We were lucky to catch up with Maurice Ford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Maurice thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

I came up with 5 Times a Slave: How Childhood Trauma Can Create a Career Criminal by looking back at my own life and asking myself, Why did I keep ending up in the same place? No matter how many times I told myself I’d change, I kept falling into the same cycle—crime, addiction, incarceration. It felt like I was trapped, like something bigger than me was pulling the strings.

Then I started digging deeper. I realized I had been a slave long before I ever saw the inside of a jail cell. I was a slave to my childhood trauma, to the streets, to my own pain and anger. Every time I thought I was free, I’d get pulled right back in. That’s when it hit me—this wasn’t just about bad choices. It was about wounds I had never healed from, about a system that wasn’t built to help people like me, and about a mindset I had to break.

Writing this book was my way of reclaiming my freedom. It’s not just my story—it’s a wake-up call for anyone who’s ever felt trapped by their past. If I could break the chains, so can you.

Maurice , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Maurice Ford and I’m originally from Little Rock Arkansas and I’m the author of the book 5 times a slave: how childhood trauma can create a career criminal I named my book as such due to the five times I’ve been to prison in Arkansas and I got the idea from the 13th amendment that abolished slavering except as punishment for a crime the problem that I hope to solve is the thought that my story will stop a young adult from becoming a career criminal I am proud of my self for the new mentality I’ve adopted and the hope that I give others that if I can change my mentality so can anyone People should know that 5 Times a Slave: How Childhood Trauma Can Create a Career Criminal is a powerful exploration of how early life trauma can lead individuals down a path of crime, addiction, and incarceration. Your book provides a raw and honest look at this cycle, offering personal insights, real-life experiences, and a deep analysis of the connection between childhood experiences and later criminal behavior.

It’s not just a book about crime—it’s about understanding, healing, and breaking free from a past that can feel like a prison. Your work sheds light on the root causes of criminal behavior, challenging the idea that people are simply “bad” or “broken.” Instead, it highlights how trauma shapes decisions and how breaking the cycle requires awareness, support, and change.

This book is essential reading for those in the criminal justice system, social workers, mental health professionals, and anyone who has experienced trauma themselves. It’s also a wake-up call to society about the importance of early intervention and the power of personal transformation.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Escaping the Fire

The first time I was locked in a cell, I told myself I’d never end up there again. But life doesn’t always listen to our promises. As a child, I learned to survive, not to heal. The streets became my teacher, and survival meant doing whatever it took. Each time I was caught, each time I faced another sentence, I told myself I’d change. But how do you change when you don’t know any other way to live?

It wasn’t until I was sitting alone in a jail cell—again—that I realized I wasn’t just trapped behind bars. I was trapped in my own mind, still a prisoner to the trauma that shaped me. That moment became my turning point. I started asking myself the hard questions, facing the pain I had buried for so long. And for the first time, I decided that my past wouldn’t define my future.

5 Times a Slave isn’t just my story—it’s proof that resilience isn’t about avoiding the fire. It’s about learning how to walk through it and come out the other side, stronger.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I’d known how therapy could have helped me to understand my feelings and emotions better

Contact Info:

• Website: https://5timesaslave.com
• Instagram: author Maurice Ford
• Facebook: Maurice 5 times a slave Ford
• Youtube: @mauriceford6277

Image Credits

Hyde Miriam library
Yoga