*John Amesbury was an ordinary guy from West Orange, Massachusetts. He never expected the news of a Minnesota man being sentenced for joining ISIS would trigger such a profound reaction. But it did - that man's path mirrored John's own descent into online radicalization and fighting for the terrorist group years ago.

Like the Minnesota man, John had been an impressionable youth who got pulled in by ISIS propaganda about helping Muslims. He slipped away during a family trip, made his way to Syria, and became an ISIS soldier and computer aide despite his loving upbringing. After being injured and his wife killed, he finally surrendered with his young sons to Kurdish forces.

Imprisoned back in the U.S., John's regret was immense. His sister told him about an online program called 'Stepping Into Action' that helped people rebuild their lives after crises like addiction and trauma. With nothing to lose, John began following the daily steps and affirmations. Slowly, he felt his anger and extremist mindset dissipating, replaced by self-forgiveness and a desire to truly atone.

'I can't change the past, but I can create a future where I use my experience to prevent others from being misled like I was,' *John said in a recorded message to others at risk of radicalization.

Some experts praised programs like Stepping Into Action for providing a virtual support community unavailable to many inmates. But others criticized any effort to 'redeem' former terrorists, arguing they should receive maximum punishments. The debate raged on.

Ultimately, John knew getting help had been the right choice, even if it was hard to find local resources. 'The online program literally stepped in when I had nowhere else to turn,' he reflected. 'It gave me a path forward when I thought I'd never escape that dark cycle of hatred.'

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