For
Paris Garrett, being in a gang meant being with family."It was a new
family. Every day I was hanging out with them, and they showed me nothing but
love," the 16-year-old said. He met those friends a couple of years ago at
school in Des Moines."At that point I was feeling like, whatever it takes,
I just wanted to hang," he said.But then Garrett started getting into
trouble. He would get into fights, and he said he stole a car with friends. He
was arrested twice and had friends die as a result of street
violence. So Garrett recently decided he no longer wants a gang lifestyle,
he said. He wants to improve."After a while it was starting to feel
like it wasn't worth it. They're not really your blood family, once you
think about it," he said. "Knowing that you're putting your real
family through pain, with your mom crying because you're getting locked up or
you're doing something out there that might jeopardize your life — that
stuff hurts."
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