WHEN HER COUSIN WAS RELEASED

FROM PRISON AT THE AGE OF 26,

AUTHOR DANIELLE ALLEN TRIED TO

HELP HIM REENTER A WORLD HE LEFT

AS A TEENAGER.

DESPITE HER EFFORTS AND

RESOURCES, THE THEN DEAN AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO COULD ONLY

DO SO MUCH TO HELP THE YOUNG MAN

STRUGGLING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

A SECOND CHANCE.

IN THE NEW BOOK, "CUZ: THE LIFE

AND TIMES OF MICHAEL A" ALLEN

TRACES HER COUSIN'S LIFE STORY

AND PLACES IT WITHIN THE CONTEXT

OF YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN

DURING THE HEIGHT OF

CALIFORNIA'S CRIME CRACKDOWN AND

THE SO-CALLED WAR ON DRUGS.

AND DANIELLE ALLEN JOINS US NOW.

A PROFESSOR AT HARVARD AND

PREVIOUSLY SPENT 10 YEARS ON THE

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FACULTY

WAS IN TOWN THIS PAST WEEKEND

FOR THE CHICAGO HUMANITIES

FESTIVAL AND WELCOME BACK TO

CHICAGO.

YOU AND YOUR COUSIN WERE CLOSE

GROWING UP BUT YOUR LIVES

DIVERGED.

HOW DID MICHAEL START TO GET

INTO TROUBLE?

>> WE WERE PART OF A BIG

EXTENDED FAMILY AND COUSINS

WITHIN THAT EXTENDED FAMILY.

WHEN MICHAEL WAS 10 HIS MOTHER

MARRIED A MAN WHO WAS ABUSIVE

AND THE FAMILY EXPLODED IN THE

WAKE OF THAT MARRIAGE.

THEY MOVED FROM CALIFORNIA TO

MISSISSIPPI, TO GEORGIA, BACK TO

CALIFORNIA.

MICHAEL HAD FIVE MID-YEAR SCHOOL

TRANSITIONS AND THE LAST MOVE

SAW HIM LANDING IN SOUTH CENTRAL

LOS ANGELES IN THE EARLY 90s,

A WORLD RIFE WITH GANGS AND

VIOLENCE AND HARD FOR A KID TO

LAND IN A WORLD LIKE THAT.

THE SHORT OF IS KIDS FIND

THEMSELVES NEEDING PROTECTION

AND GANGS OFFER PROTECTION AND

MICHAEL STARTED FLIRTING WITH

GANGS AND THAT IS WHERE THE

TROUBLE CAME FROM.

>> BEFORE HE GOT TO LA HE

COMMITTED PETTY THEFTS BUT HE

WAS TREATED --

LA WAS A DIFFERENT STORY.

WAS WAS MICHAEL SENT TO PRISON?

>> WHEN HE WAS 15 IN 1995 HE WAS

ARRESTED FOR AN ATTEMPTED

CARJACKING.

A SUNDAY MORNING FOGGY MORNING

AND HE TRIED TO HOLD SOMEBODY UP

WITH A GUN TO TAKE THE MAN'S

CADILLAC.

AND THE VICTIM WRESTLED AWAY THE

GUN AND SHOT MICHAEL THROUGH THE

NECK AND IN THE HOSPITAL IN THE

AMBULANCE ON THE WAY TO THE

HOSPITAL MICHAEL CONFESSED THAT

HE ROBBED THREE PEOPLE THE

PREVIOUS DAY.

SO IT WAS A CRIME SPREE BUT IT

CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.

YOU ARE RIGHT.

HE HAD STOLEN 10 FROM A

NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.

HE HAD STOLEN A RADIO BUT THIS

WAS THE EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN

THE LEVEL OF HIS ACTIVITY AND WE

WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE.

WE WERE TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE

PREVIOUS INCIDENTS AND IT WAS

THAT HE HAD GOTTEN ENTANGLED

WITH GANGS.

AND THE LITERATURE SUGGESTS

THERE IS A RHYTHM WHERE KIDS

START FLIRTING WITH GANGS 11-13

AND 18 MONTHS THEY THEIR FIRST

ARREST AND THAT IS EXACTLY THE

PATTERN THAT MICHAEL WENT

THROUGH.

>> AND THE OTHER THING WAS A

PROFOUND EVENT WAS THE LENGTH OF

THE PRISON SENTENCE.

TALK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT IT

MEANT RELATIVE TO HOW LONG HE

HAD BEEN ALIVE?

>> TO MICHAEL WAS 15 WHEN

ARRESTED.

AND HE WAS ARRESTED 18 MONTHS

AFTER CALIFORNIA PASSED THE

THREE STRIKES YOU ARE OUTLAW AND

IT MEANT IF YOU COMMITTED THREE

FELONIES YOUR SENTENCE WOULD BE

25 YEARS TO LIFE.

AND ALTHOUGH THIS WAS MICHAEL'S

FIRST ARREST BECAUSE HE

CONFESSED TO THE OTHER ROBBERIES

HE WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR

FELONIES.

