Mississippi what you know about it the simon city royals. I love this organization. Ill die for this. The royals are mostly white, but they arent white supremacists. We got black royals. We got white royals. Its not a racist thing. Theyre involved in prostitution and guns, but their Main Business is dealing methamphetamine, fueling a major epidemic across the state. They taught me the way of the streets, the drugs, the gangs, the guns. The royals use violence as part of their playbook. The body was found in a wooded area. Even against their own. Why should i blast your [ bleep ] . I aint got nothing against you, man. I want to know who are these selfproclaimed redneck gangsters. They call us white trash. But getting to the truth wont be easy. Is there a leader of the royals . I dont think thats something that we can discuss. This story about a mississippi gang starts 800 miles away in chicago. The simon city royals first emerged here in the 1950s as a mostly italian immigrant street gang, fighting Puerto Ricans for control of a northside neighborhood. It was like something out of west side story, but this was no musical. Over time, the royals evolved into a violent street gang. They even developed their own identity. With royal blue as their main color and a sixpoint star as their symbol. But the late 90s, theyd spread to the midwest and south, including mississippi, where they are now the Fastest Growing gang in the state. Primarily, what are the crimes that simon city royals are involved in . Its narcotics. Ive been given the chance to ride along with local Law Enforcement as they patrol a notorious strip of highway 49 in hattiesburg, where the simon city royals are known to operate. Im going to start looking for people wearing simon city colors. Although the royals include some black and female members, they are overwhelmingly white men. Captain Phillip Hendricks has been cracking down on them for over ten years. Why do you think this gang is growing as fast as it is . One of the main reasons is poverty. Poverty and crime seem to go hand in hand, and i think a lot of these guys join up with it to have a sense of belonging and a sense of protection. Captain hendricks has spotted a suspicious car without a license plate, and he thinks he recognizes the driver. Ive known the driver since he was a juvenile. I think hes on parole or probation now. Yeah . Im going to get you to step out. Theres something right here. Theres a pipe. The officers search the vehicle and find drug paraphernalia, but thats not all. What is that . In the back seat is a blue bandana, a dead giveaway that this man has some connection to the royals. Can i see your arm . Is that a sixpoint star . Yes, maam. So, are you a royal . Used to be. I used to do all that gang banging stuff. Stealing and robbing when i was young, thats what we did. How many times have you been locked up . Too many. And youre only 18 . No, im 24. Do you even know how many times youve been locked up . Ive probably been out one christmas since i was 18. Law enforcement says that the number of royals is growing pretty quickly in mississippi. Because everybodys in prison. Everybodys in prison. If you go to prison, youre going to want to be part of something. You dont want people to jump on you. You want to have backup. Why did you im not even supposed to talk about it. They could hurt me. You said you dont want to talk about the organization. I really want to take off running right now. Like i said, word of advice, dont do it. You mean dont get involved . Be you. Dont get affiliated. Family, thats all that matters. Thank you. The officers decide theres not enough evidence to arrest the suspect, and they let him go. He didnt give away any secrets, but our chat has opened a window for me into the world of the simon city royals. A fear of saying too much and a chilling warning to steer clear of the gang. These guys seem to have a real fear of talking openly. My guess is hes afraid that hell Say Something that wont be acceptable based on their bylaws, and then someone higher ranking than him will order a violation, and hell get beaten up for saying the wrong thing. So he says hes no longer affiliated. Do you believe that . Hes here on this strip where, as youve seen, its drugs, prostitution, guns, and hes here at 2 00 in the morning with their gang colors. But honestly, i dont know. This is mississippi, with its cotton farms and country churches. Deep in the heart of the bible belt. With an Unemployment Rate well above the National Average and the lowest Household Income in the country, the socalled magnolia state is short on opportunity. And now mississippi has a gang problem. Since 2010, Law Enforcement has been cracking down, making thousands of arrests and seizing large quantities of illegal guns, opioids, marijuana, and the overwhelming drug of choice here, meth. But the simon city royals are still the Fastest Growing gang in the state, recruiting most of their members behind bars. We are at the Hancock County jail, and were told by jail officials that about 40 of the inmates here are gang members and that many of them are simon city royal members. So were going to try and see if we can get some of them to talk to us today. Assistant warden Amanda Parker takes me straight to the tower. From here, every move the prisoners make is monitored. Theyre conducting head count. The whereabouts of each individual in our jail. Do you have a lot of simon city royals . Yes. Thats our predominant gang population, simon city. Down on the cellblock, the royals are locked up with rival gangs, including their archenemies, the vice lords. Everybody is on guard and watching their backs. You think a