Following prison, Utah man uses past to offer others brighter future
OGDEN, Utah —Tyson Steed’s life has been shaped by addiction and the prison system.
Now five years sober and studying social work at Weber State University, Steed hopes his experiences on the other side of the law will make him an effective advocate for fellow addicts and former prisoners as they try to change their lives for the better.
“I know my story alone is not going to change anybody. They have to want to do that themselves,” Steed said. “But I feel like if I can relate to those individuals that most people don’t want to relate to, that’s the key.”
Steed, 41, has spent most of his life in and out of state and federal prison. As a teenager, he began using drugs and spent time in the Mill Creek Youth Center, group homes, and wilderness programs for troubled youths. His first stay in federal prison came at age 20 for a charge of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and he continued to rack up charges and jail time as he got older.
“I just couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t feel welcome anywhere,” Steed said. “You might not see it at first when you’re using, but when the drugs wear off and you realize what you’ve been doing… It’s a lot of guilt and shame that I didn’t know how to communicate and deal with.”
Outside of prison, he had periods of recovery, attending 12-step programs and participating in a sober softball team where he built community connections. But in 2020, Steed hit his lowest point, relapsing into drug use, violating parole, and
engaging in several high-speed chases with police that eventually led to a stand-off with guns drawn.
At his parole hearing following his last arrest, Steed was surprised to see that many of the connections he’d made during his period of sobriety had stuck around – and had written several letters of support to the parole board, with one letter including a treatment plan for him after prison.
“That gave me hope that what I’ve chosen up to this point in my life doesn’t define who I am as an individual,” Steed said.
After serving several months in prison, Steed was released to his sponsor’s house, washing dishes for $10 an hour to save up for inpatient recovery treatment. He stayed at a sober living house for 18 months, eventually becoming a house manager, and was grateful to have a safe place to stay while rebuilding his life.
“My life today, I couldn’t have imagined it five years ago,” he said. “I’d rather worry about school work, working my butt off at my regular job, and saving money than being in prison.”
While he was in sober living, Steed’s now wife, Ashley, was studying social work at Weber State and working at a treatment center. His sister had also recently received a master’s in social work from Utah State University, inspiring him to look into getting a degree himself.
Steed began studying part-time at WSU Davis in 2023 and eventually plans to earn his master’s in social work at WSU. He wants to work as a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in treating people with trauma, a history of incarceration, or addicts and those in recovery.
“My goal is to reach the individual who spent the majority of his life in prison and doesn't have a clue what to do and everyone's given up on him,” he said. “I feel like I can connect with an individual like that, because I can say, ‘I've been in your shoes, actually, I do know what it's like.’”
At WSU, Steed has served as a guest speaker for criminal justice classes, talking about his experiences in the system. He’s grateful for the opportunity to share his story, and often speaks at county jails and the Utah State Correctional Facility, hoping to reach others like him. He and his wife also run a non-profit, the Ashley Michelle Project, focused on addiction recovery support.
“I want people to live, and I think it's important we work together as a community. Weber State has given me that right now,” he said.
Jessica Kokesh, Marketing & Communications
801-626-7316, jessicakokesh@weber.edu- Contact:
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu