The words you are about to hear spring from the hearts, minds, and mouths of the youngest members of America’s prison system.

Writing from within juvenile halls across the country, these young men, women, girls and boys reveal childhoods and teen years so often defeated by aspects of the lives they have lived so far.

Refuge can be found in the inner life. A way back out is through our words.

These beaten hearts
write what they need to say
as if their lives depend upon it each and every day…
Hope, undeniably found:
Read, heard, valued, and unexpectedly profound.

From: The Beat Within
by T’kaeu

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