Law abiding citizen

By: Frank Makle

Juvenile justice is about helping people who have made a mistake or two, and ended up in jail or prison. The prison Industrial system is very corrupt. We are here to inform and help others stay on the right track. When given this topic I started to feel a spark of inspiration. I am compelled to share my story and experiences in this post.

In 1998 my only big brother went to juvy. It didn't affect me at first because i was only two. When I grew older I realized something was missing; going outside and seeing all my friends spending quality time with their older brother. I missed him but I didn't really know what to miss since I was so young. I learned that when a loved one goes away it can impact you without you even knowing it. Then it all hits you at once. Don’t take anything for granted. Life is short so you have to live it right. Have fun, but don’t go wild. !Stay Above the Influence!

Without a positive influence like that you may fall prey to a cycle of crime and missing role models. Everyone needs someone to keep them on track, whether it be a sibling, counselor, parent, or just a good friend. We must work together to end this cycle. Today’s youth is tomorrow’s future. Even though my brother has went away over something stupid I have stayed on the right track. I am a honor roll students and captain of my high-school varsity football team. He recently came out and it made me feel good to know that he was proud of me.

Another thing that has kept me out of trouble are my grandparents. They started bringing me back to church after my mother stopped coming. Since then I have become very involved. I have even started lecturing on Sundays. I’m not saying that everyone must go to church and believe in God, but we do need to believe in a higher power. We all know that it wasn’t magic that got us to this word; so what was it. God is my answer. Some people believe in God but don’t go to church. My church has become my second family. When I feel like it is something I can’t talk to my family about I can go to church. They help guide me and set me back on track with humble words of encouragement.

My brother has really changed his life around since his release. He is spending time with his children and providing for them. That is more than most people who haven’t gone to jail. There are many excuses he could have made, but he just decided to work hard and get back on track. Hard work pays off. He is doing well but I don’t get to see him that often. At least I know he is doing well and now I have someone to look up to. This makes me feel that even though you make a mistake, it’s okay. It can be fixed.  Life is full of trial and error. One of my favorite quotes about this is "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein. This means that mistakes are human nature; everyone makes them. Some may be bigger, some may be smaller, but the only amount that matters is the amount of knowledge you gain from the experience.