Diamond Boyd

Diamond Laurice Boyd,co-founder of the hilltop crips. 33-years-old, is currently serving nearly 30 years at mcneil island corrections center; his story is one of regret. "To today’s young gangsters, he sends a message: Get out of the life. There is no glory in it – only a road where freedom ends...his legacy is a lesson: It’s not that hard to fall. One step, then another and another – soon, all the chances are gone."boyd has seen his friends and family members killed; his brother, who co-founded the gang with him, is serving 24 years in a california prison. boyd blames himself for his choices--he had love and opportunities throughout his childhood--and he claims that he was the black sheep of his family. there is no happy ending to his story. at earliest, he'll be nearly 50 when he gets out of prison. his five children are growing up in his old neighborhood; they see their father maybe twice a month. boyd worries about his sons, knowing the kind of pressure they'll face, the decisions they'll soon have to make. "He has a nightmare, a vision of torment: his sons, locked up with him. He will not permit it. He will block it with his own life. He will tell them how things happen. 'My boys, they really listen to me,' he says. 'They really listen to me.'”
will his story and his regret be enough to deter them from following in his footsteps and his legacy? will his sons be strong enough to break the cycle? what, if anything, can the community do to help?

Diamond Boyd Hilltop crips Tacoma 253

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