Since I Been Down tells the dramatic story of the triumph of the human spirit and how punitive policies, drugs, gangs and power attempted to arrest the development of one American community; targeting the poorest, Black and Brown youth for a false sense of safety, security and prosperity, an entire generation disappeared. Nearly forty years later, the true path to freedom is led from inside prison walls. The film, told by the people who have lived these conditions, unravels intimate stories from interviews brought to life through archival footage, cinema verité discussions, masquerade, and dance, to reveal the systematic reasons why children commit violent crime and how these children – now adults – are breaking free from their fate by creating a model of justice that is transforming their lives, our humanity and a quality of life for all our children..