spending time incarcerated as a youth
did something to me those monitored
visitations watching tears run down my
mother’s face behind a scratch
plexiglass window that did something to
me sitting inside of a jail cell sipping
foster water from a stainless steel sink
that did something to me the riots the
extortion waited to hear your name
called during mail call all of those
experiences did something to me
good evening my name is Jada can sue and
October 23rd 2005 a night that changed
my life forever me and a group of my
friends were joyriding around downtown
San Antonio it was me 15 years old at
the time
mark Hale who was 16 years old at the
time Ross who was 18 and Harold who was
19 the oldest of the group coming up
from a rough neighborhood Harold adopted
the motto of that I would rather be
caught with a gun than to be caught
without him right so we’re Joyride
around downtown San Antonio and bad in
the blink of an eye a robbery was
committed Mark Hill was taken to the
police station he was given the
opportunity to write a witness statement
he wrote that witness statement and he
went home the same night as for Austin
Herald they went to the county jail they
bailed out with the court back and forth
for a couple of years eventually their
charges were dismissed asked for myself
the only child during the crime that was
committed
I received a sentence of 10 years I went
to jail in 2005 I was released in 2009
with six years of parole not only was I
the only child during the crime the
weapon wasn’t in my possession during
the crime when it was committed I wasn’t
the owner of the vehicle or the weapon
and the victim didn’t press charges
against me
the only property that was taken was his
cell phone and a pack of
cigarettes so to put it in perspective I
received uh ten years for a pack of
Newports so that’s my background is fast
for it right so as I’m older and I
completing my sentence and that
experience was behind me I asked myself
why did I really get in trouble that
night like what’s the underlying factor
as to why I got into trouble the answer
to that question was an idle mind being
idle with my time in heaven I don’t mind
having the idle thoughts is what got me
into trouble I couldn’t blame it on my
peers because I had to be accountable I
couldn’t blame it on coming from a
broken home and I couldn’t blame it on
you know not having a father figure and
I couldn’t blame it on my environment
because I always told myself I’m not a
product of my environment I’m a product
of my thoughts and I can turn my
thoughts into reality right so after I’m
going through this these motions and I
guess there’s a time of self-reflection
I asked myself if I can go back in time
if I can go back to being a juvenile in
the detention center
what are some things that I would have
wanted without certain time so three
things came to mind the first thing was
somebody who cared for me somebody who
cared about my well-being and what I was
going through somebody who could come
for me outside of the gates comfort me
and provide something for my emotional
well-being and my mental state secondly
was resources while incarcerated when
you’re in juvenile jail you have two
options sit around and do nothing while
you serve your time or sit around and do
nothing while you serve your time so
outside of a GED
there aren’t any educational resources
there aren’t any educational
opportunities you don’t learn the trade
you don’t you know earn any college
courses anything of that nature you just
sit there so if I can go back I would
have loved to have had some resources
and with the 16 hours schedule you’re
not really in the classroom
too much you’re really on your living
headquarters and on your dorm the books
are pretty much outdated and old you
know when I was a child Huckleberry Finn
didn’t like spark my interest
you know what hell as an adult
Huckleberry Finn doesn’t spark my
interest I’ll just be honest with you
you know so and Tom Sawyer wasn’t really
going to land me a job when I was
released
so which brings me to number three I
would have loved to have some to have
had some opportunities once I was
released that I could tap into you know
a network of people that could show me
how to tie a tie how to build a resume
how to land a job how to apply for
college how to do all of those things
because being arrested at fifteen
signing at 16 and being released at the
age of 20
being autodidactic I had to teach myself
all of those things so as a juvenile
would have loved to have somebody to do
that for me
so as a result I started can choose
books to incarcerated youth project the
purpose of this project is to make a
variety of books readily available for
the youth for youth houses various sects
of Juvenile Justice Department
facilities the goal is to use these
books to improve their literacy and
reading skills which will enable them to
further their education and to also give
them a cultural pride and to create a
knowledge of self through books that
spark their interest collecting and
donating books on Latino Studies African
American literature trades how to start
a business you know psychology self-help
things of that nature by establishing
partnerships with universities that are
close in proximity user each juvenile
jail I’ve been able to spread the
project throughout the state of Texas
with enough dedicated students to make
sure no child is left behind we’ve
created a penpal system to communicate
with the youth after making the book
donations at their facility serving as
mentors we keep track with them up until
their release date where from there we
can further help them with life skills
and guidance for them to follow through
with the goals they’ve set for
themselves after incarceration our
juvenile justice system has failed our
children if we really care about the
youth and our future leaders we need to
start rehabilitating if the juvenile
detention center is truly a
second-chance opportunity for those for
those who have committed a crime at an
early age how we proclaim then there’s
our responsibility to make sure they
have the tools they need to capitalize
on that second chance to every child
that is put down and told that he can’t
be successful that does something simple
my message to the youth when you feel
like your back is against the wall and
you don’t have anywhere to turn just
know you can count on me and we’ll
figure it out together
[Applause] [Music]
