Ben Owen

You can actually control whether or not you ever go to prison. That's like a revelation to some of these guys.

You can actually control whether or not you ever go to prison. That's like a revelation to some of these guys.

Yeah, and how sad is that? How sad is that? In fact, I'll give you an example. I'm not going to say his name, but years ago in the Tramp House on Wilbert, they used to give the biggest dope boy on that block a hard time because I had done more time than he had. I've never even been to prison. All mine was jail time.

Yeah, and how sad is that? How sad is that? In fact, I'll give you an example. I'm not going to say his name, but years ago in the Tramp House on Wilbert, they used to give the biggest dope boy on that block a hard time because I had done more time than he had. I've never even been to prison. All mine was jail time.

Yeah, and how sad is that? How sad is that? In fact, I'll give you an example. I'm not going to say his name, but years ago in the Tramp House on Wilbert, they used to give the biggest dope boy on that block a hard time because I had done more time than he had. I've never even been to prison. All mine was jail time.

But they used to give him a hard time because I had done more jail time than he had. When was it ever a badge of honor to do more jail time than somebody else? It's not. It shouldn't be. And so these mentalities that you're having to break down out there, they've been in place for generations.

But they used to give him a hard time because I had done more jail time than he had. When was it ever a badge of honor to do more jail time than somebody else? It's not. It shouldn't be. And so these mentalities that you're having to break down out there, they've been in place for generations.

But they used to give him a hard time because I had done more jail time than he had. When was it ever a badge of honor to do more jail time than somebody else? It's not. It shouldn't be. And so these mentalities that you're having to break down out there, they've been in place for generations.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Now, it's going to depend on who it is. Everybody's individual, and some of them are going to be way more closely guarded. But I've seen tears shed by a lot of these guys, especially when it comes down to things like fatherhood, being present in your kids' lives. Yeah. And if you can get them to talk about childhood, that usually rips open some wounds, some painful ones.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Now, it's going to depend on who it is. Everybody's individual, and some of them are going to be way more closely guarded. But I've seen tears shed by a lot of these guys, especially when it comes down to things like fatherhood, being present in your kids' lives. Yeah. And if you can get them to talk about childhood, that usually rips open some wounds, some painful ones.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Now, it's going to depend on who it is. Everybody's individual, and some of them are going to be way more closely guarded. But I've seen tears shed by a lot of these guys, especially when it comes down to things like fatherhood, being present in your kids' lives. Yeah. And if you can get them to talk about childhood, that usually rips open some wounds, some painful ones.

Because I don't know if this is unique to the neighborhoods in Memphis where we operate or if this is an across-the-board thing in inner cities, but sexual abuse is very common in childhood, even incest, incestual abuse. And that's not something that gets talked about in that community.

Because I don't know if this is unique to the neighborhoods in Memphis where we operate or if this is an across-the-board thing in inner cities, but sexual abuse is very common in childhood, even incest, incestual abuse. And that's not something that gets talked about in that community.

Because I don't know if this is unique to the neighborhoods in Memphis where we operate or if this is an across-the-board thing in inner cities, but sexual abuse is very common in childhood, even incest, incestual abuse. And that's not something that gets talked about in that community.

And if you can create an environment where they will talk through childhood traumas, you really get another in with these people. And again, it's just that thing of you have to make human connection. And that's why I think... Well, I forgot where I was going with that.

And if you can create an environment where they will talk through childhood traumas, you really get another in with these people. And again, it's just that thing of you have to make human connection. And that's why I think... Well, I forgot where I was going with that.

And if you can create an environment where they will talk through childhood traumas, you really get another in with these people. And again, it's just that thing of you have to make human connection. And that's why I think... Well, I forgot where I was going with that.

You've got to establish human connection, and in the communities we're working in, that's not necessarily a popular thing to do at scale publicly. So you've got to create an environment where you can have one-on-one conversations with these guys.

You've got to establish human connection, and in the communities we're working in, that's not necessarily a popular thing to do at scale publicly. So you've got to create an environment where you can have one-on-one conversations with these guys.

You've got to establish human connection, and in the communities we're working in, that's not necessarily a popular thing to do at scale publicly. So you've got to create an environment where you can have one-on-one conversations with these guys.