Criminal is a powerful word. It is to showcase that one has done something wrong. One, who has not succeeded to stay within the laws. When comparing to the book The First Stone, Reef Kennedy had made a terrible mistake which had affected many others as well. As he spends more time at the North Hills Group Home and the rehabilitation centers it is helping Reef not to fall back into his original habits. The quote “Once a criminal, always a criminal” should not be used as they characterize all law breakers, reminding us that certain individuals can learn from their mistakes, reconsidering that criminals can change. A change in lifestyle can affect criminals attitude & mind in a positive way. At the beginning, Reef was sentenced to North Hills Group Home. Reef was limited on such things like his constant swearing and being able to go …show more content…
Near the end of the book The First Stone, Reef is visiting different schools, to speak about his experience. As Frank and Reef were driving back Reef “saw the chain-link fencing that now made it impossible for anyone to throw objects into the traffic below. Because of me, he thought. That’s because of me”(Aker 284).Reef immediatly realized what had been caused by throwing a rock into the traffic below. A rock, which had affected so many people like Lezza who was in the hospital. Moreover, Reef is now beginning to realize more about what he had done and as well put more deep thought into it. Reef thought “ There were times when it seemed like the events of that day on the overpass had happened to someone else, some other Reef Kennedy … He knew that now. Shit got made. And the worst shit is the shit we make for ourselves”(Aker 284). Comparing Reef Kennedy now and Reef Kennedy back then. There has been a change. A change where Reef himself can see. As Reef is questioning himself about what happened during the overpass, he is beginning to feel remorseful for his