Chris Young

About the Author

Chris Young grew up impoverished in Clarksville, Tennessee, witnessing an endless barrage of abuse, death, and drug-addiction within his family and in his neighborhood. Following a suspension for fighting and a flare-up of his sickle-cell anemia, Young left school at the age of sixteen and found solace in his fellow gang members and the influx of money from dealing drugs. A victim of the “three-strikes” policy, Young was sent to prison for life for drug possession with intent to sell. While in prison, Young dedicated himself to his intellectual pursuits, which consisted of everything from Greek philosophy and history to coding and genetics. Since being granted clemency in 2021, he’s appeared on numerous major networks and in documentaries advocating for prison reform.