A man on a mission, Marcelo de Jesus Velazquez is making up for lost time after spending 20 years behind bars. He’s building a career, reuniting with his mother and son, and even lobbying state legislators for prison reform. But he realizes he can’t do it alone: Marcelo is seeking out supportive housing and additional services.


About FIRSTHAND: Life After Prison

They walk through prison gates with little more than a bus ticket and less than $100. After spending months or years counting down their sentences, they have days or hours to find food, housing, healthcare, and a job. WTTW’s FIRSTHAND: LIFE AFTER PRISON offers an intimate look at the challenges and opportunities facing people returning to society after spending time in prison, as they seek to restart their lives while carrying the stigma of a criminal record.

FIRSTHAND: Life After Prison is part of the awardwinning FIRSTHAND multiplatform, multiyear initiative focusing on the firsthand perspectives of people facing critical issues in Chicago.

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