I think the most important thing is to have people like me, who.... When I got out of prison, I completely changed my whole life around. I disconnected myself from all those people. As I said, my daughter is 15 years old now. Obviously, we moved to the United States five years ago. She has never had any direct contact with her biological father. I'm sorry to say it, but he's probably still in jail up there somewhere, living the same old gang life, distributing guns and drugs and violence. I guarantee that nothing's changed with him, because he's done it his whole life. I haven't talked to him in 20 years.
I would say, have people like me, who have lived experience, who have changed their life around, present to people and let them know. Let people like me help bring light to the real issues that are happening. I know that when I talk to people, and I tell them....
My daughter goes to Pendleton High School. She's an honour student. She just got an award yesterday for being the best for first semester in advanced leadership. I guarantee you that if she did a presentation at her school and said, “I was born while my mom was incarcerated”, nobody would believe her. They would think she was lying.
People like me have the lived experience and know what it's like. We've experienced those systems. I think if those systems were really talked about on a lived experience basis, it would bring more light to the end of the tunnel on what really needs to be done and what work needs to be done. When you're incarcerated, you're basically forgotten about. You have free room and board. Nobody cares about you. Nobody needs to worry about you, or they think they don't need to worry about you, because you're incarcerated. Really, it's the federal government that puts money into that, to feed those people, to clothe those people, and to give those people a place to sleep.
Oftentimes, for some people who are living on the streets in that kind of life, that's why they get caught up with gangs and violence and drugs. A lot of times, that's their safe way out. They think, “If I commit a crime and I end up in jail, I have a place to sleep. I have a place to eat. I don't have to worry about this.” Some people do those things because then they are finally able to focus on themselves and get the help and the resources they need. Sometimes that's a way for them to get off the drugs.