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Post-Prison Mentoring: Breaking Chains, Saving Lives | Stephanie Taylor-Silva | TEDxIdahoFalls

3,380 views · Published 13 April 2018 · 10:13 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Sometimes, what you need is a hand. When Stephanie Taylor-Silva walked out of prison, she had nothing but the clothes she was wearing. It was bitter cold, she had nowhere to live, no job, and as far as she knew, no future other than one that looked just like her troubled past. A parole officer and a handful of other mentors offered the support she needed to put her life in order, get a job, complete school, and return to offer mentoring to others coming out of prison in need of a hand like hers. Stephanie Taylor-Silva is resident of Idaho Falls, Idaho. She is in long term recovery from methamphetamine and cocaine addiction. She is a survivor of childhood abuse and neglect, sexual assault, attempted murder and human trafficking and thyroid cancer.

Stephanie started using methamphetamine and cocaine at age 14 and was charged with her first drug trafficking charges at the age of 19. She struggled with a severe drug addiction until she was sent to prison in 2010.

She credits the Idaho Department of Correction for saving her life. She successfully completed her prison sentence and then completed her supervision early by 10 years. Under the guidance of her probation and parole, Stephanie entered into college at Idaho State University and now has a college education in both Sociology and Criminology. She completed her Criminology internship with the Idaho Department of Correction in 2016.

She is passionate about corrections, offender reentry, mentoring and recovery. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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