A Life for a Life

Poor Choices and Unresolved Trauma Is Killing America

By: Kevin Shird

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Paperback | 1 April 2025

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One man has committed murder while another man tries to heal his trauma.

A gripping true story exploring violence, mental health, and trauma, A Life for a Life follows Kevin Shird and Damion Neal who meet as inmates in Federal Correctional Institute Allenwood. Kevin is serving time for drug trafficking, and he suffers from severe nightmares and sleep deprivation due to past traumas and copes through rigorous exercise instead of medication. He tries to guide Damion, a temperamental young man, hoping to keep him out of trouble in a dangerous environment and reunite him with his young daughter.

In 2004, Kevin is transferred to another prison while Damion is released from Allenwood and returns to Baltimore. Two years later, Kevin also returns to Baltimore, where he uses writing as therapy to heal from the trauma of the past. Surprisingly, a mental health worker suggests he may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Kevin hopes Damion has successfully reintegrated into society and returned to his family. However, one afternoon, he searches for Damion online and finds a newspaper article that reads, “Delaware State Police have arrested Damion Neal, the man responsible for the deaths of two Dover residents over the weekend.” Court documents allege that Damion was suffering from a serious mental health ailment at the time of the murders. Kevin goes on a journey to understand why his former cellmate committed a heinous crime.

Industry Reviews

“A talented writer, Shird weaves several threads together in a compelling case for greater access to mental health counseling in prison and destigmatizing therapy.”

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