lot of guys get recruited in jail . Most definitely. They feel like they have to for protection join up in order to survive prison. Having 18yearold, 19yearold male come through, this is his first time in jail, he thinks he can become a part of them, and hes got family per se. If you look under the tears, can you point out the simon city royals . Theyre pretty identifiable. The tattoos. This one on the phone. A few up in the top. Can they see us right now . Yes. They can . Mmhmm. Theyre trying to figure out who you are. Word gets around the cellblocks im here to speak with the simon city royals. And one of the gang members says he wants to talk to me. Close the door, please. Fine, no one leaves the table until your finished. Fine, well sleep here. Its the easiest because its the cheesiest. Kraft. For the win win. Fit me foundation from mayfits skin tonerk and texture. Blurs pores. Stops shine. 97 of women found their fit. Fit me matte poreless only from Maybelline New York everything your trip needs, for everyone you love. Expedia. Oh you got a fast one there just cant get him to slow down this class will help with that we get it. You got it were petsmart but allstate actually helps you drive safely. With drivewise. It lets you know when you go too fast. And brake too hard. With feedback to help you drive safer. Giving you the power to actually lower your cost. Unfortunately, it cant do anything about that. Now that you know the truth. Are you in good hands . Tmobiles newest signal reaches farther than ever before. With more engineers, more towers, more coverage. Its a network that gives you. With coverage from big cities, to small towns. Introducing tmobiles 600mhz signal. No signal reaches farther or is more reliable. And its built 5g ready. When you come from nothing in mississippi, it could feel like your best bet to rise above is to join the simon city royals. The crowns, stars, and playboy bunnies promise something to aspire to pride, status, royalty. Here at the Hancock County jail, officer eric moran is an expert in the meanings behind the gangs ink. If you look at this tattoo, he has r. K. Right here. Mmhmm. And its blue, royal blue. That stands for royal knight, a branch, if you would, of the simon city royals. That took up his entire back. Do you earn tattoos . You dont necessarily earn them. Their tattoos mainly are to symbolize respect toward their organization. What is that symbol right there . As we are the United States of america and we have the red, white, and blue, they have the sixpoint star. The points of the star are the six points in which theyre supposed to live and abide by. And they stand for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, loyalty, life, and love. Its what theyre supposed to base their life on. But in truth, its a facade. This tattoo, death before dishonor. Theyre supposed to live by that code as well. They are not supposed to give out any information. Before they tell you any information, before they tell me any information, they are either to kill me or kill themselves. So this isnt a game to them. This is their way of life. They live by this. The paranoia and fear ive heard about so far is real. The gang polices its own with brutality. One of the most notorious cases of enforcement hit the news in 2013 when gang member wilford lee mccarty, aka pork chop, carried out a hit on a fellow royal suspected of snitching. Pork chop shot his victim in the face and then chopped up and distributed his body piece by piece in the backwoods of greene county. So, frankly, im shocked that one of the royals at Hancock County jail actually volunteered to speak with me. The code of silence and what could happen if you break it demands that we conceal his identity. How old were you when you got involved in gangs . Ive never been involved in a gang. This is an organization. I started out when i was about 12 years old. And what was it about that lifestyle that appealed to you . I like the fast life. I like quick money, girls, and i thought thats what i want to do the rest of my life. And at what point did you get connected with the simon city royals . I didnt learn what it was until i actually hit prison. And i found out what they were really about. So is it a street gang or a prison gang . Its neither. Its an organization. So when youve committed a crime, you come to jail. Youll see seven or eight of us over here at a table with a big meal. Were all eating and laughing and having a good time. If somebody says something four or five of us walk over there and address the problem. Have you hurt people . Of course. Ive been inside of these walls for the last three years. So you got to stand up for what youre doing. How many of your brothers have been killed . Last year, we lost at least five or six in the prison system. Out in the streets in the last two years, at least five or six close friends, really close friends. How does one become a member of the royals . First off, you go under a sixmonth observation period to see if you even qualify to be royal material. Then comes the hard part. They put you in what we call the crack. Its two guys for one minute. You gotta fight. I need a brother thats not going to leave me by myself. According to my understanding, the royals are actually one of the Fastest Growing gangs in the state of mississippi. One of the Fastest Growing organizations for the simple fact that everybody is learning about it, and thats what they want to be. But to truly be a royal, you got to understand our bylaws and the way we do ourselves. Just because you say im a royal and you out here selling drugs and you get a couple tattoos dont make you a royal. Royal is in your heart. Royal