William Steele, known in the Bronx as G. Child, grew up in the Throggs Neck Projects where the streets shaped his reality. By 13, he was already caught in the school-to-prison pipeline — arrested for gang assault. At 14, it was a drug charge. At 15, police caught him with a Mac-10 submachine gun. And at 16, he faced a murder charge that he eventually beat at trial.

But freedom never lasted long. At just 19 years old, William caught an attempted murder case, blew trial, and was sentenced to 17 years. From Sparford to Horizon, from Rikers to state prison, his life became a cycle of incarceration that lasted 21 years. He spent his teens and 20s locked in, and didn’t come home for good until he was 34.

Prison tried to define him, but William refused to let it. When he walked out, he made a promise to himself: no more looking back. His journey is a raw example of how the system swallows young men whole, but also how resilience, growth, and the will to change can break that cycle.

This episode of Dog in the Yard dives deep into William Steele’s story — the mistakes, the lessons, the survival, and the transformation. From the Bronx projects to the prison yard, and now into a life of purpose, William’s voice is a testament to redemption and the power of never giving up.