A couple of weeks ago, I co-organized an event about youth incarceration at the Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University. This was part of a discussion series accompanying the Juvenile-In-Justice photo exhibition.

The program featured a panel comprised of formerly incarcerated young men and was ably moderated by my friend Amanda Klonsky. I can’t stress how important it is for spaces to exist where youth can narrate their own experiences of incarceration. Their stories were poignant, moving, and searing.

If you were not lucky enough to be present to hear the stories first hand, my friend Sarah Lu kindly taped the panel and then uploaded the audio to Soundcloud. You can listen here. Please share this with others too.

Another example of young men sharing their stories can be found in a project that my organization incubates called Circles and Ciphers. Circles & Ciphers is a hip-hop youth leadership development program for prison-, court-, DCFS-, and gang- involved young men, which uses peacemaking circles, as well as hip-hop freestyle ciphers, to empower participants to transform a legacy of violence, incarceration, and disengagement. You can listen to the young men’s music and stories here.

Below is video of a member of Circles performing a powerful spoken word piece that he wrote at an event that I organized this past June. You’ll be a witness to the prodigious talent that these young men possess.

Program like Circles and Ciphers desperately need financial support and yet it is almost impossible to raise funds in these difficult economic times. If you are so inclined, please feel free to send a contribution so that we can continue to offer positive alternatives for youth in conflict with the law.