is in the way you live. So what youre saying is the simon city royals is a brotherhood . Yes, maam. Most definitely. When you bring a brotherhood from a penitentiary to the streets and especially here in mississippi, we have a meth epidemic. Methamphetamine is so bad here, and once they start getting high and using, then they start using the royal name with this drug trade. So now youve got 12 royals in a meth ring getting high. I have the same problem that mississippi has got. Im a meth addict. Ive been doing drugs since i was 12, 13 years old. Do you have kids . Yes, i have kids. Would you want any of your kids to join the organization . My son, his first picture was with a royal flag. Hes destined to be a royal. So if he can do the right thing and lead the royals in the right path, yes, i want him to be a royal. This inmate is not only proud to be a loyal but considers it a legacy to pass on to his son. But something isnt adding up for me. He told me about violence and addiction, but the royals sixpoint code honors wisdom, knowledge, and love. What about those values . 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After just a few days in mississippi, word has spread around the state that im here to talk to the simon city royals. We hear from another jail up in Forrest County that a group of royals wants to talk to me without hiding their identities. Their only condition, that i speak to them as a group. How are you doing . Im lisa. They may want to protect each other from saying anything their leadership wont approve of. Maybe theres safety in numbers. But im not sure why they want to talk to me. How old were you when you became a royal . 15, during hurricane katrina. I moved to mississippi, and i was told, man, if youre white and if youre a gangster, you got to be a royal. I agreed with the concepts and stuff. I liked it, and i proved myself. I just knew from the jump thats what i was going to be. I just knew it. I didnt want no other direction. So how many family members were royals when you became one . A lot of my cousins come to find out later on, there were more. I got to meet talking to them on facebook. Theres a lot of them. Did you know any of these guys before you came in here . I didnt know them. But you love them like a brother . I love them like a brother. Im going to take care of them. Theyll vouch for that. Is there a leader of the royals . I dont think thats something that we can discuss. Can you talk about how you kind of rise and fall in rank . Its about how you carry yourself, the person you are and how you protect your brothers. Everythings observed. I heard theres like that someone can become a crown prince. Can can you talk about how that you cant . Okay. With all the secrecy ive encountered so far, its no surprise that these royals dont want to tell me about their leadership. But they do want to talk about their code and the surprising place they get their inspiration. We cant just tell you but a lot of it comes from the bible. A lot of it does. A lot of people dont realize how much simon city follows the word. We follow the word, and were christians. Theres a bad perception of what we are, and its not right. Were about bettering ourselves, our families, and our communities. Positive, productive principles, growth and development. We have charitable organizations. We help people. Theres a sincerity about these guys that makes me want to believe them. But im not convinced i can take them at their word. Law enforcement says that the royals are a criminal organization, that were not supposed to have no criminal activity going on. Simon city is not a bad organization. Law enforcement calls us criminal because of what we do as individuals. Were not supposed to be in jail. Were supposed to be bettering ourselves, our families and our communities. So, you know, if being a royal is about this brotherhood and about being positive, why are there so many royals locked up . It just seems like especially here in mississippi, its due to drugs. Some people, they think that, oh, man, i can control it. But then after a while, its just like anything. It takes control of you. Look at these jails. Probably 60 of people in here right now if not more than that are in here because of drugs. My only motivation was bettering my family. I got a little girl that means everything to me. I went the wrong way about doing it. I partook in selling drugs, and it was quick, easy money. It was fast money, and now im answering for it. I take responsibility for being one of the brothers that has given my organization a bad name. Obviously im sitting here in shackles. This is completely against what simon city represents. If people knew the good thats in this, we wouldnt have the rep like a criminal organization. We wouldnt have a rap as a gang because were not gang. I love this organization, and ill die for this. I will. Now i get why they wanted to talk. They want the world to believe that the goals of the organization are to better society. But can the simon city royals really deliver on these high ideals . To find out more, i need to go to the top. Next on my journey, i meet a boss. [spokeswoman] meet the ninja foodi grill. Get the perfectly grilled flavors of an outdoor grill indoors, and because its a ninja foodi, it can do even more, like transform into an air fryer. The ninja foodi grill, the grill that sears, sizzles, and air fry crisps. I get it all the time. Have you lost weight . Of course i have ever since i started renting from national. Because national lets me lose the wait at the counter. And choose any car in the aisle. And i dont wait when i return, thanks to drop go. At national, i can lose the wait. And