopSuicide" shirt. It's such a powerful full-circle moment. #GoldenGateBridge #Hope #MentalHealth #Kindness #Inspiration #RealLifeHeroes #SuicidePrevention #SecondChances #MovingStories