A 28-year-old Maryland man who spent nine years in prison in Virginia for an armed robbery and carjacking he committed at the age of 16 has published a memoir recounting his long road to redemption, which has included graduating from college with top marks and delivering the commencement address at the University of Maryland.
The son of an imprisoned father and single mother, R. Dwayne Betts appeared to be headed down a path all too familiar for disadvantaged young black men when he was convicted and sent to prison as an adult in 1996. He spent part of his sentence in a maximum security facility cited for poor conditions by Human Rights Watch. But rather than become just another statistic, Betts decided to prove to himself and others that he could do better.
Betts' memoir, "A Question of Freedom," was released in August and tells the story of how he managed to turn his life around. While behind bars, he finished high school, taught himself Spanish, read so much his cell mates called him “Bookworm,” and took up writing poetry. (Hear Betts read some of his poetry below).His rehabilitation didn't stop there. Once released from prison, Betts scored near-perfect grades in community college, earning him a spot at the University of Maryland, where he studied writing and was awarded a scholarship for academic excellence. In May, he delivered the school’s commencement address after a rigorous selection process.
Married with a young son of his own, Betts says he hopes his memoir about his life in prison and after will serve as a cautionary tale to other young black men, including his son.
"I'm pretty sure the life I live will show him that you can avoid certain mistakes," Betts tells CNN.com. "You can be more than any one mistake you make." Congratulations to Betts for beating the odds and changing the course of his own family's history.
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