Hello first of all I would like to introduce myself I am melina. I have been a member of the miles of freedom association for two years now and I help people leaving prison to reintegrate into society.

Before turning to the concept of our association, I would like to highlight the story of its creator, Richard Miles.

Richard Miles was a teenager when he was arrested and charged with murder. At 20 years of age, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison. However, he was incarcerated in spite of himself: he was innocent. Miles spent the next 15 years in a Texas prison. He was 34 years old when he was released in 2009.

Despite the adventures and struggles he went through, he continued to fight: voluntarily he created his association, Miles of Freedom, which consists in helping people in the same situation as himself as well as people who are poorly integrated into society. More than 2 million adults were imprisoned or imprisoned in the United States at the end of 2016, according to recent federal statistics.

I was one of the many cases of those who lived in a difficult environment, I was in and out of prison. Miles of Freedom has restored my self-confidence, helped me discover what I loved in life, returned to school and proudly reintegrated me into society.

It is thanks to them that I am here now in my life. I am convinced that this association can also help teenagers like you.

I hope that this long speech will allow you to take the right direction and make the right choices in your life. To help you find a solution, however small it may be.

Thank you for listening to me.