ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As a classically trained French chef working in Miami, Christopher Charles never thought he would end up behind bars. But he began drinking heavily after several people close to him passed away. In 2021, he moved to Gilpin County, Colorado, where he was arrested multiple times for driving under the influence.
By the end of that year, Charles was serving a six-month sentence in the Gilpin County Jail without the option of work release. During that time, he lost his home, his support system and nearly everything he had built.
“I had really hit rock bottom,” he said…