AND THE JUMP TOLD HIM THAT A

CONVICTION AT A JURY TRIAL WOULD

YIELD 25 YEARS TO LIFE SO A

JUDGE ENCOURAGED HIM TO PLEAD

GUILTY AND HE HE DID.

HE COULD NOT MAKEUP HIS MIND HIS

MOTHER DECIDED FOR HIM THAT HE

SHOULD PLEAD GUILTY AND GOT A

SENTENCE OF 12 YEARS AND 8

MONTHS.

>> WHY SUCH A TOUGH SENTENCE?

>> IT WAS CALIFORNIA.

IT WAS GOING THROUGH A MAJOR

CRIME WAVE.

AND CARJACKING IN PARTICULAR WAS

SORT OF THE CRIME THAT STRUCK

FEAR IN EVERYBODY REASONABLY.

IT IS A TERRIBLE THING NOBODY

WANTS TO GO THROUGH THAT

EXPERIENCE AND CALIFORNIA WAS

RATCHETING UP THE SEVERITY OF

THE PENAL SYSTEM.

THEY HAD BEEN LOWERING THE AGE

AT WHICH JUVENILES COULD BE

TRIED AS ADULTS.

THE AGE HAD GONE DOWN TO 14

MONTHS BEFORE MICHAEL'S CRIME.

AND --

>> HORRIBLE TIMING ON HIS PART

IN TERMS OF WHAT HE SAID AND THE

CONSEQUENCES.

>> IT WAS JUST ABOUT THE WORST

POINT OF THE SEVERITY OF THE

CALIFORNIA SYSTEM AND ALSO

THINGS WERE NEW ENOUGH THAT WE

AS HIS FAMILY DID NOT UNDERSTAND

ALTOGETHER WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN

THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

WE WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE WHEN

THEY DECIDED TO TRY HIM AS AN

ADULT NOT A JUVENILE.

AND WE HAD NEVER IMAGINED THAT

THREE STRIKES LAW WOULD APPLY TO

SOMEBODY ON THEIR FIRST ARREST

AND SO FORTH.

SO I THINK AS A FAMILY WE WERE

UNPREPARED IN SUPPORTING HIM AND

WORKING THROUGH THIS SITUATION.

>> YOU HELPED HIM AFTERWARDS.

HE GETS OUT OF PRISON AND HELPED

HIM GET A LIBRARY CARD A

DRIVER'S LICENSE AND A JOB AND

SIGN HIM UP FOR COMMUNITY

COLLEGE.

IT DID NOT WORK.

WHY DID IT NOT WORK?

>> WELL, THE SIMPLE FACT OF THE

MATTER IS UP WITH OF THE HARDEST

PARTS OF LEAVING PRISON IS TO

LEAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT

YOU'VE HAD IN PRISON.

AND MICHAEL WAS IN PRISON FROM

AGE OF 15 TO 26.

AND WE ALL HAVE TO THINK WHAT

IT'S LIKE TO BE A 15-YEAR-OLD

YOU ARE DISCOVERING YOURSELF AS

A SEXUAL BEING AND INDEPENDENT

PERSON AND MICHAEL FELL IN LOVE

IN PRISON.

HE FELL IN LOVE WITH A

TRANSGENDER WOMAN IN THE MEN'S

PRISON AT THE TIME.

>> SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF

TRANSITIONING.

>> YES.

BUT SHE WAS IN THE MEN'S PRISON

AND WHEN HE LEFT AND WAS

DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO TAKE

AN APARTMENT THAT WAS CLOSE TO

THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHERE HE

ENROLLED, HE SPENT 24 HOURS OF

INDECISION TRYING TO DECIDE

WHETHER TO TAKE IT AND DECIDED

NO THE TO.

AND GROUNDS FOR NOT TAKING IT

WERE THAT HE COULD NOT IMAGINE

WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF HIS

ASSOCIATES CAME BY THERE.

AND AT THE TIME I DID NOT

UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS TALKING

ABOUT.

AND MONTHS LATER WHEN HE MOVED

IN WITH BRIE, THAT IS HE WANTED

TO RECONNECT WITH BRIE AND

REKINDLE THE RELATIONSHIP ON

THAT MOMENT WHERE HE IS CHOOSING

WHETHER TO TAKE THAT APARTMENT

OR NOT HE WAS MAKING A JUDGMENT

ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE LOVE

OF HIS LIFE A RELATIONSHIP HE

FORMED IN PRISON WAS IT A

RELATIONSHIP HE WAS GOING TO

TAKE WITH HIM OR NOT?

AND HE CHOSE TO TAKE THAT

RELATIONSHIP AND IN THE END SHE

WAS THE PERSON WHO KILLED HIM.

