Chris Young (on being sentenced to life in prison)

Chris Young, author of The Wound Is Where the Light Enters, shares his journey from a childhood consumed by his mother’s addiction and extreme poverty—including two years without utilities—to selling drugs by age 11 and eventually a life sentence. He and Dax discuss how small decisions hardened his identity, the powerful courtroom speech that prompted his judge’s resignation, and the diverse coalition that fought for his clemency. Chris challenges rigid notions of family, redefining it as a verb, and reframes hope as a vital addiction for survival.