I work in a juvenile hall, so your story is very familiar to me. I really appreciate your level of accountability; I think you may even take too much responsibility for your situation. I recently received a letter from a former detainee who asked me what I thought were the things that led him to where he is now (in prison for attempted murder). I thought long and hard and made him a short list — the majority of things on it were things outside of his control. You are right that a father figure is important, but any kind of caring, competent adult will do in a pinch. Foster parents are not always capable of filling that gap.

You write very well, it is very real, but your art is amazing. We once had an art program in our hall that was extremely beneficial to the kids, especially the adult remands who were looking at real time. Think about developing an art program for kids in juvenile halls. Let me know.