Last week, the John Howard Association, Illinois' only nonpartisan prison watchdog and justice reform advocate, released “In Their Own Words,” a report that chronicles the journey of six young serious offenders through Illinois’ criminal justice system, from arrest to incarceration.
Below is Jordan’s story (his name is changed to protect his privacy). I think this is one of the most moving, heartbreaking and profound accounts I’ve read of what it’s like to be a kid in the criminal justice system. I hope you’ll agree.
Jordan, an African-American male in his mid-20s at the time of the interview, grew up in Chicago for the first 11 years of his life. He was the middle child, with one older brother and one younger sister. They lived with their parents. Jordan’s father grew up in gangs and was in prison much of his life. Jordan never had a good relationship with him.
He recalled: "It was rough. He beat the hell out of us."
[For more of this story, written by John Maki, go to http://jjie.org/field-notes-yo...-intelligent/107746/]
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