I know from experience that solutions for keeping kids out of the justice system start in the kitchen.

By Reggie Elliot

In Georgia, each year, 52,000 young people, about one-tenth of Atlanta’s entire population, are put in jail or are on probation. That is a lot of potential left behind bars.

I know this because I was involved with the system.

My troubles started in middle school. Like many boys, I wanted to play football in the NFL. I contributed to my team and got good grades, but my home life was hard. My mom and dad were both there, but mom was sick and couldn’t work, and dad lost his job. Pretty soon, we were evicted. I was stressed and, I’ll admit, angry. One day, I got into it with my coach. He cut me from the team.

For someone with big football dreams, this hurt. Losing what you love can cause you to spiral, and that’s what happened. I stopped caring about school and started getting into fights. Eventually, I was sent to an alternative school, where things got really bad. I was exposed to a lot of terrible stuff, including kids stealing cars and selling drugs.

After a few years, I’d had enough. My dad had always wanted to be a chef, and I loved to cook, too. I wanted a new dream. I thought maybe I could be a good businessperson.

I believed I could positively contribute to this community, but I also knew I’d need help to get back on the right path.

Read more here: https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-im-going-to-be-a-chef-knowing-that-makes-it-easy-to-leave-the-bad-behind/EA3IFOPX2BEL5JAAYL3HWHD4JE/