Photo credit: Tom Jenz
Paying Things Forward
In 1997, 15 year old Brandon Jordan, through a sudden reckless decision, robbed a pedestrian and shot but did not kill the victim. He was soon arrested and sentenced to 25 years for armed robbery and criminal assault. At only 15, he was waived into the adult system and served a total of 17 years. He was released in 2016. Early on in prison, Brandon had been depressed and even suicidal. But he recovered and spent most of his incarceration educating himself through a GED program and courses at MATC. He read voraciously, learned computers, and wrote rap music under the name of BradFacts, his album now streaming. He even wrote a book, Courage Under Fire, which will be published later this year.
Twenty-three years after he was taken to the Juvenile Justice Center and booked, Brandon Jordan has revisited the facility, this time speaking to current juvenile offenders about turning their lives around. He also counsels incarcerated prisoners. Brandon told me, “I’m big on paying things forward.”
Central City Stories is a collection of visual narratives from Milwaukee's central city by writer and fine arts photographer Tom Jenz. You can see more of his work at TomJenzAmerica.com.
