My name
is Andrea Caracol. I was born and raised in Hayward, California.
Being a product of two parents trapped in drug abuse, I became
easily influenced to follow in their footsteps and involved
myself in gangs of Northern California. At age 12 I encountered
my first arrest for mutual combat and gang affiliation. I was
put out of local Junior High Schools and High Schools for
misconduct, insubordination, assault on staff, and drug abuse. I
have spent nearly 15 years in and out of jails and prisons.
When I
paroled in 2006, I moved from Hayward to a little town called
Jackson in hopes that a geographic move would and could redirect
my organized criminal career. Although I discharged my CDCR
number in 2007, by 2009 I found myself back in the vicious cycle
and headed back to Valley State Prison for Women for my second
CDCR number.
In 2010
I paroled once again, but something changed. It's like I woke up
one day and my son was 11 years old. Where had all my time gone?
And before I knew it, I looked in the mirror and realized I had
become something I had vowed never to be like, my parents. This
was the turning point in my life. I was referred by my parole
agent to a 12-month program funded by CDCR called the Female
Residential Multi-Service Center (FRMSC) in Sacramento, CA. Here
I have gone back to college, where I had the pleasure of being
introduced to Project IMPACT and Leonard Neal. Through the
presentation he delivered I discovered a new found passion and
my purpose in life.
Getting
my life back on track with purpose has given me opportunities I
only dreamed about. Due to my determination and ambitions to
redirect my life, I was honorably asked to be spokeswomen for
FRMSC at a CDCR seminar, where Chaplain Earl Smith, the CEO of
Project IMPACT, recognized me.
Today I
am a productive member of society. I am employed, active in
12-step recovery, and have a wonderful relationship with my son.
It is a privilege to help young ladies seek the hope I have
discovered here at Project Impact.
Life is what you make
it, and it is a given to have bad days. But, it's okay, because
I use to have bad years.
