From endless juvenile probation to endless incarceration

From endless juvenile probation to endless incarceration

I grew up in poverty, with a father in and out of prison, a mother addicted to heroin, and my cousins caught up in gangs. When I was a teenager, my friends and I started stealing cars and joyriding as an escape from our dysfunctional homes. This behavior would land me on juvenile probation, which did little to help me succeed. It normalized constant searches of our home. During one search, my father was almost shot. I was constantly on edge. Cal…