Everyone makes mistakes, but when those mistakes lead to jail, people often struggle to put their lives back in order.

Wood County annually books about 3,700 people into the jail, many of them repeat offenders, Wood County Corrections Officer Byron Wirth said.

It's an issue that goes beyond Wood County. During a 25-year period, 1980 through 2004, nearly 40 percent of people released from prison committed a new crime within three years, said Matthew Stake, Wisconsin Department of Corrections field supervisor in Wisconsin Rapids.

One of the biggest obstacles people with criminal records face in trying to get their lives back in order is finding a job, especially when the economy is poor, Wirth said.

Former Wood County inmate Jared Schelvan filled out 60 applications as he spent four months looking for a job. Although laws protect people convicted of crimes from being discriminated against in most circumstances, employers find ways of not hiring applicants with a record, Schelvan said.

Probation agents work with released offenders to try to get them the help they need to straighten out their lives, Stake said. Agents set up rules for people convicted of crimes; restrictions can include staying alcohol and drug free and maintaining employment or continuing a job search. Those who don't follow those restrictions and requirements can face additional incarceration.

Despite the odds, some people do turn their lives around. Today's Daily Tribune tells the stories of three people who say they overcame the obstacles caused by their poor decisions.