did something to me those monitored
visitations watching tears run down my
mother’s face behind a scratch
plexiglass window that did something to
me sitting inside of a jail cell sipping
foster water from a stainless steel sink
that did something to me the riots the
extortion waited to hear your name
called during mail call all of those
experiences did something to me
good evening my name is Jada can sue and
October 23rd 2005 a night that changed
my life forever me and a group of my
friends were joyriding around downtown
San Antonio it was me 15 years old at
the time
mark Hale who was 16 years old at the
time Ross who was 18 and Harold who was
19 the oldest of the group coming up
from a rough neighborhood Harold adopted
the motto of that I would rather be
caught with a gun than to be caught
without him right so we’re Joyride
around downtown San Antonio and bad in
the blink of an eye a robbery was
committed Mark Hill was taken to the
police station he was given the
opportunity to write a witness statement
he wrote that witness statement and he
went home the same night as for Austin
Herald they went to the county jail they
bailed out with the court back and forth
for a couple of years eventually their
charges were dismissed asked for myself
the only child during the crime that was
committed
I received a sentence of 10 years I went
to jail in 2005 I was released in 2009
with six years of parole not only was I
the only child during the crime the
weapon wasn’t in my possession during
the crime when it was committed I wasn’t
the owner of the vehicle or the weapon
and the victim didn’t press charges
against me
the only property that was taken was his
cell phone and a pack of
cigarettes so to put it in perspective I
received uh ten years for a pack of
Newports so that’s my background is fast
for it right so as I’m older and I
completing my sentence and that
experience was behind me I asked myself
why did I really get in trouble that
night like what’s the underlying factor
as to why I got into trouble the answer
to that question was an idle mind being
idle with my time in heaven I don’t mind
having the idle thoughts is what got me
into trouble I couldn’t blame it on my
peers because I had to be accountable I
couldn’t blame it on coming from a
broken home and I couldn’t blame it on
you know not having a father figure and
I couldn’t blame it on my environment
because I always told myself I’m not a
product of my environment I’m a product
of my thoughts and I can turn my
thoughts into reality right so after I’m
going through this these motions and I
guess there’s a time of self-reflection
I asked myself if I can go back in time
if I can go back to being a juvenile in
the detention center
what are some things that I would have
wanted without certain time so three
things came to mind the first thing was
somebody who cared for me somebody who
cared about my well-being and what I was
going through somebody who could come
for me outside of the gates comfort me
and provide something for my emotional
well-being and my mental state secondly
was resources while incarcerated when
you’re in juvenile jail you have two
options sit around and do nothing while
you serve your time or sit around and do
nothing while you serve your time so
outside of a GED
there aren’t any educational resources
there aren’t any educational
opportunities you don’t learn the trade
you don’t you know earn any college
courses anything of that nature you just
sit there so if I can go back I would
have loved to have had some resources
and with the 16 hours schedule you’re
not really in the classroom
too much you’re really on your living
headquarters and on your dorm the books
are pretty much outdated and old you
know when I was a child Huckleberry Finn
didn’t like spark my interest
you know what hell as an adult
Huckleberry Finn doesn’t spark my
interest I’ll just be honest with you
you know so and Tom Sawyer wasn’t really
going to land me a job when I was
released
so which brings me to number three I
would have loved to have some to have
had some opportunities once I was
released that I could tap into you know
a network of people that could show me
how to tie a tie how to build a resume
how to land a job how to apply for
college how to do all of those things
because being arrested at fifteen
signing at 16 and being released at the
age of 20
being autodidactic I had to teach myself
all of those things so as a juvenile
would have loved to have somebody to do
that for me
so as a result I started can choose
books to incarcerated youth project the
purpose of this project is to make a
variety of books readily available for
the youth for youth houses various sects
of Juvenile Justice Department
facilities the goal is to use these
books to improve their literacy and
reading skills which will enable them to
further their education and to also give
them a cultural pride and to create a
knowledge of self through books that
spark their interest collecting and
donating books on Latino Studies African
American literature trades how to start
a business you know psychology self-help
things of that nature by establishing
partnerships with universities that are
close in proximity user each juvenile
jail I’ve been able to spread the
project throughout the state of Texas
with enough dedicated students to make
sure no child is left behind we’ve
created a penpal system to communicate
with the youth after making the book
donations at their facility serving as
mentors we keep track with them up until
their release date where from there we
can further help them with life skills
and guidance for them to follow through
with the goals they’ve set for
themselves after incarceration our
juvenile justice system has failed our
children if we really care about the
youth and our future leaders we need to
start rehabilitating if the juvenile
detention center is truly a
second-chance opportunity for those for
those who have committed a crime at an
early age how we proclaim then there’s
our responsibility to make sure they
have the tools they need to capitalize
on that second chance to every child
that is put down and told that he can’t
be successful that does something simple
my message to the youth when you feel
like your back is against the wall and
you don’t have anywhere to turn just
know you can count on me and we’ll
figure it out together
[Applause] [Music]
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