HE DIED THREE YEARS AFTER HE GOT

OUT.

SO I THINK THAT FOR ME AS

SOMEBODY TRYING TO HELP HIM I

KNEW HOW TO THINK ABOUT COLLEGE

AND JOBS.

I DID NOT HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO

THINK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS

THAT PEOPLE FORM IN PRISON.

AND HOW THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH

THEM RESOLVE THEM, THINK THEIR

WAY THROUGH THEM AFTER THEY GET

OUT OF PRISON.

>> ONE ELEMENT THAT JUMPED OUT

AT ME.

BECAUSE AS YOU LOOK AT

EVERYTHING HE WAS DEALING WITH,

AND THE CHOICES HE WAS MAKING,

CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYED A ROLE IN

HIS LIFE WHAT WAS THAT ROLE?

>> WELL, MY DAD LOVED CLASSICAL

MUSIC AND MICHAEL SPENT A LOT OF

TIME IN OUR HOUSE WHEN WE WERE

KIDS AND MY DAD IS A PROFESSOR

AND WORKED IN THE STUDY AND

THERE WAS MUSIC OUT OF HIS STUDY

ALL THE TIME.

TO BE IN OUR HOUSE WAS TO BE IN

THE MIDST OF CLASSICAL MUSIC AND

ONE VISIT I HAD WITH MICHAEL

THAT HE REMARKED HE WAS GRATEFUL

TO UNCLE WILLIAM FOR HAVING

PLAYED THE MUSIC BECAUSE THAT IS

WHAT HE WAS LISTENING TO IN

PRISON AND A WAY HE COULD PULL

HIMSELF AWAY AND TURN TIME IN

PRISON TO SOMETHING OF BEAUTY

AND IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE TO

FIND THAT THE MUSIC WAS DOING

THAT FOR HIM.

BUT IT WAS AMONG THAT THINGS

THAT LIFTED HIM UP DURING THE

PERIOD OF TRIAL.

>> WHAT DO YOU HOPE READERS TAKE

AWAY FROM THE BOOK?

>> A LOT OF THINGS.

ONE IT MATTERS TO ME THAT

MICHAEL'S WRITINGS ARE IN THE

BOOK AND HIS VOICE IS IN THE

BOOK.

HE WAS INCREDIBLY TALENTED

WRITER AND WE HOPED HE WOULD

TELL HIS OWN STORY.

PART OF THE DEVASTATION WHEN HE

DECIDE HE COULD NOT TELL HIS

STORY.

I'M GRATEFUL IF PEOPLE TAKE

MICHAEL'S VOICE AWAY AND

RECOGNIZE THIS TALENTED KID

COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH MORE

THAN HE ENDED UP BEING AND THERE

IS A QUESTION WE ALL NEED TO

ANSWER ABOUT WHY IT IS WE LOSE

SO MANY TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE TO

CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE

SYSTEM.

THAT IS THE FIRST THING.

THE SECOND THING IS THAT WE'VE

GOT A WORLD WHERE KIDS FACE

REALLY DIFFERENT DEGREES OF

DIFFICULTY ESPECIALLY IF THEY

COME THROUGH ADOLESENCE.

AND AS A SOCIETY WE ARE

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HUGE

VARIATION AND THE DEGREE OF

DIFFICULTY THAT KIDS FACE.

MICHAEL MADE CHOICES BAD CHOICES

THAT DEFINED HIS LIFE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE WAS

MAKING THOSE CHOICES IN THE

CONTEXT OF DIFFICULT

CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE STAKES

WERE HIGHER THAN THEY WERE FOR

OTHER KIDS.

SO I TELL THE STORY WHEN I WAS

15 I SNEAKED A RIDE WITH A

FRIEND TO GET TO ONE OF MY

COLLEGE COURSES.

I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO RIDE IN

THE CAR AND I GOT GROUNDED FOR

THAT.

I HAD A DESIRE FOR BOUNDARY

BREAKING.

BUT THE CONSEQUENCES WERE LOW IN

THE CONTEXT IN WHICH I GREW UP

SUBURBAN, CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA,

A COLLEGE TOWN.

MICHAEL HAD A SIMILAR DESIRE AND

IN HIS CASE IN SOUTH CENTRAL

CONNECTED TO A WORLD OF GANGS IT

LED TO AN ATTEMPTED CARJACKING

AND A SENTENCE THAT DESTROYED

HIS LIFE.

AND IN THAT WE WERE KIDS WHO

CAME UP TOGETHER AND SHARED A

LOT OF BASIC INTERESTS

RESOURCES, ABILITIES LOVE FROM

OUR FAMILY BUT FACED DIFFERENT

DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY THAT

AFFECTED THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR

DECISIONS.

>> DANIELLE ALLEN THANK YOU FOR

JOINING US WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.