From Behind Bars, the Capacity to Change

When I started doing time in 1985, I was not a model prisoner. I was young and not particularly respectful of authority. I had a buddy, Pat, who worked with me in the kitchen. Pat was not usually interested in doing anything against the rules, but we had other things in common and managed to develop a friendship. Both of us had life sentences and were looking to do a lot of time.

17-year-old Accused of Killing Georgia Deputy has Long Criminal History

Sunday’s Atlanta Journal Constitution has a story about 17-year-old Jonathan Bun, the youth who stands accused of the recent shooting death of a Clayton County, Ga., sheriff’s deputy. The story quotes Judge Steven Teske, a frequent contributor to the JJIE, as saying that he and other authorities in the state’s system recognized Bun as hardened as early as age 13. Despite efforts to divert Bun, he fell into serious crime and drug use, say police, culminating in the July 20 shooting of Deputy Richard Daly. If convicted, Bun could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In the story, Teske says about 8 percent of repeat juvenile offenders stand very little chance of rehabilitation.