We Are Devoted To
Leading Our Community to a Better Future

Chance For Life (CFL) was started in 1992 by Tom Adams, who teamed up with Jessica Taylor to create a special program for inmates in Michigan prisons. Mr. Adams and Ms. Taylor visit a number of prisons across Michigan to teach and guide prisoners how to transition back into the community. They also connect Returning Citizens to mentors and job training once they are released.

Mr. Tom Adams

President

The Man Behind the CFL Vision

Thomas J. Adams is a native Detroiter and graduate of Tuskegee University with more than thirty (30) years of experience as a senior manager.

As the President of CFL, Mr. Adams earned the 2009 Dahlberg Peace Award presented by the American Baptist Churches USA. He received this award for the incomparable services he and his team provided to the Michigan Department of Justice for more than twenty (20) years.

Mr. Adams has also had a significant and lasting impact on the greater Detroit community. His achievements include:

Received Detroit News Michiganian of the Year for 2023
Appointed by the Wayne County Commission to the Detroit Substance Use Disorder Oversight Policy Board
Chair, National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency (NCADD)
Member of the Committee of 50 (City of Pontiac)
Past Commissioner, Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES)
Appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to the Michigan Appellate Defender Commission in 2013; Reappointed in 2016
The Lead of Detroit Operations for Both of Governor Snyder’s Campaigns
Past Board of Directors for Crime Stoppers of Southeastern Michigan
Recognized as one of the Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence in 2011
Past President, Laymen’s Division of the Progressive Baptist Convention
Lifetime Member of the NAACP

Additionally, Mr. Adams has served as the President of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE – Detroit Chapter), and the Past Chair of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Association, Homes for Black Children and the Todd Phillips Children’s Home.

Jessica Taylor

Executive Director

A woman with long black hair wearing brown jacket.

Jessica Taylor is a successful business professional, engaging public speaker and dynamic community leader. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Chance For Life Organization, a 501c3 Agency targeting returning citizens, their families and other at-risk individuals. She also has an extensive background in public service, mediation and the criminal justice system.

Previously, Jessica was the Assistant to the Director of Training at Wayne State University's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, and was directly involved in the implementation of Peer Mediation Programs in the Detroit Public School System.

Later, Jessica was hired as the Mediation Center Coordinator and Volunteer Recruiter for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), where she and her team was among the first to set up Mediation Centers in three (3) Detroit Police Precincts ( including the 7^th, 9^th, 11^th precincts), and the City of Highland Park. Her responsibilities also included recruiting and training community volunteers to effectively manage the day-to-day operations of a Community Dispute Resolution Center.

Jessica was awarded Detroit News Michiganian of the Year for 2023.

Jessica received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornerstone University.

Boards and Commissions:

Mental Health Diversion Council, Gubernatorial appointment in 2020 for a term of four years. Reappointed in 2024.

"Tom and Jessica sat down and taught me how to be a good father. Sit down and teach my son how to get scholarships. He's in his third year at Michigan State University. Thank God that I had something to give my son and my children so they wouldn't make the mistake that I have made."

-Darryl Woods, CFL Core Member

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Meet Our Team

Our team is the reason behind the success of CFL. It is dedicated to providing the best experience possible for our program participants and families.