Writing competition for young people who have been in custody – winner announced!
28 March 2014 | Tagged with the theme: Engaging young people
Beyond Youth Custody recently set up a national competition to find out what life is like for a young person who has spent time in custody. We asked young people to tell us, in their own words, about their experiences in prison or experiences of leaving prison and some of the problems they might have faced. Judges were looking for pieces of writing that were imaginative and interesting, and which stand out.
A huge thank you to all the young people who sent us their entries and shared their experiences with us.
Five winners have been chosen and sent vouchers which can be spent at a shop of their choice on the high street. Well done to them!
Congratulations to our winner Abbie who impressed the judges with this rap:
TEE HITS THE BLOCK WHILE YOU HIT THE ROCK I’M FROM A COUNTY OF MARS. IM A BIG FRIENDLY ALIEN MIGHT GET HIT UP BY THE METAL BAR MADE FROM TITANIUM THOUGHT I WOULD END UP THIS SIDE OF THE GREEN BARS I’M STRUGGLING TO GET MY LIFE BACK ON TRACK NEED THE FREEDOM AND THE TIME. GOT THESE REGRETS BUT LIFES TOO SHORT TO BE WAKIN UP IN THE MORNINGS WITH REGRETS YES I HAVE LIVED A LIFE FULL OF CRIME HAD MY PUNISHMENT DONE MY TIME. TIMES ARE GETTING REALLY HARD IN HERE JUST WANNA BE BACK ON THE ROAD MAKING MUSIC AND SHOWIN THE WORLD THE NEW ME LET THE HATERS HATE BECAUSE IVE BEEN TO THE PENTARY AND I DONT THINK IM BIG IM JUST ME AND THAT’S WHO IM GONNA BE. THESE GIRLS IN HERE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME THEY JUST WANNA JUDGE ME, RATE ME EVEN SOME WANNA DATE ME. I’M COUNTING, WAITING NOT LONG TIL I GET OUT OF THIS PLACE JUST NEED TO BREAK FREE I’M GETTING SICK OF THE SYSTEM. NOT LONG TIL I’LL BE PLAYIN THE SYSTEM LIKE A TRANSFORMER TIME HAS FINALLY COME IM BACK ON THE ROAD MAKIN MUSIC AND SUPPORTIN MY HATERS THINGS HAVE REALLY CHANGED IM STRUGGLIN AT THESE TESTS THAT LIFE KEEPS THROWING AT ME ALL THESE PATHS TO CHOOSE FROM BUT NO MATTER WHAT ONE I PICK THERES GONNA BE TROUBLE. BUT I DON’T FOLLOW IT, IT SEEMS TO FOLLOW ME IM TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE PROUD THAT ARE AROUND ME IM TRYING NOT TO BUMP INTO IT IM AVOIDING IT IM RIDING IT BECAUSE IM SO FLY ALL I NEED TO DO IS GET SO HIGH. IM SITTING HERE THINKING WHATS NEXT WHOS NEXT I DON’T WANNA GO BACK CANT GO BACK TO THE PENTARY NO WAY IM GONNA STICK TO THIS NEW ME THE REAL ME THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BE ME BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY IT I MEAN IT I MAY BE YOUNG BUT THAT DON’T MEAN NOTHING IF YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN MY LIFE AS A YOUTE YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY I AM WHO I AM AND THE WAY I AM BUT EVERY SECOND IS A CHANCE TO TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND WITH SUCCESS NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE EVERYONE GETS A SECOND CHANCE IM GONNA DO THE RIGHT FOR ME NOT JUST ME BUT MY SUPPORTERS TOO IM DONE WITH THIS I JUST WANNA HELP THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HELPED ME IM NO LONGER A CONVICT I’M ME NOW AND THATS HOW IM GONNA BE BECAUSE ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME!