A mother’s raw testimony about her son’s incarceration is drawing attention to deep systemic gaps in youth rehabilitation and reintegration.
In a powerful video titled “Why I Kept Quiet About My Son Being Locked Up Pt. 2,” posted by Instagram user @tjvulcain (TJ), she shares her painful experience advocating for her oldest son, Isaiah, and the repeated institutional failures she believes contributed to his return to jail.
“This isn’t just about my son’s bad choices,” TJ wrote in an accompanying post. “Our kids don’t just fail. This has many moving parts. It’s about a system that ignored every warning.”
In the video, she reveals that despite her ongoing support and efforts to “love him into freedom,” her son was released prematurely and without sufficient community-based support.
“He told me straight up in a discharge conference that he was not going to adhere to my curfew,” she recalled. “I looked at the people and said, and he’s ready to be released?”
TJ escalated her concerns all the way to the Assistant Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), pleading for a return to court and additional resources before her son was released. Her requests were denied.
“I didn’t want him to catch another case,” she said. “I was trying to avoid what is happening right now.”
She also described the impossible position she was put in as a parent. When she resisted picking her son up from the facility, citing his noncompliance with probation and concern for his readiness, she was threatened with charges of abuse or neglect.
“Mom, if you don’t pick him up, we’re going to charge you,” she was told.
Her story reflects a broader critique of juvenile justice systems that, according to advocates, often fail to provide adequate mental health services, reentry support, or family-based interventions — especially for Black and Brown youth who are disproportionately affected.
TJ’s message is clear: accountability must extend beyond the child and include the institutions responsible for their care and successful reintegration.
“He didn’t have much of a chance because he didn’t have the support he needed to thrive,” she said.
The emotional video is now resonating across social media, amplifying calls for systemic change in youth justice and family services.
One person commented:
“When custody time runs out, it is illegal for the juvenile justice system to keep him locked up. It is an unfortunate reality of the juvenile justice system. They have no choice but to release him. Her son needs to make better choices in order not to be involved with the juvenile justice system.”
