Unlocked: Keys to Getting Out & Staying Out (Review)

“Unlocked: Keys to Getting Out & Staying Out”

Every now and again, my book reviews or book previews are geared toward a particular audience and that’s the case with the book I want to tell you about today: “Unlocked”: Keys To Getting Out & Staying Out.

Sadly, there’s a lot… make that A LOT… in the news today about police officers and their relationship with those who are on the wrong side of the law.

My personal feeling on this is simple – don’t get on the wrong side of the law! No one makes an individual break the law – it’s his or her choice. Plain and simple, they think they can get away with it.  If you have sons or daughters, you’re doing them a GRAVE disservice if you tell them anything other than, “Do NOT break the law.” If you lead them to believe, even for a millisecond that law officers are the enemy – mark my words, you’ll live to regret it.  The day they’re behind bars, or worse, you’ll want to go back and do it all over again.

“Unlocked”: Keys To Getting Out & Staying Out is written by veteran prison officer Chance Johnmeyer and his passion for helping individuals and families “edit” their stories to create happier endings is palpable.

I happily agreed to tell my readers about this book because when it comes to helping people, I am particularly drawn to:

• young people
• people who feel they have nowhere to turn
• people who have messed up and want a second chance

Many individuals who end up on the wrong side of the law are heartbreaking combinations of these three groups – young people who desperately need someone to lay down the law. Someone who will tell them what’s acceptable, what is not, and what the consequences are when you get the two twisted.

People who need a second chance because the first one didn’t go especially well particularly bring out the mother instincts in me! We’ve all messed up before and we’re familiar with the sick feeling of knowing you really have no one to blame but yourself. That kind of sucks, doesn’t it?

I’ve always wished I could have a few minutes with someone right before they make the biggest mistake of their life. And I’ve always wished I could have a few minutes with someone, after the mistake was made to let them know it’s not the end of the world… that tomorrow will come, so they’d better be ready for it.

Chance Johnmeyer took these “few minutes” and turned it into a powerful book.

“Written by veteran prison officer Chance Johnmeyer of New Hampshire, and Florida with contributions from several former inmates, Unlocked: Keys to Getting Out & Staying Out is an honest guide for those re-entering society. Combining compassion, experience, and practical advice, “Unlocked” talks straight about the challenges facing released inmates as they try to reestablish life on the outside. Filled with exercises, real-life suggestions, and a resource guide for Florida inmates, Unlocked is your pocket guide to embracing freedom and starting over–the right way.”

“Unlocked”: Keys To Getting Out & Staying Out – while certainly aimed toward the individual who needs to get out and stay out – is also, in my opinion, an eye-opening read for any young person who might be in need of a wake up call.

If this sounds like anyone in your life, here’s your chance to be the one who stands between them and disaster.  The one who says, “This is not how the story is going to end because I love you too much.”

A few days ago, the author tweeted out a picture of a gentleman being released from prison and it was captioned, “going home.”  It honestly made me teary eyed because “going home” are two of the most beautiful words in the world.  The only thing more beautiful is, of course, never having to leave in the first place.

It’s my hope, and even more importantly my prayer, that this book will save as many people as I believe it has the potential to.

See “Unlocked”: Keys To Getting Out & Staying Out on Amazon – available as a paperback or on Kindle.