WOSU interviewed four young men at the Marion Juvenile Correctional Facility on January 24, 2007.
Angelo, 16, was sentenced to six months for his involvement with a robbery. Angelo is from Cleveland, but his mother has moved to Columbus where he hopes to escape the violence he saw in his old neighborhood. He enjoys writing and wants to go to college for a bachelors degree in business and technology and a masters degree perhaps in Egyptology and one day have his own company. He's drawn up a business proposal while at Marion.
Edgar, 17, served two years for felonious assault and discharging a firearm. He plans to work on his GED and get a job. Edgar says he wants to make a better person of himself and make his family proud of him.
Mark, 19, served 21 months for possession of crack cocaine and receiving stolen property. He has two children, a daughter, 3 and a son, 2 and wants his relationship with them to be very different from his own relationship with his father who was also incarcerated.
Dion, 18, was sentenced at the age of 14 to 4.5 years behind bars for aggravated robbery with a gun specification. Dion wants to do something to change the world and make it better for people who are struggling. He finished his GED two years ago while behind bars and wants to go to college.
WOSU interviewed two young women at the Freedom Center in Delaware on February 1, 2007.
Alexandra, 17 years old and Stephanie, 20 years old were receiving treatment for substance abuse. Both are repeat offenders with Stephanie returned five times. Both started using drugs when they were 14 years old.
Please Note: The Ohio Department of Youth Services prohibits the use of last names.