Juvenile Offenders: From Big Wheels to the Big House

FOREWORD by Congresswoman Barbara Lee Our criminal justice system has worked to the detriment of many - especially minority youth sentenced to inordinately long terms, often for relatively minor crimes. For mistakes made early in their lives, our young people too often serve life-long punishments, limited by the record they carry with them. With these reduced opportunities come added burdens - barriers to housing, employment, education and community engagement. Congress has a role to play in rectifying these injustices, through legislation like Ban-The-Box. But the criminal justice reform movement - and the young people who have served - also require greater understanding from our community at large. This book is a powerful tool in countless ways. It gives a voice to those who have been silenced. It offers important insights into crime, punishment, and circumstance. It provides an opportunity for empathy and understanding - for the offenders and the victims.Juvenile Offenders: from Big Wheels to the Big House concludes with amazing poems, vignettes, and drawings by many current and former inmates. Readers can see prisoners from a new point of view and come to recognize our common humanity. The demonstrated talent on display in this book suggests the many possibilities that the formerly incarcerated have to offer. Clearly, the participants in this book are eager to contribute to our society. They served their time. They deserve a second chance.