By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
LARGO
The jail-issued flip-flops bear messages of violence, distress, anger and hope. They tell stories of young lives battered by abuse, torn by drugs and punctuated by crimes. • Each of the 15 pieces of artwork on display at the Pinellas County Jail was created by young inmates who have been charged or sentenced as adults, said Ramona Schaefer, program services supervisor for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. • The art installation, called Walking in our Juveniles’ Shoes, was created in honor of domestic violence awareness month, and in recognition that half of the juvenile inmates who come through the county jail have been exposed to domestic violence, Schaefer said. • The art project encourages the teenagers to consider the decisions and experiences that led to their incarceration. There are currently 46 boys and girls held at the jail. The youngest is 14; the oldest is 17. • Each pair of decorated flip-flops is accompanied by a poem or essay from the teenager. To protect their identities, the juveniles are not named. Here are some excerpts:
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