7 Celebrities Who Were Juvenile Delinquents

When we look at upstanding members of society, it’s hard to believe they ever ran wild, even as youths. But some past tales may surprise you!

For those entering the world of youth offending jobs, these stories should give you hope.

[1]Mark Wahlberg

Mark was the ultimate wild-child. By 13 he was a cocaine addict, and by 16 he was being charged with attempted murder. A parish priest helped him turn his life around, but he specifically cites his time behind bars as making him realise his life was spiralling out of control.

[2] Alan K. Simpson

Alan served as a United States Senator for 18 years, yet his past could have stopped that happening. During his high school years, Alan was involved in arson and even the illegal killing of livestock. Alan’s probation officer helped him turn his life around, culminating in a successful career  within politics and teaching.

[3] 50 Cent

The rapper was dealing drugs by the age of 12. This escalated until he was caught carrying a weapon at school. A correctional boot camp is cited as his motivation to change, and it was this ‘change’ that gave him his name.

[4] Allen Iverson

Iverson is now famous for his NBA career, but he almost never made it to stardom, thanks to a fracas at a bowling alley. Allegedly, he assaulted a woman with a chair. After spending four months in prison, he straightened himself out and went on to win the Big East Rookie of the Year award.

[5] Charles S. Dutton

Now a well respected actor and director, as a young man Dutton served time for manslaughter, then again for possession of a deadly weapon and rioting! During his last stint, he worked with the prison staff to start a drama group, which led to him earning his qualifications in theatre.

[6] Merle Haggard

Haggard, a country singer, was a thief, a fraudster and worse. But he was inspired to turn his life around when his cellmate was executed for shooting a policeman while on the run.

[7] Justin Bieber

Our latest and possibly most famous delinquent, Justin has been accused of everything from assault to carrying drugs and a Taser! Bieber has since worked with his probation officer to set up anger management classes. We have yet to see the responsible adult we all hope Bieber will transform into.