Shawanna was born in prison, grew up in foster care, lost a brother to gang initiation violence and experienced incarceration.

She is the author of "Cries for Change", the story of how she overcame her hardships.

She turned tragedy into healing by forming Silent Cry, Inc a New York based nonprofit that takes a holistic approach to aftercare from mass incarceration, gun violence and trauma.

Listen to my conversation with Shawanna where she shares her experience, talks about the problems with punishment and the need for rehabilitation.

You can find more info at https://silentcryinc.org

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