Before Their Crimes

Winner of the 2026 Los Angeles Book Festival Wild Card Category

Runner-up in the 2026 Los Angeles Book Festival General Nonfiction Category

Winner of the 2026 New England Book Festival Wild Card Category

Runner-up in the 2026 New England Book Festival General Nonfiction Category

Winner of the 2026 Southern California Book Festival Wild Card Category

Winner of the 2026 Southern California Book Festival General Nonfiction Category



Juvenile crime doesn't just happen-there is always a story behind it.

Before Their Crimes: What We're Misunderstanding about Childhood Trauma, Youth Crime, and the Path to Healing is a ground-breaking book that sheds new light on the relationship of childhood trauma and juvenile crime. Wendy Smith uses the framework of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to explain how the toxic stress of early childhood trauma can make children vulnerable to committing criminal acts. Smith draws from interviews with twenty men and women from across the racial and social divide who spent years in prison after committing serious crimes as children. Smith not only reveals the pernicious mechanisms that link early trauma to later crime, but also illuminates the potential for healing among even the most egregious offenders.