#ChiStories Podcast: Second Chances
The Second City is also the city of second chances. This week on “Chicago Stories” Mayor Emanuel sat down with Alphonso Johnson to hear one of Chicago’s great success stories.
After serving a three-year sentence, Alphonso was released into a job market unwilling to take a chance on an ex-offender. Determined to be a husband and father and not repeat the mistakes of his past, Alphonso enrolled in National Louis University, began tutoring ex-offenders at church, and discovered the CTA’s Second Chance Program.

Listen to our podcast on iTunes as Mayor Emanuel discusses with Alphonso:
0:53 — Life after prison.
8:36 — Cleaning out the mental mantle.
10:25 — Adding years to your life and life to your years.
15:10 — The power of the Second Chance Program.
20:25 — Making a difference for ex-offenders.
With help from the Second Chance Program, Alphonso not only got a second chance at a job, but a second chance at life. Working his way up to being a Rail Maintenance Manager at the CTA, Alphonso reinvented himself from the inside-out as a family man, community leader, and mentor to others who have been down his path.
Subscribe to Chicago Stories on iTunes to be sure to catch the next episode, and tweet us your great Chicago story ideas at @ChicagosMayor on #ChiStories. Thank you for listening and tell your friends!
