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Uncuffed

A childhood separated from mother, home, and country

An image of the Uncuffed logo, which shows a hand holding a microphone in front of prison bars
We have chosen not to name the person in this story to protect the identity of his family members.

This story aired in the September 18, 2024 episode of Crosscurrents.

A young kid living in California is suddenly uprooted and dropped into a world where everything feels different. He says his father took him and his siblings away from their mother and their home in the U.S. They were left to live in Mexico with grandparents who had never planned on raising them.

Uncuffed producer Anthony Ivy brings us this story of a young boy who had to quickly learn how to survive in a place that felt foreign, and somehow also familiar.

That’s like my whole world crashed because it’s my dad. He meant everything to me man. And it broke me.

This story was produced by Anthony Ivy with help from Kathy Novak, Sonia Paul and sound designer Eric Maserati-E Abercrombie.

This piece was brought to you by the team at Uncuffed. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and donations from listeners like you. The producers fact-check content to the best of their ability. Content is approved by an information officer.

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Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program at www.weareuncuffed.org 

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Uncuffed From The Producers Of Uncuffed
Anthony Ivy, originally from North Stockton, California, is a dedicated producer for the Uncuffed Outside Team and a member of KALW's Audio Academy Training program. Recently released after serving a 13-year prison sentence, Anthony demonstrated resilience and talent by producing numerous impactful stories from within the prison walls. One of his recent episodes, “Hole in the Heart,” received a national award from the Public Media Journalism Association and was broadcast nationwide on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The episode was also featured on Snap Judgment. Since his release, Anthony has been steadfastly pursuing success, bringing unique and powerful perspectives from the other side of incarceration.
Uncuffed
Stories from inside California prisons