Juvenile-In-Justice by Richard Ross

“I was the valedictorian of my class. I graduated from school in Louisiana. Then my mom and I were in a shelter, so I ran away. That was nine months ago. My mom was on drugs and drinking heavily. I was hospitalized with a concussion, and got charged with assault on a family member. My mom has visited me three times, but I haven’t seen my dad since I was six. I’m taking my SATs next month and I’m really excited.”