A side by side image of Steven as a young boy on the left, with an image of him as a 37-year-old on the right. In the left image, Steven is wearing a Lacoste tracksuit top with his arm around another boy. He wears a black cap, his blonde hair pokes out the bottom of the cap. In the right image, Steven is smiling with his arms crossed. He wears green scrubs with 'University of Dundee: Medical School' on them. He has a stethoscope around his neck. There are tattoos across both of his forearms.Image source, Steven Beattie
Image caption,

Steven Beattie was a gang member and is soon to graduate as a doctor

ByJennifer WilsonBBC Scotcast
  • Published3 hours ago

Steven Beattie spent his teenage years in and out of Polmont young offenders' institution, once described by a former governor as "the most violent prison in Scotland", external.

He was sent there at 16 after drunkenly crashing a stolen car, and returned repeatedly over the next four years as his involvement with gangs and violence grew.

For Steven, the turning point came when he was punished for his part in a fight by being locked up for 23 hours a day and having his TV removed.