“I am not the same woman I was when I was arrested more than nine years ago,” Alecia recently wrote. “The woman I used to be was broken and damaged.” Her life, once marked by unresolved grief from her father’s death when she was just eleven, spiraled into anger, perfectionism, and codependency. The pain buried deep within her heart manifested itself in unhealthy behaviors and destructive patterns. Though she appeared successful—holding multiple degrees, practicing law, and living what seemed like a picture-perfect life—on the inside, Alecia was crumbling.
“I felt abandoned when my father died . . . Life seemed unstable. I lived in constant fear,” she recalls. Her grief drove her to seek control in all the wrong ways, creating walls that shut out the world and even herself. When her marriage to an emotionally abusive husband further unraveled, Alecia found herself at rock bottom.
A single, devastating decision changed the course of her life forever. “That night changed my life forever—surprisingly not only for the worse . . . but also for the better.” Facing incarceration until 2054, Alecia expected to lose everything. Instead, she found something she didn’t know she was missing: the redemptive love of God.
“In my grief and anger over losing my father, I walked away from God,” she admits. “Though I wouldn’t realize it until nearly a year after my arrest, the wonderful thing about God is that He never walked away from me.”
Through her time with Crossroads, Alecia began to encounter God’s Word and His people. Crossroads mentors walked with her, prayed for her, and offered the support and guidance she needed to see herself the way God does: as someone deeply loved, forgiven, and created with purpose.
“Only through His help since that horrible night have I been able to rebuild relationships . . . and find the courage to divorce my husband,” Alecia says. She describes how God worked in her heart to help her overcome grief, take responsibility for her choices, mend relationships with her family, and discover her true identity. “With God’s help, I have discovered my self-worth and self-esteem . . . My body may be caged, but my heart, mind, and soul now fly free.”
Alecia’s testimony is a powerful reminder of God’s transformative love. Her story shows how lives can be renewed and hearts set free through faith and encouragement.
As we step into a new year, you have the opportunity to answer God’s call to care for people in prison. Your prayers, support, and involvement can help more individuals like Alecia experience healing, hope, and the promise of a brighter future. Will you be a part of their story this year?
Please prayerfully consider giving today at cpministries.org/donate.