"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."
How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.
"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."
You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.
I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.