10 Criminals Who Completely Turned Their Lives Around

Georgia Durante[a]

A model from a young age, Georgia Durante once appeared as the famous “Kodak Girl” in the 1960s. Then, life took her in an unexpected direction. At a Mafia-run nightclub one night, Durante found herself driving an injured man to the hospital. Her stellar driving earned her a reputation—and pretty soon, she was running deliveries for the mob. But when she graduated from deliveries to getaway driver, Durante knew she needed to get out. She went on the run. Modeling was no longer an option since she was trying to keep a low profile—so she again relied on her driving skills. At first, she had to beg for work; but, eventually, Durante became a highly successful Hollywood stunt driver, appearing in many commercials.

Junior Johnson

Before he was a NASCAR icon, Junior Johnson was a famous bootlegger. In fact, he was busted for running the biggest moonshine operation in the United States. Born into a bootlegging family, Johnson started running moonshine with his dad and brother. He enjoyed working on his cars to better evade the police who patrolled the area looking for moonshiners. Because he was such a good driver, he was never once caught. But when his family’s home was raided, he was arrested. He served approximately one year in federal prison. Following his release, Johnson dedicated himself to stock car racing and helped form the sport into what it is today. He won 50 Cup Series races and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Kweisi Mfume[b]

When his mother died, Kweisi Mfume dropped out of high school to support himself and his three sisters. Unfortunately, he eventually turned to a life of crime, hanging out with gang members and spending some time behind bars. According to Mfume, something came over him during a craps game in 1972. In an instant, he understood he needed to turn his life around. He dropped his birth name, Frizzell Tate, and adopted the African name Kweisi Mfume. Then, he got to work, building a new life. He ran for Baltimore City Council, winning by three votes. From there, he served nine years in Congress and became the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus before taking over as president of the NAACP from 1996 to 2004.

Jeff Henderson

Chef Jeff Henderson was the first black chef de cuisine at Caesars Palace. And he didn’t stop there. His resume includes several other notable accomplishments. He was the executive chef at Cafe Bellagio. He’s also a renowned public speaker and successful author who’s penned three bestselling books. In 2008, he launched a competition cooking show on Food Network called The Chef Jeff Project. Several additional reality cooking shows followed. But before he found fame in the kitchen, Henderson made his living as a drug dealer. He was busted in 1988 and spent ten years in prison, where he was put on kitchen duty. During his time behind bars, he discovered his passion for cooking and ultimately decided to turn his life around.

Juliet Hulme[c]

British novelist Anne Perry published several bestselling murder mysteries during her career. But a shadow was cast over her achievements when news broke that the acclaimed author was also a convicted murderer. She was born Juliet Hulme. Suffering from tuberculosis, Hulme was sent to New Zealand in hopes the warmer climate would help her health. There, she befriended classmate Pauline Parker. The relationship became all-consuming. When Hulme’s parents decided to send her to live with relatives in another country, the pair was desperate to stay together. They hatched a plan to kill Parker’s mother because they knew she would not let Parker move with Hulme. On June 22, 1954, they went through with their plan. Hulme served five years for her part in the murder.

Danny Trejo

With hundreds of movie roles under his belt, actor Danny Trejo is a familiar face for movie-goers. Known for portraying tough guys and hardened criminals, Trejo draws inspiration from real-life experiences. Before he made it big in Hollywood, he was in and out of prison for years, serving time for robbery and selling drugs. When he landed behind bars, he also had a serious drug addiction. While in solitary confinement, Trejo enrolled in a treatment program and found faith. He later went on to earn his high school diploma. Following his release in 1969, he dedicated himself to helping others achieve sobriety. His first acting break happened by chance when he was asked to be an extra in “Runaway Train.” He played a convict.

Piper Kerman

Born into an upper-middle-class family, Piper Kerman attended a prestigious university and lived a mostly ordinary and privileged life. Things took a turn when she began a relationship with an older woman who happened to be a heroin dealer. Kerman decided to join in on the action, and for several months, she laundered money and transported drugs for a Nigerian drug kingpin. Her dalliance with crime was brief. But a few years later, it caught up with her when she was indicted for money laundering and drug trafficking. Kerman served 13 months in a minimum security prison. She wrote a best-selling memoir on her experience behind bars. “Orange Is the New Black”—one of the first mega-hits of on-demand streaming—was adapted from her book.

Dave Dahl[d]

Dave’s Killer Bread is the most popular brand of organic sliced bread in the United States. Founded in 2005, the company is recognized for using wholesome, healthy ingredients. It’s also renowned as a second-chance employer—a meaningful initiative for founder Dave Dahl. Before impressing people with his killer bread, Dahl served time in prison for numerous offenses ranging from burglary to assault. Behind bars, Dahl enrolled in an addiction treatment program and tried to turn his life around. Upon his release, he joined his brother at the family bakery. There, he developed a new bread recipe, and Dave’s Killer Bread was born. At first, he sold his bread at farmer’s markets. Eventually, local grocery stores began to sell it, and soon it was everywhere.

Kevin Mitnick[e]

Once heralded as the world’s most famous computer outlaw, Kevin Mitnick spent time on the FBI’s most wanted list during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before landing on the list, Mitnick did a short stint in prison for hacking into the network of a major computer company. Following his release, he resumed his illegal activities until a warrant was issued for his arrest. He spent two-and-a-half years on the run before his apprehension. The case stoked controversy, with supporters insisting some accusations against him were false. Nevertheless, Mitnick pleaded guilty to a bevy of charges, including four counts of wire fraud. When he was released, he started a computer security consultancy and spent the rest of his career advising others on cybersecurity.

Frank Abagnale

Famously portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Steven Spielberg movie “Catch Me If You Can,” Frank Abagnale is known for his elaborate cons. In his heyday, he impersonated pilots, forged checks, and stole thousands of dollars. In total, Abagnale claims to have assumed eight different identities during his daring life of crime. He was locked up on multiple occasions for his various criminal offenses, but eventually, he decided to turn his life around. He even wrote an autobiography detailing his illegal exploits. Nowadays, the fraudster-turned-author spends his time speaking at events and providing expert advice as a security consultant. The voracity of some of his claims has been questioned in recent years. But embellished or not, Abagnale’s duplicitous past continues to fascinate the public.

Are there any other criminals who famously turned their lives around? Let us know in the comments!

[a]dur-RAN-tee https://youtu.be/viaMQkYRFxI?si=gD8njz5lUAFE0G9l&t=2

[b]kway-EE-see mm-FOO-may https://youtu.be/2dKCAsEDThY?si=CT95iq-Hy97Xb3Yk&t=2
[c]hyoom https://youtu.be/F0-Ke_gCCNg?t=10
[d]https://youtu.be/IZgfg-vSdHA?si=otIDqT5u9zHwp_nD&t=8
[e]https://youtu.be/aLUDhbQojxA?si=ghgLqKws4IcEli10