Utah Stories · Vernal, UT
From Heroin Addiction and 10 Years in Prison to a Second Chance
For much of his adult life, Daniel knew little beyond drugs, crime, and prison. After spending approximately 10 years behind bars and struggling with heroin and methamphetamine addiction, he had become accustomed to a revolving door of incarceration. But beneath the criminal lifestyle was someone searching for something he had lost long ago: a family. “I was never really searching for a gang. I was just looking for a family,” Daniel explained. Born in San Diego, Daniel grew up in Vernal, Utah, where he remembers exploring the countryside near the Green River with his brothers. Although he recalls enjoying his early childhood, his home life was troubled by substance abuse and domestic violence. Both parents struggled with drugs and alcohol, and when Daniel was 13, his father was deported to Fiji. The separation left him searching for belonging, particularly as his mother continued struggling with addiction. As he grew older, Daniel became involved in drugs and criminal activity.
