Celia Colon: 'I saw a lot of hurt and bloodshed. Things that are never gonna be erased. It does irreversible damage.'

Celia Colon recalls how as a young girl she was locked up inside a closet for hours when there was no responsible adult around to care for her.

By the time she was 16 and living in South Chicago, Colon had drifted into gang life, drawn by its offer of support — and guns for protection.

“I saw a...