Kevin Shird is a writer. He also works with young people, especially those who other people have given up on.

He's a good guy.

He's also a man who has served more than a decade in prison for dealing drugs on the streets of Baltimore, a lifestyle made famous by the TV show The Wire.

What happens inside someone's head to switch them on to the potential of a different future?

And how do they shake off the reputation of violence that's defined their life?

As told to Sam Walker