- He would come home ina bad mood most days.

And I can't remember too many days

that I didn't get awhipping for something.

- [Reporter] Frankthought he would never win

his father's love.

He only believed what he was told.

- And he would tell methat I was worthless,

and useless, and stupid sometimes.

He never told me that he loved me.

It seemed like I didn'tlive up to his expectations

as his son.

Nothing I could really do toget his attention or approval.

- [Reporter] Outside the home,

he faced the same rejection every day

from neighborhood childrenwho bullied him relentlessly.

- That kind of made things even tougher,

because again, I feltlike I just don't fit in.

I couldn't understand why.

- [Reporter] He became convinced

there was only one wayhe would be accepted.

- My dad and my uncles wouldget drunk on the weekends.

I thought maybe if I learned how to drink

and I could you know, be one of the guys,

maybe I would be accepted.

- [Reporter] Drinking onlygot him into more trouble.

But it also gave him anescape, and to Frank,

that was worth the punishment.

- It took away the pain.

I'm gonna probably get awhipping for something anyway,

so I'm doing something to

be whipped for.

- [Reporter] Frank was 11 whenhis family left the country

for a town near Birmingham.

There, he found anothermeans of escape, LSD.

Soon, he was funding as addiction

by growing and dealing pot,and fueled by the benefits

that came with the lifestyle.

- When you're an addict or, you know,

as long as you've got moneyor drugs, you've got friends.

They would say, "Wow,where'd you get this?

It's really good."

- [Reporter] By 16, Frankdropped out of school

and took a job working in asteel mill alongside his dad.

- I thought maybe thatwould be an opportunity

for he and I to bond.

My dad would be very critical.

I felt like, you know,

"Am I ever gonna doanything to measure up?"

- [Reporter] Frank threwhimself into his work

and continued dealing,

but only to get more money forhis next addiction, cocaine.

- Cocaine, you know, was everything.

I mean, everything revolvedaround me getting high.

- [Reporter] Frank would doanything for the next high,

regardless of the consequences.

- I had friends who were dying of AIDS

who were IV drug users,that didn't stop me.

Had people, friends,

that were killed in drug deals gone bad.

- [Reporter] Even after he was arrested

and sentenced to 25 years in prison

for stealing $17,000 from his employer,

Frank continued to use and sell drugs.

But being a dealer in prisonleft him in constant fear.

- There was two guys thathad owed me a drug debt.

I'd heard they were wanting to kill me.

I knew that at that point that, you know,

I've got to do somethingdifferent in life.

- [Reporter] It was thenan inmate began sharing

about the peace he found through Christ.

- He invited me to go tochurch with him one night.

That February 5, 2008, Godjust got ahold of my heart.

After I went to the altar and we prayed,

I just remembered feeling a peace

that I hadn't felt in my whole life.

All I can say is the Holy Spiritjust touched me that night.

And I don't want to sayI heard an audible voice,

but I just felt a feeling like,

"Are you ready to giveall of this stuff up

you've been doing, because Ihave something better for you."

And when I said, "Yes, Lord," it was like,

I could hear chains breakingand just falling to the floor.

I just felt this freedom.

I can explain it, it was just a freedom

like I've never felt before in my life.

- [Reporter] With that peace,Frank became a new man.

- I quit doing drugs that very day.

There was a seminarycollege there in the prison,

and I got involved inthat and going to classes,

going to every churchservice I could go to.

Even the officers

seen that I wasn't theperson that came to prison.

- [Reporter] After livingthree years clean and sober,

Frank received somethinghe never expected,

an early release.

- God opened a door for meto go to this halfway house,

which I'm the only person

who completed the ninemonth program without either

going back to prison or wound up dead.

- [Reporter] Today, Frank serves full-time

as a prison chaplain, hasbeen clean for 13 years,

and even reconciled with his father.

And he says it's all becauseof the unconditional love

he received from God.

- Jesus has been the friendwho's accepted me for who I was.

God has redeemed my time,

he's restored so many things in my life.

Just so awesome to see God

just giving me everythingthat I had before, but better.

(gentle music)