Shaka Senghor on being incarcerated at 19 years old and having to live with the crime he committed

If you can think back to that time, being such a young person, because this happens to especially a lot of young black men. When you got that sentence, all of those years, what was going through your head about what your life was going to be?

I thought my life was over. You know, at 19, you know, you can barely see two weeks down the line, let alone two decades. And I really thought my life was over. I went inside prison, I got into more trouble. I didn't want to take responsibility for the decision I made that night. And as a result, I just found myself in this volatile environment, becoming a part of the environment. And, you know, I always tell young people that get caught up in the street culture or that's even thinking about it, like, don't let a 30 second decision, you know, land you a life sentence, because it's something you can never change, you can't take back. And one of the things that, you know, people don't really think about is I serve my, my prison term. But the reality is I have a lifetime to deal with the fact that I tragically destroyed a family and caused so much hurt and that I took somebody's life.