Gail Naples, a native on Englewood who was raised in Cresskill, said she stole to support her drug habit. She also says she's been clean for more than 30 years, but in order to fully move on from her addiction, she wanted to be forgiven from her home state on a legal level.
"As a young adult, Gail committed a series of criminal offenses before she received the treatment and the support that she needed to manage her addiction. She makes no excuses for the time decades ago, when addiction led her into her mishaps with law enforcement," Christie said during a ceremony in Trenton.
"For all that she’s achieved over the past three decades, the State of New Jersey can do its part to recognize Gail for her successes and her willingness to help others. Her story should be broadcast as a symbol of hope and influence to those who are trying to overcome the disease of addiction and those who are in the midst of recovery now, already."
Naples called her recovery a miracle.
"Today I’m a productive member of society. I own my own home, I’m employable, I travel, I live life to the fullest," Naples said. "I’m a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a friend, a person in recovery.
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