The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Out of every 100,000 citizens, 631 are in some type of correctional facility. Most of these prisoners have been put behind bars for drug charges and sometimes for crimes that they didn't even commit. The flesh of America's prison system is Black men. African Americans are only 13% of the United States population but a whopping 38% of the United States prison system. I think it is safe to say that Black men are being disproportionately put behind bars and I want to be the individual to combat this problem hands-on. This problem is especially important to me as a black young woman. Especially since I have a Black father who has fallen victim to this statistic. I knew when I witnessed my father being locked up as a little girl I wanted to change the world. My father explained to me that he was locked up for over a year for a simple drug charge, which is not an uncommon charge for a black man. This led him to lose simple rights and has affected his whole life for the past 18 years. As a child, I always wondered who would help people in situations like my dad's. After doing some digging I found out about lawyers and ever since then I have been inspired to become one to help my community and be there for other little girls that had dads who were incarcerated during their childhood. Currently, I am a freshman at Georgia State studying criminal justice with a concentration in legal studies. After graduation, I plan on going to a law school in Georgia and studying Criminal Law. I aspire to be a defense attorney and help everyone who is a victim of the ongoing "Drug War" in America for petty drug crimes. I especially want to help Black men who were in situations similar to my father's situation. I want to create my own law firm and help put Black families back together by helping them achieve shorter sentences and other alternatives such as probation and community service hours. Not only do I want to help Black families, but I want to help all individuals who are a part of the Drug charge statistics in America. To do this I hope that I can also support lobbyists who are rooting for policy changes to the "War on Drugs". Changing these policies that are creating such outrage about incarceration can not be beneficial to the prisoners and people who are currently facing charges, but it could also be beneficial to the criminal justice system in America. The United States spends $80.7 billion on prisons each year. By making policy changes, that number could be cut in half to go to other issues that we face in America such as homelessness, rehabilitation, and prison reform. I hope that within the next 15 years, I accomplish my goals and make a change within the American prison system and policies. These changes could make America a better place as a whole. I especially want to do this for the little girl who I used to be. The one who cried at night because she missed her dad and prayed to God each and every day that they would let him come home. She is my inspiration.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Out of every 100,000 citizens, 631 are in some type of correctional facility. Most of these prisoners have been put behind bars for drug charges and sometimes for crimes that they didn't even commit. The flesh of America's prison system is Black men. African Americans are only 13% of the United States population but a whopping 38% of the United States prison system. I think it is safe to say that Black men are being disproportionately put behind bars and I want to be the individual to combat this problem hands-on. This problem is especially important to me as a black young woman. Especially since I have a Black father who has fallen victim to this statistic. I knew when I witnessed my father being locked up as a little girl I wanted to change the world. My father explained to me that he was locked up for over a year for a simple drug charge, which is not an uncommon charge for a black man. This led him to lose simple rights and has affected his whole life for the past 18 years. As a child, I always wondered who would help people in situations like my dad's. After doing some digging I found out about lawyers and ever since then I have been inspired to become one to help my community and be there for other little girls that had dads who were incarcerated during their childhood. Currently, I am a freshman at Georgia State studying criminal justice with a concentration in legal studies. After graduation, I plan on going to a law school in Georgia and studying Criminal Law. I aspire to be a defense attorney and help everyone who is a victim of the ongoing "Drug War" in America for petty drug crimes. I especially want to help Black men who were in situations similar to my father's situation. I want to create my own law firm and help put Black families back together by helping them achieve shorter sentences and other alternatives such as probation and community service hours. Not only do I want to help Black families, but I want to help all individuals who are a part of the Drug charge statistics in America. To do this I hope that I can also support lobbyists who are rooting for policy changes to the "War on Drugs". Changing these policies that are creating such outrage about incarceration can not be beneficial to the prisoners and people who are currently facing charges, but it could also be beneficial to the criminal justice system in America. The United States spends $80.7 billion on prisons each year. By making policy changes, that number could be cut in half to go to other issues that we face in America such as homelessness, rehabilitation, and prison reform. I hope that within the next 15 years, I accomplish my goals and make a change within the American prison system and policies. These changes could make America a better place as a whole. I especially want to do this for the little girl who I used to be. The one who cried at night because she missed her dad and prayed to God each and every day that they would let him come home. She is my inspiration.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Out of every 100,000 citizens, 631 are in some type of correctional facility. Most of these prisoners have been put behind bars for drug charges and sometimes for crimes that they didn't even commit. The flesh of America's prison system is Black men. African Americans are only 13% of the United States population but a whopping 38% of the United States prison system. I think it is safe to say that Black men are being disproportionately put behind bars and I want to be the individual to combat this problem hands-on. This problem is especially important to me as a black young woman. Especially since I have a Black father who has fallen victim to this statistic. I knew when I witnessed my father being locked up as a little girl I wanted to change the world. My father explained to me that he was locked up for over a year for a simple drug charge, which is not an uncommon charge for a black man. This led him to lose simple rights and has affected his whole life for the past 18 years. As a child, I always wondered who would help people in situations like my dad's. After doing some digging I found out about lawyers and ever since then I have been inspired to become one to help my community and be there for other little girls that had dads who were incarcerated during their childhood. Currently, I am a freshman at Georgia State studying criminal justice with a concentration in legal studies. After graduation, I plan on going to a law school in Georgia and