Hello, and welcome to Bonnie Boswell Reports.

I want to introduce you to Pluto Brown today.

I met Pluto through Akutoe Graham's "Spirit Awakening."

It's a writing program for youth who've been incarcerated.

I was hoping to conquer these halls before I was condemned and held captive by these walls.

So I was arrested, actually, April, May, and December of 2011 I think it was the sum of all things, really just coming together from where I was mentally.

I'd always... done a good bit of writing since I was in middle school.

It was really therapeutic and a hell of a confidence booster too.

So the person who came in to talk with me, that he brought to see me was Mama Akuyoe.

We got together and I've pretty much been involved with Spirt Awakening ever since.

Talk a little about what writing means to you.

It can be that light in a dark place is, I think its biggest, one of its biggest.

The other is the therapeutic side of it.

You know, the release.

Think about something that's troubling you, right, or there's something on your mind that is bugging you or pestering you or is causing you sadness, or grief, or what have you...

It's up here, right.

By the time you get it out, and onto the paper, it's traveled and moved kind of out of you, so you can leave that there.

That blank page isn't going to judge you.

Bonnie: Through writing and with support, Pluto finished school.

And now 6 years out, Pluto has found meaningful work.

I recently got a promotion to assistant manager, sailing boats and taking people on charters and things like that I didn't know I was going to love it this much.

I will have my captain's license I'm definitely going to be working on the water.

Life for Pluto is moving forward It's no wonder I'm coming undone and dismantled, Yes, I might be damaged, but damnit, I'm not water under the bridge.

You can learn more about juvenile justice on our website For PBS SoCal, I'm Bonnie Boswell.