I have enjoyed reading the first part of Writing Our Way out. David Coogan does an incredible job of sharing these men’s stories, and coming in and out of the present and the past. It is just astonishing that every single one of these men had dealt with some type of major trauma before going to jail, and it furthers the point that past trauma and committing crimes are linked. Many just do what had been done to them, and obviously these actions are inexcusable, but it furthers the point that the way the jail system is set up in this country is demeaning and unproductive. If legislators and people who ran this country genuinely wanted to improve society the system would be different.

Reading this makes me recognize my privilege. I am blessed to never have dealt with the generational trauma that these men go through, but it also means as people who are privileged, it is our responsibility to advocate and care for those who cannot do it for themselves.