Formerly Incarcerated People Share Experiences with Greenwich Teens, “Hang Time” Breeds Love, Second Chances in Life

By Rai Sandhu, Greenwich High School class of 2025

It was a quiet Wednesday evening at the Byram Shubert Library when the Greenwich Jr. United Way, under the warm leadership of Greenwich High School social worker Amanda Finn, opened the doors to a group of guests whose voices carried the weight of redemption, resilience, and raw truth.

From the toughened city of Bridgeport came mentors from “Hang Time,” a weekly program dedicated to supporting formerly incarcerated individuals in their reintegration into society. What unfolded was not a lecture, but a reckoning—one that touched every heart in the room.

Charlie Grady: The Peacekeeper

Charlie Grady, founder of Hang Time and the Choices Mentoring Program, took the room with calm confidence. His career includes working for the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office, he was the first Black motorcycle officer in Hamden, where he was called “Chocolate Chips,” a nickname he reclaimed and repurposed to motivate and empower himself in the face of racism.

Mr. Grady described Hang Time’s beginnings: a room in Bridgeport filled with rivals from various neighborhoods, including people who had once shot at each other. He convinced them to stay, share pizza, and talk.

“Hang Time breeds love,” he said. “We started with eight people. Now it’s over 50, every week.”

But Grady didn’t stop there. He founded the Choices program, a mentorship initiative for high school athletes, rooted in the belief that teamwork and accountability change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

He described an all too common path that starts with an athlete being prescribed a pain killer and moves to addiction and seeking drugs on the streets.

His message was clear: Redemption is possible, and every generation owes it to the next to light a better path.

“When the team wins, we win,” he said.

“We’re only 20 minutes away from a different world,” he reminded the group. “You can always learn something from someone who’s been on this earth longer than you.”

Derrick Patrick: The Builder

Derrick Patrick, director of the Hang Time’s Choices program, once served in law enforcement and headed security at a nuclear facility. But it was his commitment to pushing young people beyond their self-imposed limits that stood out on Wednesday.

Mr. Patrick trained his own children and then their friends, and ultimately helped 168 high school students secure full scholarships to colleges across the country.

“When you eliminate the fear of making a mistake, the self-doubt, the fear of asking a question— it’s limitless what you can do,” he said.

He encouraged students to see challenges as opportunities and advised them, “Your past doesn’t dictate your future.”

Timothy Griffin: The Survivor

Then came Timothy Griffin—whose words silenced the room. Mr. Griffin never made it to high school. Never played a sport. By age 14, he had been arrested for murder and robbery and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Mr. Griffin’s childhood was marked by abuse, abandonment, and a desperate search for belonging.

“Once you pull out a gun, everything else is out of your control,” he said.

Griffin said his actions had been a direct result of peer pressure, and that he hadn’t wanted to do the robbery, but he went along, hoping to gain approval and recognition. He said that in the moment, he didn’t want the gun, but when someone a few years older handed it to him, reassuring him he would be right there, he took it.

In prison, Griffin chose to invest in himself. He read the entire prison library and studied law, and when a 2015 ruling offered juvenile offenders a second chance, he was ready. Released after serving 26 years, Griffin now dedicates his life to helping others avoid the same mistakes.

“If I don’t invest in me, how can I expect anyone else to?” he asked.

Christie Donald: The Fighter

Christie Donald, now a mentor with Hang Time, shared a different battle.

After serving time for credit card fraud and identity theft, she struggled to find work, relapsed, and reoffended. But the third time, something changed. At Hang Time, initially saw her parole officer and nearly walked out. Instead, she stayed.

Today, Ms Donald has a full pardon and no longer carries a criminal record. Just days before visiting the group, she lost a client to fentanyl-laced marijuana.

Her message to students was urgent: “Don’t fall into addiction, learn from your mistakes, and don’t stray from the right path.”

Gerard Chappell: The Lifter

Finally, Gerard Chappell took the floor. Incarcerated at 19 and released in his early 30s, Mr. Chappell lived in 10 different homes before the age of 16.

He now works with Public Allies, Hang Time, and Choices, using fitness as his personal anchor.

“It only took a minute for Tim and I to commit our crimes,” he said, referencing Mr. Griffin, “but we served thousands of days in exchange.”

His advice was simple: Find your passion. It might just save you.

For the students in attendance, this wasn’t just another meeting. It was a moment that peeled back the layers of society and showed the courage it takes to reclaim a life.

Mr. Grady warned everyone in the room that at some point in their lives, they will reach a ‘crossroads’ requiring a difficult decision.

His final message was direct: When we all reach that crossroads in our lives, remember the priceless advice from Thursday night, and choose the turning point, instead of the point of no return.

Hang Time isn’t just a program— it’s a lifeline. And from that day on, every student who sat in that room walked out with a deeper understanding of time, justice, and the humanity we all share.