Young people are too often victims of our broken criminal justice system. 1 in 14 US children either has or has had a parent behind bars. Our friends at the PATHfinders and POPS Club are doing the vital work of supporting these youth, including publishing their poetry. Today host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Victor Trillo Jr., Amy Friedman, and one of the youth poets, Darrione, about their 11th anthology, A Secret Chord: Poetry, Stories & Art.

A Secret Chord features creative works by 60 teens impacted by incarceration, detention, and deportation. Darrione is one of those teens. She learned to see herself as a writer through the club and the mentorship of Victor. She says she’s come to see that her writing can connect with others and she plans to publish her own book one day. Darrione reads from her poem, “My Skin,” which is full of heartbreak and triumph in the tradition of Patricia Smith.

They talk about how this anthology stands out from previous versions and how it centers music and visual art. Friedman says she’s constantly reminded of young people’s honesty and courage in their writing. And Trillo has committed himself to being the mentor that he didn’t have when he was young and his father was incarcerated.

Victor Trillo Jr. is a founding team member of The PATHfinder Club and works as the Program Manager for The PATHfinder and POPS the Club, employing his deep understanding of the impact of incarceration on individuals, first as the son of a man who was in prison throughout Victor’s childhood, and later incarcerated himself. He is a powerful advocate for children of the incarcerated.

Amy Friedman is an author, editor, and criminal justice activist, who founded POPS the Club in 2013, as an inclusive space for youth who have been stigmatized and silenced by their experiences with the criminal justice system. Having been previously married to a man who was in prison, Amy’s stepdaughters inspired her to find a way to support youth in ways that her girls never were.

Featured image of the cover of A Secret Chord: Poetry, Stories & Art.

The post Youth Poetry Anthology Destigmatizes Family Incarceration appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.