studying Criminal Law. I aspire to be a defense attorney and help everyone who is a victim of the ongoing "Drug War" in America for petty drug crimes. I especially want to help Black men who were in situations similar to my father's situation. I want to create my own law firm and help put Black families back together by helping them achieve shorter sentences and other alternatives such as probation and community service hours. Not only do I want to help Black families, but I want to help all individuals who are a part of the Drug charge statistics in America. To do this I hope that I can also support lobbyists who are rooting for policy changes to the "War on Drugs". Changing these policies that are creating such outrage about incarceration can not be beneficial to the prisoners and people who are currently facing charges, but it could also be beneficial to the criminal justice system in America. The United States spends $80.7 billion on prisons each year. By making policy changes, that number could be cut in half to go to other issues that we face in America such as homelessness, rehabilitation, and prison reform. I hope that within the next 15 years, I accomplish my goals and make a change within the American prison system and policies. These changes could make America a better place as a whole. I especially want to do this for the little girl who I used to be. The one who cried at night because she missed her dad and prayed to God each and every day that they would let him come home. She is my inspiration.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Out of every 100,000 citizens, 631 are in some type of correctional facility. Most of these prisoners have been put behind bars for drug charges and sometimes for crimes that they didn't even commit. The flesh of America's prison system is Black men. African Americans are only 13% of the United States population but a whopping 38% of the United States prison system. I think it is safe to say that Black men are being disproportionately put behind bars and I want to be the individual to combat this problem hands-on. This problem is especially important to me as a black young woman. Especially since I have a Black father who has fallen victim to this statistic. I knew when I witnessed my father being locked up as a little girl I wanted to change the world. My father explained to me that he was locked up for over a year for a simple drug charge, which is not an uncommon charge for a black man. This led him to lose simple rights and has affected his whole life for the past 18 years. As a child, I always wondered who would help people in situations like my dad's. After doing some digging I found out about lawyers and ever since then I have been inspired to become one to help my community and be there for other little girls that had dads who were incarcerated during their childhood. Currently, I am a freshman at Georgia State studying criminal justice with a concentration in legal studies. After graduation, I plan on going to a law school in Georgia and studying Criminal Law. I aspire to be a defense attorney and help everyone who is a victim of the ongoing "Drug War" in America for petty drug crimes. I especially want to help Black men who were in situations similar to my father's situation. I want to create my own law firm and help put Black families back together by helping them achieve shorter sentences and other alternatives such as probation and community service hours. Not only do I want to help Black families, but I want to help all individuals who are a part of the Drug charge statistics in America. To do this I hope that I can also support lobbyists who are rooting for policy changes to the "War on Drugs". Changing these policies that are creating such outrage about incarceration can not be beneficial to the prisoners and people who are currently facing charges, but it could also be beneficial to the criminal justice system in America. The United States spends $80.7 billion on prisons each year. By making policy changes, that number could be cut in half to go to other issues that we face in America such as homelessness, rehabilitation, and prison reform. I hope that within the next 15 years, I accomplish my goals and make a change within the American prison system and policies. These changes could make America a better place as a whole. I especially want to do this for the little girl who I used to be. The one who cried at night because she missed her dad and prayed to God each and every day that they would let him come home. She is my inspiration.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Out of every 100,000 citizens, 631 are in some type of correctional facility. Most of these prisoners have been put behind bars for drug charges and sometimes for crimes that they didn't even commit. The flesh of America's prison system is Black men. African Americans are only 13% of the United States population but a whopping 38% of the United States prison system. I think it is safe to say that Black men are being disproportionately put behind bars and I want to be the individual to combat this problem hands-on. This problem is especially important to me as a black young woman. Especially since I have a Black father who has fallen victim to this statistic. I knew when I witnessed my father being locked up as a little girl I wanted to change the world. My father explained to me that he was locked up for over a year for a simple drug charge, which is not an uncommon charge for a black man. This led him to lose simple rights and has affected his whole life for the past 18 years. As a child, I always wondered who would help people in situations like my dad's. After doing some digging I found out about lawyers and ever since then I have been inspired to become one to help my community and be there for other little girls that had dads who were incarcerated during their childhood. Currently, I am a freshman at Georgia State studying criminal justice with a concentration in legal studies. After graduation, I plan on going to a law school in Georgia and studying Criminal Law. I aspire to be a defense attorney and help everyone who is a victim of the ongoing "Drug War" in America for petty drug crimes. I especially want to help Black men who were in situations similar to my father's situation. I want to create my own law firm and help put Black families back together by helping them achieve shorter sentences and other alternatives such as probation and community service hours. Not only do I want to help Black families, but I want to help all individuals who are a part of the Drug charge statistics in America. To do this I hope that I can also support lobbyists who are rooting for policy changes to the "War on Drugs". Changing these policies that are creating such outrage about incarceration can not be beneficial to the prisoners and people who are currently facing charges, but it could also be beneficial to the criminal justice system in America. The United States spends $80.7 billion on prisons each year. By making policy changes, that number could be cut in half to go to other issues that we face in America such as homelessness, rehabilitation, and prison reform. I hope that within the next 15 years, I accomplish my goals and make a change within the American prison system and policies. These changes could make America a better place as a whole. I especially want to do this for the little girl who I used to be. The one who cried at night because she missed her dad and prayed to God each and every day that they would let him come home. She is my inspiration.