NEWARK — Joyce Holman found herself in jail near the end of a nearly three-decade-long cycle of committing crimes to feed her drug addiction.

"How did you get back here again?" she asked herself. "You have grandchildren."

"That was her moment of clarity," Gov. Chris Christie said Friday.

More than 20 years after Holman walked out of prison for the last time, she stood beside Christie as he granted her a full pardon.

"If clemency is available for anyone, it was made for someone who has Joyce’s story," he said. "She is a living, breathing example of what can happen when people get help when they need it and when they commit themselves to making the most of the help when they get it."

With tears in her eyes, Holman credited perseverance, family and faith — she worships at Calvary Baptist Church in Plainfield — for her sobriety.

"Wow, who would have thought?" she said at Liberating Word Ministries in Newark, where the announcement was made. "I am forever grateful. I have worked hard. I never thought that I would be deserving of this, but God always comes through. He always has the last word."

Holman, 59, moved from Virginia to New Jersey as a child. What Christie described as a troubled upbringing and low self-esteem led her to begin taking drugs at age 16. Addiction gave way to years of low-level, persistent crime like shoplifting, passing bad checks and drug possession. She racked up two felonies and several municipal charges.

Finally in the early 1990s she was sentenced to four years in jail for probation violations, and thoughts of her family motivated her to take control of her life.

She left prison in May 1995 and enrolled at Union County College, where she earned an associate’s degree in science in 2004. For eight years, she has worked as an x-ray technologist.

Holman is active in the youth and music ministries at her church and helped start an "overcomers’ ministry" in hopes that her story can inspire others.

Two and a half years ago she filled out forms to seek clemency. A year after submitting the paperwork, in May 2011, she called the state and was told the governor had denied some requests.

"But he didn’t deny yours," Holman recalled from the conversation. She was excited, but told herself, "Don’t think you got it yet, cause you don’t."

A few months later she had an initial interview. Five more months passed and she went for a second interview. Ten days after that, the phone rang: "He said yes," she said. "I lost my mind."

The clean slate means Holman can move back to Virginia when she retires and look for a part-time job with no fear of pre-judgment from employers or new neighbors.

"My life has already changed," she said. "I already do good stuff. It’s just going to enhance what I already do."

Calling Holman a "beacon" who touched his heart, Christie said her story shows the societal value of investing in prisoner re-entry programs.

"I’ve seen firsthand what you can do when you give troubled nonviolent people legitimate second chances to turn things around with treatment, with support and training to become ex-offenders and stay that way," he said after a meeting with members of the Essex County re-entry task force.

For the thousands of others like her, Holman offered words of encouragement.

"Don’t ever think that it can’t happen for you," she said. "It may not be to my extent, but don’t ever give up on doing whatever you want to do. The sky is the limit for us all."

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