It was a trip that nightmares are made up of, and one that would change the course of Ontario resident Emily O’Brien’s life forever.
At 26, O’Brien, who hailed from Hamilton, Ont., was convicted after being caught smuggling drugs from Saint Lucia to Toronto. While serving time in a Kitchener, Ont. prison, determined to pave a way forward where there didn’t seem a way, she had one goal: to demonstrate that everyone deserves a second chance.
“I knew there were changes in my lifestyle I should have made and I wasn’t going to play the victim,” said O’Brien in an interview with Yahoo News Canada.
“When I got to prison, I met so many others who were just like me — made a mistake and wanted a second chance, and realized society can be very unforgiving after you have done your time.”
‘Did you really think this is all fun and games?’
O’Brien says her life was taking off in her early 20s — she rented a condo in Toronto’s Liberty Village and her social media company was flourishing. However, she says amid rising success, she was struggling as her parents were going through a messy divorce and she found comfort in substances.
In fall of 2014, O’Brien says she connected with a client, and their bond grew, stating he was sober and presented her with a sense of stability she craved.
Nine months after initially meeting, she says he came to her apartment and said “I want to take you on a trip, a sober trip and it will be fun.”
O’Brien says while there had been a few red flags over the past months, she trusted him. What came out of his mouth next left her in shock.
I just want to ask you, do you want to bring drugs over the border and make some cash? ‘I was like absolutely not.’Emily O’Brien
Completely taken aback, O’Brien says she asked him to leave, and that night, he messaged her, apologizing profusely and said he still wanted to take her on a vacation, minus the being a drug mule part.
She agrees to go, explaining that travelling had brought her a sense of joy, but a second massive red flag presented itself when at the airport, discovered the boarding pass read Saint Lucia, not Puerto Rico like he previously mentioned.
“I had my suitcase in my hand, and I ignored my intuition and got on the plane,” said O’Brien.
While the first two days at their all-inclusive went great, things changed on the third day when heading down to the pool, O’Brien says he grabbed her wrist, saying “Did you really think this is all fun and games? We are here to work.”
A car arrived and took them to an Airbnb-style home, and upon entering, discovered bricks upon bricks of cocaine lining hollowed-out walls.
“My legs went wobbly. I didn’t want to do this, but I feared what might happen if I refused to go along with the deal,” said O’Brien. She says they were given four kilograms of cocaine they had to smuggle back through Toronto Pearson International Airport.
I’m wearing this long sundress, but you can see the bulges from the packets of drugs. It was just so botched.Emily O’Brien
Upon landing at Pearson, O’Brien says she was asked a series of questions by customs officials, and that’s when she admitted she was carrying drugs on her, stating she “wasn’t about to lie to a federal agent.”
O’Brien was taken into custody, and in January 2018, was handed a four-year sentence with a chance of parole.
Making the most of her time behind bars
Having spent two-and-a-half years on house arrest, O’Brien says upon being locked up, she knew she was going to make the most of her time she had to serve.
“I knew I was going to build something,” said O”Brien. “When I got to prison, I met so many people who were creative and loving, and wanted redemption but solutions were not provided.”
She says she read over 82 books during her time at the institution — ranging anywhere from business and social enterprise, and taught herself the basics of entrepreneurship.
O’Brien explored various business ideas but ultimately decided on a popcorn venture, inspired by its popularity among inmates. After landing on several names, she eventually settled on ComeBack Snacks Popcorn, given the connotation.
“I knew I wanted combine the creativity with the desire for second chances, and being able to prove it with my own personal story,” said O’Brien.
In December of 2018, O’Brien was released on parole and transferred to a halfway house and in the year following, formally launched her company, Comeback Snacks.
Using clever slogans like ‘Popcorn so good, it’s criminal’, along with their unorthodox business model, Comeback Snacks quickly caught the attention of establishments like wineries and mom and pop shops to where their product grew in availability in over 800 location across Canada and U.S., and is run by a team of five employees — all who previously served time in prison.
Breaking the stigma around formerly incarcerated individuals
There are approximately 3.8 million Canadians who possess a criminal record, according to data from Public Safety Canada. Formerly incarcerated individuals face many barriers such as access to housing, employment, social services and report high rates of discrimination.
Once time served is complete, O’Brien says her experience was you were given one hour of supervised internet time prior to departure to seek employment opportunities — not near enough time to ensure a job was lined up upon release.
“You need money to live, if you don’t have access to employment, it’s going to be hard to have guaranteed sustainability of life,” said O’Brien. “People also won’t give you a chance and continue to hold what you have done in your past after you have been rehabilitated.”
She says in her conversations with formerly incarcerated people, they detail being told they don’t deserve second chances, they are a risk and will lie, cheat and steal.
From building Comeback Snacks, I learned firsthand that people coming out of prison are some of the most loyal because they have everything to fight for.Emily O’Brien, founder of Comeback Snacks
O’Brien says her life today includes giving speeches about her experience, leading strategy meetings and heads meetings and events in the hopes of promoting her brand.
What’s next for O’Brien?
She has her eyes set on building a comeback program with the aim of helping individuals reintegrate back into society, with workshops focused on how to apply and prepare for employment.
Through it all, she says their vision remained the same — to provide hope for people who feel like it’s too late for them.
“Mistakes are universal, but so are comebacks. It all starts with you,” said O’Brien.
To learn more about Comeback Snacks, click HERE