keep it off. Looking good, patrick. I know. vo go national. Go like a pro. Oh you got a fast one there just cant get him to slow down this class will help with that we get it. You got it were petsmart nyquil severe gives you powerful relief for your worst cold and flu symptoms, on sunday night and every night. Nyquil severe. The nightime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, best sleep with a cold, medicine. You cant get any more allamerican than this. A man doing yard work at his quaint suburban home. But it wasnt always this way for benny ivey. Benny was once the highest Ranking Member of the simon city royals in central mississippi. Potholes. Yeah. Im sorry, yall. I didnt pave the roads. My first introduction to benny is driving back to the South Jackson neighborhood where it all started for him. Where are we heading now . To a couple places i lived as a kid. Like a lot of royals, bennys early life was tough. My parents were drug addicts. Uncles, aunts, they were all drug addicts. Nothing was hidden. I cant believe these apartments are even still here. Thats the building we lived in. My family started breaking into houses, burglarizing so that everybody could smoke crack every night. Yeah, thats how my life was. Are we ready to leave here . I never thought that it was ever a possibility to even think about living a better life. I thought the cards were stacked against me, and thats just the hand i had to play forever. They called us white trash. Ive been a junkie and a white trailer park cracker my entire life. I tried meth at 15 and that was it . That was it. Like many other young men in mississippi, poor and addicted to meth, benny ended up behind bars. Thats where he first met the simon city royals. I was 21, caught my first real charges as an adult. I met a guy in the county jail. We called him true love. He had tattoos on him, and i was looking at his tattoos and i asked him about them. He told me what they represented. It lured me in. In the royals, benny found an opportunity he thought hed never have. When i first got in, i had it in my mind to achieve rank. I wanted respect. I didnt see myself getting respect anywhere else in life. I mean i was raised in the pits, and i figured thats where i would die. So my ambition in life was to be a leader, and if i wanted to be a leader, it was going to be in the simon city royals. How far up in the organization did you get . I become a central mississippi regional captain. There wasnt any rank higher back then. As mississippi captain, benny was in charge of hundreds of royals, running a bustling meth trade throughout central mississippi. He had made it to the top. I had notoriety. I had respect and love from gang members, organization members, and they put me on a pedestal and made me feel greater than. You know what i mean . I had thought i had the highest stature that i could ever accomplish. It was a very proud feeling. What do the simon city royals mean to you . It was my life. I guess it defined me. But all that was about to change. I just wanted to show you this. About 150 of us showed up here one day. I told everybody gather here at the gettogether and hang out. This was the last meeting we had before before a bunch of stuff went down. The royals had become too big, and federal agents were gunning for the boss. Two feds from chicago came, sat me in a room with a big family tree on the wall of royals with an 8 by 10 picture of me at the top. They told me where i got my drugs from. They told me who i got it from, who i fronted it to, how much i paid for it, how much i fronted it out for. They told me routes i took to get to the drug house. They told me everything, man. The feds also told benny that they were building a case against him for racketeering, which carried a 30 years to life sentence. But they needed more evidence to bring him down. No charges were brought up on me yet. So thats when i retired. And it broke my heart. Could you just retire like that . Like im out . Well, i was a liability. Thats the reason there wasnt any argument for me stepping down. The feds were on me so bad that i couldnt continue to be a part of the organization. But there was something else, a realization benny had in the room full of federal agents. All the information they had on me could have only came from my closest circle. You know what i mean . There was only a few people that knew that stuff. It hurt me more than anything. The brotherhood that had given him everything, not just status and money, but most of all a sense of family had betrayed him. So when i got out, i just drowned myself in drugs, just dope, dope, dope, dope, dope. I stayed saturated in meth all day, every day. Its like i worshipped it. Its all i wanted. How were you saved from the addiction . November 23rd, 2010, i was locked up again for a charge, and i slept about three days getting the drugs out of my system. And when i woke up in that cell, the door was locked, and i walked i walked to the door and they got this little rectangular window in the door. I remember looking out across the zone, and something in me broke. I got on my knees that day and prayed that if god took that away from me and took me out of that life, that i would never let him down. And he came through. They let me go to rehab, and my life completely changed from that point forward. Benny knew he had to get clean before anything could really change. He was admitted to a 12month Rehab Program and started working as a contractor. It was the first steady job hed ever had. And the lady i worked with gave me lots of new recipes to try. Thats when i met christina. At first she wasnt interested in me. Christina had a young