Staying strong in juvenile hall

By Miranda “Camboslice” Uong, SAFIRE Participant

My family includes my mom and two younger brothers. My family never really had a father figure, but that never stopped us four as being a family. My mom is always there for my brothers and myself. Even though I am incarcerated, they still are here for me even though we may fight.

This strong family story was written by Kaleen in the Juvenile Detention Center in San Francisco. Before meeting these young women, I assumed most of the time that people in jail, prison, or juvie were “bad.” But after this experience I’ve learned a lot about them, and they changed my perspective. I became more open minded and less judgmental. One thing I learned from all of these ladies were that they all love what they call family and they showed me that they are strong women and they have strong families.

During my time in the Detention Center, one of the young women I met was Davina. The story she told (below) is a story that really touched me as an individual. The way it is written mesmerized me. She wrote about her family with soul and meaning in just a paragraph and truly it is an amazing piece.

My family is a big part of my life. God comes first and of course my family right after. I can say so much about them. They maney [crazy]. You can count on them when you down. They will always have your back even if they mad at you. My momz and popz always told me that “you can have friends no problem but, you always gotta know your friends ain’t always going to be there for you but you family is going to ride with you no matter what.” I know that for sure now. If you knew me you would know why I put that quote down. I love my family; they are a big part of my life.

This reminded me of the power of story, and the power of family. I am grateful that I had a chance to listen and share these words.