Pedro Gonzalez, 46, was born in the Bronx and raised in Harlem and Queens. He was was first incarcerated at age 17 and mostly convicted on nonviolent drug charges.
According to Pedro, the last time he committed a felony was 2011, and he has been free and out of trouble since 2016. But despite having completed a drug rehab program and two college degrees (with a third in progress), he struggles to find stable housing and a good job.
Interviews and photos by Emily Swanson October/November 2023
NOTE: This story I reported in fall 2023 did not go through an editor and was never published but remains an important example of my work and the type of stories I am drawn to, even if they only live on my website.
Pedro met his partner, Lauren, two years ago out on the street, when she was running errands ahead of Thanksgiving.
“He came up to me respectfully,” she said — and they chatted politely, but just as she was ready to leave, he mentioned that he raises puppies. As an animal lover, Lauren was hooked.
Lauren said she was shocked to learn of his criminal history. But ultimately it didn’t faze her. “He wasn’t the same person as he is now,” she said.
Early in their relationship, they went on a lot of long walks and fishing trips. Pedro encouraged Lauren to pursue an education at Monroe College — where he is also a student — and she started an Associate’s Degree in Information Technology — the same degree he earned in 2020.
The couple now has a 14-month-old daughter, Marabella.
Pedro’s own childhood was traumatic — and he’s determined to do better for Marabella.
In Pedro’s youth, he found out the man he knew as his father was actually his stepfather. At one point he was kidnapped to Puerto Rico by his biological father, and his aunt fought at gunpoint to get him back. His mother and other family members were using crack. Crime and drugs were rampant in the city throughout 1980s and 90s, and Pedro fell into what was going on around him.
Now that he has matured, which he says wasn’t his late-30s, he regrets his past and takes responsibility for the pain he caused others — and himself.
Things are not easy for Pedro and Lauren, although they do have some supportive family members nearby. His felony record prevents him from many good housing and job opportunities, and while he doesn’t like relying on Lauren’s clean record, he has little choice.
Every day, the family goes back and forth between a Bronx apartment during the day — where they are technically squatters — and a family shelter in Queens at night. They struggle to afford food and other necessities and have very little furniture at the Bronx apartment.
But still, their relationship is strong, they have started looking into leads for stable housing, and Marabella is a happy baby.
Pedro breeds, raises and sells dogs to earn some income. Like Lauren, he has always been an animal lover. He raises the dogs to be emotional support animals because, he says, pit bulls are the most loyal breed who can offer the kind of love and companionship he wishes he would’ve had during his chaotic childhood. “I like to see other people have a puppy,” Pedro said. “I just want a smile on people’s faces.”
Pedro with one of his two dogs, Georgie, in the Bronx apartment.
For Pedro, earning his GED in 2007 while in prison is his proudest accomplishment.
“It was like striking oil,” he said. “I saw more doors opening for me.”
But today, his record still prevents him from getting the types of job he really wants.
Pedro is a full-time student at the Bronx campus of Monroe College.
He already earned an Associate of Science in Computer Information Systems and graduated in April with a Bachelor’s in the same field.
But in the fall, Pedro started back in school for a 2-year degree in Criminal Justice — not only to pursue his real passion but also to gain further credentials and experience while attempting to get his criminal record cleared.
Pedro feels Monroe staff and faculty have supported him all the way. He especially credits an admissions representative, Zach, who “gambled on me, gave me a chance.”
Pedro recently visited the new King Hall library at Monroe for the first time. The library, which opened in April, features a Criminal Justice reference section and computers for students to use.
Getting started in a scholarly environment wasn’t easy for Pedro, and his situation presents a lot of day-to-day challenges.
Pedro said he almost got kicked out of Monroe shortly after he started his first Associate Degree. He said he had a bad attitude and no patience to handle setbacks such as a lower-than-expected grade.
But after a stern warning from someone at the school who bluntly advised him to “leave that street s—t behind,” Pedro said, “I started being more selective in the way I handle my superiors.”
Ted Goldstein, Monroe’s Dean of Continuing Students, said, “He’s come a long way.”
But Pedro’s school experience presents a daily struggle. Two of his three current classes are virtual, so when his computer recently stopped working, he had to read textbooks and complete assignments on his phone or use on-campus computers. He also now carries a significant amount of student loan debt — which worries him, given that he is excluded from many viable career paths.
And majoring in Criminal Justice as a former criminal comes with its own complications: because of his record, he couldn’t go with his class on a recent visit to Sing Sing.
In the neighborhood, Pedro is known as a friendly presence.
There is only one bodega on his block, so it’s a popular gathering place. This bodega worker said he once saw an old woman struggling to push her laundry down Prospect Avenue in a broken-wheeled cart. While everyone else walked past, he said, Pedro stopped to help her.
“People love a successful story. You know, people like when they see, like, ‘You know what? He did bad, but he fixed himself.’ I’m not looking for no kudos. I don’t want nobody to pat me on my back, because I’m not done. And I’m never gonna be done until the day that I’m expired. That’s when I’m done. That’s when I sleep.
I don’t sleep now. Because I have a lot to do. I have a lot to fix. On my end — because I caused a lot of damage to society too. It wasn’t just what the system did to me. It’s also what I did too, who I affected, who I hurt. You understand what I’m saying?
When I used to sell drugs out there, when I was selling crack and cocaine, I was hurting other kids. Without doing it physically, I was making people starve. And now that I think about that — you know, like, how could I?”
Marabella’s first birthday party
Video footage by Pedro and Lauren