daughter and was wary of this wiry, tattooed exgang banger. I convinced her that i wanted a real life. No, its still cuttable. Its cuttable. And she took a chance with me. Benny and christina were married in 2013, and benny legally adopted natalie. Barbecue ribs, mac and cheese. They settled into a new house and a new life. When you think back on 15yearold benny, do you think you could have ever imagined hed be sitting here . This is a whole other life for me. Ive never stayed the night in a house like this, and we bought it. Its its so amazing to me, gods mercy and gods grace on my life. Do you regret your time with the royals . No. I dont regret the drug addiction. I dont regret breaking into houses when i was 15. I dont regret being royal because if i didnt have all that in my life, then i wouldnt have the message that i have now. What would you say to those brothers who are out there still bangin . You dont have to be a product of your environment. You can be whatever you want to be. If i can live the life i live now after living the life ive lived, anybody can do it. You have to actually push yourself and work toward a better goal. And, man, any of them can do it. Everything your trip needs, for everyone you love. Expedia. Loreals magic root cover up. Three seconds to flawless roots. 3. 2. 1. Roots gone. Magic root cover up by loreal paris. Look for the turqoise one. Excuse me. Uh. Do you mind. Being a motour . What could be better than being a motour . The real question is. Do you mind not being a motour . I do. For those who were born to ride, theres progressive. I do. To earn j. D. Power chevdependability awards. Across cars. Trucks. And suvs. Four years in a row. Since more than 32,000 real people. Just like me. And me. And me. Took the survey that decided these awards. It was only right that you hear the good news from real people. Like us. Im daniel. Im casey. Im julio. Only chevy has earned j. D. Power dependability awards across cars, trucks and suvs. Four years in a row. Ive always been im still going for my best. Even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem. So if theres a better treatment than warfarin, ill go for that. Eliquis. Eliquis is proven to reduce stroke risk better than warfarin. Plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis is fdaapproved and has both. Whats next . Sharing my roots. Dont stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Eliquis, the number one cardiologistprescribed blood thinner. Ask your doctor if eliquis is whats next for you. Tmobiles newest signal reaches farther than ever before. With more engineers, more towers, more coverage. Its a network that gives you. With coverage from big cities, to small towns. Introducing tmobiles 600mhz signal. No signal reaches farther or is more reliable. And its built 5g ready. My journey has led me here, to a field in rural George County near the alabama border. How yall doing this morning . Good over 100 men are gathering this morning. Its so important to have each other. Some of them have made a choice to serve their prison sentences out here. Thats what a true brotherhood is. Most of them belong to gangs, including the simon city royals. What does love do . And almost all of them are desperate for a way to get and stay clean. Love covers it all. This is the city of refuge, part halfway house, part rehab center, and all ministry. All we have to do is learn how to love each other. Every day starts with an invocation by pastor sandy delchamps. Let me tell you something. Some of you are hard to love. How many men in here have helped another man look for his wallet and you had it . Thats right. Hello . Huh . Some of these people have never been loved. Theyve been abused, or they abused people when they didnt know a way out of a gang. Theyre drug dealers, drug users. Weve got a lot of stuff in us that has to come out. After struggling with his own drug addiction and criminal past, pastor sandy started the city of refuge in 2008. Its a place where men can come and love on each other and get out of a lifestyle and show them a different life. This is a family right here, amen. Were a family. Ive heard you mention brotherhood. Why is that important for these guys . Id say close to 90 of the people here have been affiliated with some brotherhood, and this is a different brotherhood. Because who got us here . Our father who art in heaven. Theres no violence in this. We lead by example here. Forever and ever, amen. This is a brotherhood of love. Here the men live together with no locks and no prison guards. Room and board and treatment are all free. The city of refuge is entirely funded by donations. And the sale of thousands of wooden crosses made by the men in this workshop. Men like 30yearold joseph. Hes been a simon city royal and a drug addict since the age of 14. Why did you want to join a gang in the first place . My mom had a boyfriend that used to beat us, you know. Then i thought i was going to have more protection. So i wanted to be a part of it. He rose up through the gangs hierarchy in prison to the high rank of enforcer. It was his job to make sure the bylaws were being followed and punish those who didnt toe the line. Would you say youve hurt a lot of people . Definitely, yeah. Yeah. Is that hard to think about . Yeah. I mean im not proud of it. Its not right. You regret it . Definitely. Definitely. So youve come to this place, and its a faithbased organization. Oh, my god, i lift my hands to you theres a lot of preaching, a lot of praying going on. Lots of it. What has that been like for you . Different for sure. Altars are open. Amen. I first got here, i thought it was like a cult. Some things hes got