From Jail to Master's: A Recovery Revolution | Roanoke News

Cynthia Haley, once on the brink of incarceration and addiction, now leads the charge in transforming how Roanoke treats substance use—using her lived experience to guide others through recovery while earning her master’s and working full-time at the Bradley Free Clinic. Her story is part of the Hope Initiative, born in 2015 when police chief Chris Perkins flipped the script on addiction, turning it from a criminal justice problem into a public health crisis. This peer-led model, inspired by Massachusetts and launched in 2016, connects people directly to treatment—not handcuffs—and has sparked a regional movement. Yet, with funding still reliant on grants and donations, advocates push for serious state investment to scale this life-saving work. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d1d3d16a95fc252e