Download 'I have been across the whole spectrum of crime and I've paid a price for it'
On New Year's Eve four young men were stabbed to death in separate incidents around London. It brought the total number of fatal knife attacks in the Capital to 80 in 2017.
Many of these incidents are due to gang rivalries.
Jermaine Lawlor was a member of a gang in East London. He was first arrested at the age of 11, but tells Eddie Mair that seeing "friends being murdered, made me think about my life".
Now 26, he's a youth worker and has set up a service to help those that remind him of his younger self.
(Photo:Jermaine Lawlor Credit: Jermaine Lawlor)
Published on Friday, 12th January 2018.
Available Podcasts from The Eddie Mair Interview
Subscribe to The Eddie Mair Interview
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Eddie Mair Interview webpage.