In 1998, during the filming of a documentary series titled Staying Lost for Channel 4, a young boy named Craig appeared on the radar of filmmaker Pam. At only 13 years old, he was forced to become a runaway. Soon, he was living on the streets, in an alley as he tried to manage his chaotic and difficult life. Craig entered the foster care system with a lot of optimism for a life full of possibilities, but his path has been anything but easy. Now he is dealing with the very real consequences of those decisions.
Craig’s story is a typical tale of hardship and resilience. By the time he hit his mid-30s, he’d racked up an incredible 170 criminal offences on his record. And yet, his criminal conduct only escalated when he got out—because the more time he spent outside, the more time he spent on the outside. The cycle of arrests, bench warrants, and remand hearings drew him into a seemingly unbreakable cycle. Soon, he became incarcerated in life behind bars.
Through his dark life, Craig was using every service available to a young person like him in crisis and need. By his mid-20s, he was virtually unable to survive in the contemporary world. The aftermath of those formative runaway experiences continued to weigh heavily on him. He often wrote about his ongoing battle with addiction. He understood the peril of succumbing to synthetic opioids.
Craig’s situation was made even worse by the bitter reality of his living circumstances. As a result, he was frequently unable to secure a stable home. Consequently, he would either find himself in back alleys or seek refuge with a peer. At one point, he shared the challenge of returning to a regular life after living in survival mode for many years.
“While I was out there I just did not know how to live normally,” – Craig
It helped introduce Craig’s world to a national audience, in April 2000 when Craig was nearly 16, Staying Lost premiered. It provided the audience with a unique insight into the life of a young boy who had experienced things beyond anyone’s worst nightmares. As the years went by, Craig’s life didn’t get better — in fact, things got dramatically worse.
His criminal proclivities changed over the years. While he never gave up on residential burglary, he became a pretty good purse and phone snatcher. This change in behavior only dug him into a deeper hole, alienating him even more from any trace of a normal life.
Even through these disappointments, Craig never lost the deep-seated hope and determination to get his life back on track. HMP Nottingham prison chapel service with prisoners and children. There, he threw himself into workshops with Seeney and the small multifaith cohort. In fall 2019, Michael graduated from a training program to help people stay clean after they’re released.
“You need to make sure you leave the sessions on a positive because you’re sending someone back to the wing knowing they’ll be locked up in their cell alone,” – Tan
Even as Craig was taking impressive strides toward rehabilitation, he was serving a longer-than-norm sentence after his recall. By 35, he was still fighting the demons of his youth and hoping for a sense of permanence.
“I live a nightmare in the days and when I sleep. I just don’t know if I can cope no more. My head is a mess and the days are just getting worse for me. I want a rest from myself,” – Craig
Craig’s fight for normalcy is further complicated by a deep isolation and a profound confusion. Instead, he was introverted, socially uncomfortable and often robotic, characteristics he admitted offered no justification for his violent crimes.
“I felt awkward and out of place all the time. It’s no excuse for the crimes I did. But I just don’t know where or how to start,” – Craig
As several justices and Children’s Commissioner Michael Fine have pointed out, the systemic failures to address the issues facing these children have persisted for decades. In her final report, Professor Alexis Jay condemned the appalling abuse faced by so many in care. She continued to shine a light on the breakdown of oversight that exacerbated their pain.
“Those responsible for overseeing the care of children failed to question the extent of sexual abuse or what action was being taken,” – Prof Alexis Jay
Craig’s life is an example of the long-lasting impact of childhood trauma. Most importantly, it humanizes the people slipping through the cracks of our social safety net. As he continues to make his way down the road to recovery, it’s worth asking how society can better support people like Craig on their journeys.