Going to prison allowed Matt Hammond to rebuild his life. ,,,
A man once jailed for arson and assault says God allowed him to serve time to give him a new future.
Matt Hammond was suicidal and addicted to drugs and alcohol when he was jailed – but he was able to get sober and access the education he needed to build a new career and family life.
Matt’s problems began at 15. Brought up in a Christian home, he was lured away by a seemingly more exciting alternative.
“I got involved with drugs and petty crime,” says Matt, 30. “Things spiralled until I was drinking heavily and getting into some bad stuff.”
At 20 he became a dad, but the breakdown of the relationship when Matt suffered domestic violence left him unable to see his daughter.
At rock bottom, he took an overdose and torched his flat. Fortunately, his parents arrived in time to raise the alarm but, handcuffed to his hospital bed, Matt told them he wanted to die.
He was arrested for arson, then for assaulting a police officer. His first night on remand was tough, but it was the beginning of his transformation. For the first time in years, he prayed.
“I asked God to take me because there wasn’t anything worth living for.”
In the morning, Matt was surprised to wake with a song from his baptism running through his head.
PEACEFUL
“I hadn’t heard it in years but I felt peaceful. I didn’t want to harm myself. I felt like God had come into that cell, wrapped his arms around me and said, ‘You don’t need to die. I’ve got something for you.’”
After his release Matt continued to drink, but life began to look up. He was granted supervised contact with his daughter and started to attend his childhood church: Chesterton Elim in Staffordshire.
The church supported him as his trial neared. One lady prayed, “God we don’t want Matt to go to prison, but if it’s your will, we understand.”
Thinking of prison as God’s will seemed strange, but when Matt was given a three-year stretch, he understood.
Inside, he sobered up. He got the education he missed as a teen and worked as a learning support assistant.
He was also visited by Christian broadcaster UCB’s prison team manager, who helped him explore his growing faith.
After 15 months, Matt was released and started to build a new life.
“My daughter came to live with me and I got married to Emily. She has a son and we have a wonderful, blended family.
“I also went to Staffordshire Uni to do a social welfare degree. Through this, I got a placement in a Christian charity called Restart, which helps house and support ex-offenders and addicts. Four years on, I’m managing the service.
“I remember thinking while I was at uni, how many more doors can God open for me? But even now, I’m still being surprised by the things I’m able to do to support people in church and through my work.”
From New Life Newspaper issue 330.
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