on i think it was meant to be. [ applause ] jesus jesus how long have you been here . Three and a half months. So are you still a royal now . No. I mean, i havent actually been smashed out or anything, but i dont claim it no more. Im tired of doing this. Are yall royals . All of you guys are . And you . Along with joseph, there are other royals here who want to change. What is it like to be in this place with other brothers . It feels good because you see them trying to change, too. Uhhuh. I see what i see whoever i see here, i see a bunch of guys just really changed their ways, you know. They dont want to do that no more. Do you think you could have changed if it werent for god . I couldnt have done it without him. We tried 12step programs, other rehabs, stuff like that and unless you find the lord somewhere in your life, you will not change and thats just the way it is. Once you start going for god, you cant serve two masters. You have to give it all to god. It reminds me that the royals by laws are based on the bible. I wonder what they think about that now. I guess there are some christian principles that the royals promote. A lot of our literature comes from the bible. Knowledge and understanding but they like to twist it to make it sound good but it really aint sounding good, it really looks stupid to be honest with you. You got a lot of guys in there that dont know god and dont want to know god. Trying to say cross is boss now. I dont want you to disrespect that cross like that. Not with no organization that hurts people. I cant be a part of that. Im ashamed to be a part of that now that im 45 years old. You know, i did that for 20 years. I was screaming royal and now that i look back on my life, a lot of things ive done, im like man, if i would have found jesus back 20 years ago, my life would be perfect right now. Amen. Today is Graduation Day at the city of refuge. Graduates come on up. Seven men have completed their time here and now they can celebrate with their new brothers and their families. Joseph still has three months at the city of refuge but his former simon city royals brother dakota is graduating today. I just want to thank all yall and all my brothers here. Amen. Amen. Over the last week, weve been hearing so much about the brotherhood and there are a lot of guys who really need that. And im just glad and impressed that these guys were able to find this other kind of brotherhood that really is about positive development. Yeah, it was really powerful. amber jagger if we dont give students from an underserved background the technology that they need in school, theyre not going to be competitive in the workforce thats waiting for them. Since verizon innovative learning, students have hardware, connectivity, and quality curriculum. The jobs of tomorrow will involve technology. Now students are truly hopeful for what they may achieve. Ahh, its too expensive. Actually, our Unitedhealthcare Medicare plans have renew active. A gym membership and more at no extra cost. No excuses now. Renew active. Only from Unitedhealthcare Medicare. Oh you got a fast one there just cant get him to slow down this class will help with that we get it. You got it were petsmart what do we wburger. Inner . I want a sugar cookie. Wait. I want a bucket of chicken. I want. Its the easiest because its the cheesiest. Kraft. For the win win. Its been ten years since benny left the simon city royals but every thursday evening, he finds himself back behind bars. At the ranking county juvenile detention center. Did you come back, man . Come on, bro, really . Whats up, man . Sharing his life story with this group of juveniles in custody say way for benny to make a difference in their lives. Ive lived a crazy life from breaking into houses to supply my family crack to being the highest Ranking Member of the royals. Lack of opportunity and drugs, there are no easy fixes for mississippis gang problem. Ive always referred to myself as a product of my environment. So many of the simon city royals ive met here joined the gang when they were still teenagers. I finally learned you dont have to be a product of your environment. You can choose to be better. The start of a solution, could begin in this room. Try not to come back here. Just keep your head up, man. Im going to say a prayer for you, brother, all right . Joseph was once a teenager in a room like this. He joined the royals when he was 14 years old. When he was 16, he got his sixpoint stars. He is believed in their code for the past 14 years. But now that code has lost meaning for him. I have some stars on my chest that i want to get removed. Let me take a look at them. It requires courage to walk away from the organization but joseph is taking it one step further. Those are going to come off real nicely. You ready . All right. When every royal gets his stars, he thinks hell have them forever. Is that hurting . Yeah, a little bit. But i have seen that it is possible to choose another path, another brotherhood here in mississippi. Okay. That thing is gone. Take a look. Wow. Thats so awesome. Thank you. Do you want to see them . Not really. Im positive i do not want to see that. [ laughter ] being a twin is awesome. Theres always someone to look after you and be by your side. We love being twins. What is it that we find so captivating about multiples . Weve been twins for 84 years. I think. I think it happened in the womb. I dont think i had anything to do with it. I always tell people im the handsome one. Identical twins have been a source of endless fascination throughout the course of history. Worshipped as gods and feared as demons
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