The First Gang Member Retirement Plan (PART 2)

John’s journey started with immense pain. His mother was murdered when he was 11, forcing him to live with his aunt who was a drug dealer. He joined a gang and eventually took the fall for his aunt on drug charges at 17. So began John’s journey of being in and out of prisons with his longest sentence being 18 years.Towards the end of his prison sentence, John decided enough was enough and focused on making a plan for his life after prison. He enrolled in programs that equipped him for life on the outside and even got a degree.Going through this experience helped him find his true calling – helping others do the same. John now works for an organization called Hustle 2.0 that helps inmates make their own ‘prison retirement plan’ so when they get out, they aren’t defined by their time in prison but by who they have become.Join Mick and Mark in this double episode as they chat to John about the effects of generational gang violence and the American prison experience.
Credits:Hosts - Mick Cronin, Mark WilsonProducer - Mick Cronin, Mark Wilson
Contact us via:Email - [email protected] Website - https://vicyouth.ymca.org.au/social-impact/rebuild/time-to-rebuild-podcast
Follow us on:Instagram - @ymca_rebuildFacebook - @YMCA Rebuild
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land Time to ReBuild is recorded on, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. We must always remember that under the concrete and asphalt this land is, was, and always will be traditional Aboriginal land.