REAL LIFE: From day release to true release

Pete carries many of the marks of a difficult life. Tall and well tattooed, he has spent most of his 37 years in and out of institutions - from children's homes and foster care from the age of five, to prison. "Over 17 years I never spent more than 12 straight months outside before re-offending and being sent back," he says.

Yet Pete exudes a gentleness and positive optimism that belies first appearances. He puts this down to a series of strange coincidences that have brought him to a new life.

"My life began two years ago," he says, "the day I first came to the YMCA in Norwich on prison day release. I'll never forget that day; the day I started living. Now I'm like a different person."

"I had a bad start," Pete admits. "Prison was an extension of all I'd ever known. I never had proper friends. There was no support available, just me, looking out for me. I was only a little boy when my life went wrong, and I didn't understand. I always felt I'd been dealt a bad hand, that the rubbish in my life wasn't my fault. But I did some bad things, really bad things, and that made everything worse.

"It was a shame though," he says with some understatement. "I'm not that bad a person, deep down I always had something to give, but I'm only just finding that out now."

During his last sentence, over two years ago, Pete connected with the prison rehabilitation services for the first time and felt he had an opportunity to turn his life around. From open prison for non-violent offenders he was able to take up voluntary work at YMCA's Norwich hostel while on day release.

"I only went as an excuse to get time out of prison if I'm honest. I didn't go wanting to help, or to change anything. But spending time at the YMCA, talking to people who listened, was something I hadn't had before. They would do anything they could to help. They helped me get a flat on my release, and now they've taken me on full time in the kitchens - a proper job!

"The people I met at the YMCA were the first people in my life I was ever able to trust, and I mean that. They had no agenda; there was nothing in it for them. They were just decent human beings who wanted to help; I'd never met authority figures like that. Every one of them went the extra mile for me, not for any credit or recognition themselves, but out of the goodness of their hearts.

"I realise now that people like them exist in the world, but, honestly, at that time I'd never met anyone like them before. I'd be in prison now if it weren't for them."

But Pete's story doesn't finish there. "That day, when I first came to the YMCA, I was walking through the market on my way from prison and stopped off at a stall to buy a lighter. I started chatting to the girl on the stall. It was a bit nerve-wracking as I hadn't so much as spoken to a woman in almost four years."

Pete got the girl's number and called her. "To cut a long story short, we're still together, getting married next summer. It's like a series of dominoes just fell into place that day."

Life is now steady and on track. "It might not look much to some. I go to work, come home of an evening. But that's a bright future to me."

As Pete reflects on the changes that have occurred, he speaks of his life being touched.

"I'm not much of a church-goer, but I have started wondering. There have been too many coincidences, so many positive things happening at once. Someone upstairs has been looking after me. I reckon God sees everything and sees my change of heart. But I recognise that just as the bad I did in the past was up to me, the decision is on my shoulders as to what I do now.

"I have learned to be patient, just to wait and everything will fall into place. I do believe that."