For many young people your rep is your calling card, the way you're judged in a particular neighborhood or community. But what constitutes a good rep or a bad rep changes with the times. Five years ago, you earned a "good" rep if you excelled at hustling on the street. Today, amidst dramatic drops in violent youth crime rates, selling drugs earns you a bad rep while being "responsible" earns you a "good" rep. PNS surveyed over 100 young detainees in Bay Area juvenile halls about what they see as the best and the worst rep to have these days. What follows is a representative sampling of their essays. The surveys were conducted as part of weekly writing workshops we run in five juvenile detention facilities and from which we publish a weekly journal called The Beat Within.

DOPE DEALING SCORES WORST

The worst rep to have is that of a shady person, someone ninjas can't trust, or (someone who makes them) watch their back every time a ninja comes around. The worst rep to have in a community is that of a drug dealer or people that hang on the set, 'cause ninjas get their door kicked in and folks get evicted that don't even sell drugs.

The best rep to have is that of a person with responsibilities -- or a person that is responsible.

-- Scott, San Francisco

DEALING IS ABOUT MORE THAN FETTI

Somebody's rep is their profile, it's what people see you as. In my case I have a rep that I once was proud of, but now I realize it's nothing to be proud of. My rep is that of a dope dealer. At first I thought of it as just being all about my fetti. Then I realized, I'm making money off killing my own people. That's something that took some time for me to comprehend.

The worst rep that one could possibly have is that of a dope dealer. I say that because we're killers and most of us don't even know it. I'm not saying we go out and put a gun to someone's head and blow their brains out, but we might as well. Just because we don't blow their brains out with a gun we think we're better than the next person who does use a gun. Wrong! What do you think happens every single time a doper takes another hit? Their brain cells get blown out. So, if you don't want the rep of a killer, you best think twice before hitting that block.

-- E Mack, San Francisco

THE JAIL STIGMA

I feel like I've been branded more than given a rep in here. The majority of the people in juvenile all are under 18, so don't have a paper trail. On the other hand, people who know you will always say, "There goes so and so, he was in jail." Unless you go to the TV reporters and newspapers, it's very hard to get rid of a stigma of dishonor. If I were to choose my rep, it would be to be known as I was before I was incarcerated.

The worst rep to have in my community is probably a snitch. The best rep would be a guy who likes everybody and who everybody likes. The way I want (to be seen) is just being myself. I don't have to lie to kick it and moreover get pressured into doing something I don't want to do. Just being myself is enough and if that's not okay with others, then they have the choice of kickin' it with me or not.

-- Vladamir, Contra Costa

GOOD REPS COME AND GO -- BUT A BAD REP STAYS WITH YOU ALWAYS

Maybe it's true if you have a good rep that it comes and goes, but not if you have a bad rep. A bad rep will always be with you. Wherever you go, that's how people are going to look at you.

Like me, I got a bad rep. All my own kinda people think I'm a no-good gangbanger always going around stealing from and hurting my own kind. Right now, because of what I did, all of my own kind of people hate me. They hate me and my family because of what I did.

I'm in here for shooting my own kind of people. Do y'all think that kind of rep just comes and goes like that? I don't think so. I have to live with that for the rest of my little messed up life.

To all y'all kids out there, think before you do something -- or you are going to regret it for the rest of your life.

-- FJ, Oakland

WHEN FAME FEELS GOOD

It feels really good when you walk down the street and people stop to say "what's up" and compliment you on your shot on a freeway. But reps can be bad cause lots of people are jealous cause you got more game. I call them haters. Now I just enjoy life and all the fame.

-- Hour, San Francisco

HARD TO BE A MAN

It's hard to be a man because of what I do on the outs. A man is someone who can get a good job and be an important person. I would like to get a good job, but I don't have the time to do it. Me and my brothers are important on the outs to a lot of people. People love us for what we do, and people hate us for who we are on the block.

-- Boston, San Francisco

REPS TO WISH FOR

The type of rep that I want is of a kid that came out of the ghetto and did hella bad things as a youngsta, you know out there doing his thug thang. But then he decided to do the right thing like finish high school, then finish college and start his own businesses and have lots of money, you know legal cause legal lasts longer than drug money. Then with that money, I'll invest in selling beepers and opening barber shops. Living right financially. That's what type of rep I want.

-- Rickie, Contra Costa

ROLE MODELS

I wish I had a good rep where people looked up to me like a big brother. What rep do I feel I have but don't deserve? Being all tough and hardcore. I think being tough or hardcore doesn't mean nothing in society. I think people should all get along and help each other out... Being in jail or a gangster is a bad rep to have in a community. The best rep is to let people know who you are in the street these days and think of you as a good person, a role model.

-- Hung, San Francisco