In our first episode, we met Z. He’s locked up because he and a group of friends robbed someone with a gun. But now that he’s inside, his biggest problem is his temper. Z is a kid who’s had mental health challenges since he was small, and when he’s gotten the support he needs, he has thrived. Inside lock up, that support is complicated. It comes with a label. And like many kids in the system, he gets help mostly when he “turns up,” which is just the kind of behavior that threatens his chance to go home.

Caught is supported, in part, by the Anne Levy Fund, Margaret Neubart Foundation, the John and Gwen Smart Family Foundation, and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

Produced by Kaari Pitkin
Hosted by Kai Wright

Co-published with WNYC Studios.