All my life I had known my dad had been locked up multiple times. I remember visiting him in county when I was like four. I had always told myself I would not get locked up or in any legal trouble at all. But then I got caught smoking and that's when it all started. I didn't know my dad smoked until after I had gotten in trouble. Then my dad told me I was following in his steps. Especially after he found out my girl was pregnant. My dad had my oldest brother when he was 17. So far, I have followed most of his steps, but I want to break the cycle. I don't want my daughter to know what mistakes I've made. I want to show her my achievements and do well.(John, Solano County Juvenile Hall, 2014).The epigraph from John is an example of intergenerational patterns of incarceration, a common and harmful phenomenon in the United States, particularly in urban, lower-income, communities of color
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