I want to thank the young man in the system who helped me get a sense of day-to-day life inside. I know I haven’t fully captured the pain and hardship of doing time, but I hope I have opened a window onto that world that will let us begin to ask better questions of what supports are necessary to help our young people in the system. I want to thank the NFB and Larry Lynn for their insightful documentary on youth in custody. It also helped inform the details of my story.
Finally, I want to include a second dedication here to Ed Griffin (1937–2015) who taught creative writing in Matsqui prison. Ed headed on-site writing retreats with outside writers and creative writing inmates until the program was cut. I have read many of the stories and poems penned during these events and see the enormous value in reinstating this resource.
Thank you also to the fabulous Kat Mototsune, my editor, and to the team at Lorimer. These stories are all so important and it is wonderful to have a venue in which to share them with others. Many thanks to my mom and dad for their continued support of my writing endeavours!