Columnist Razvan Sibii: After three decades of prison, looking in a real mirror
Eugene Youngblood Submitted photo
By Razvan Sibii
When he was 3, Eugene Youngblood s mother went to prison for seven years. When he was 10, his only caretaker died, and he joined a local gang. At 13, he was shot by a rival gang member on the streets of Los Angeles. At 15, he dropped out of school and began dealing cocaine. At 18, he was found guilty of murder in a drug war, even though he was not present when the trigger was pulled. He received a 65-year sentence.
In prison, Youngblood participated in numerous programs, took college classes, was a leader of the Black Prisoners Caucus, and mentored scores of other men. In the words of his lawyer, he became a “shining example of rehabilitation.”