TRP S2E13: Redemption Story — Alan Roberts: From Addiction and Arrests to Recovery Work

Alan Roberts joins *The Redemption Project* for a Season 2 Redemption Story about addiction, shame, recovery, pardon, second chances and what it means to help others find the way out. Alan grew up with a stable family and a strong moral foundation, but drinking, marijuana and later cocaine opened the door to a much deeper addiction. After a medical procedure introduced him to pain pills, opioids became the drug that grabbed hold of his life. What began with hydrocodone eventually escalated into OxyContin, prescription fraud, IV drug use, repeated arrests, jail, halfway houses and the painful cycle of getting his life back only to lose it again. But Alan’s story did not end in the cycle. After multiple attempts at recovery, Alan entered a path that finally took root. He credits accountability, recovery community, people who believed in him and God’s work in his life for helping him stay clean. His sober date traces back to August 2011, and he describes a turning point when he decided he was staying clean no matter what happened next, even if court, jail or prison were still ahead. Years later, Alan stood before Tennessee’s Board of Parole seeking a pardon. He describes the process as intimidating, but ultimately received a call from Gov. Bill Lee telling him his pardon had been granted. That moment became part of a larger story: not simply of a record being addressed, but of a life rebuilt in public view. Today, Alan helps others through recovery work in East Tennessee. He is connected with New Purpose, intensive outpatient services, Foundation House, men’s and women’s recovery housing, and ongoing work with people trying to escape the same kind of addiction that once nearly destroyed him. His story is about more than getting clean. It is about becoming a living answer to the question so many people still ask: can people really change? This is a story about addiction, humility, recovery, pardon and the power of someone once written off becoming the person who helps others recover. *The Redemption Project* is the 2025 Society of Professional Journalists East Tennessee Golden Press Card Award winner for Best Podcast.