21: Pattycake to Prison With(in)

In episode 21 of With(in) -- Pattycake to Prison -- we explore what we are calling the pipeline to prison, specifically unpacking the correlation between juvenile detention and adult imprisonment. Ashley Ratliff, a public defense attorney specializing in children at risk of adult prosecution, speaks with Co-host Andrew Draper about the traumatic effects of the juvenile system and the need to intervene by creating holistic criminal and juvenile defense processes. Andrew continues by sitting down with Tenaro Banks, a 33 year old incarcerated man who was imprisoned at the age of 15. He talks about the realization that he never got a chance to know who he was, who he wanted to be before coming to prison and that while he is removed from society, life is all connected and he is a part of that life form. Denise Presson, Co-host of With(in) spends time with Andrew pushing forward the question if children can make complex and “forever” choices about their identity , or even understand the impact of those choices without the time to properly develop and mature.