At one time he was considered one of the most notorious jewel thieves in the United States. He spent 11 years in some of the toughest federal prisons, but on Friday Larry Lawton was sworn in as an honorary police officer — the first time in the nation an ex-con will receive such an honor.

In 2012, Lawton released his book, Gangster Redemption, that further tells of how he went from a troubled kid in the Bronx to the man and mentor he is today.

He has dedicated his life to keeping kids on a lawful and successful path, touring around the country and telling them honestly what prison is really like and what they will lose if they end up behind bars.

Lawton developed a "Reality Check Program" in 2007 after leaving prison, and uses it to help educate kids about the consequences of crime. It has a 90 percent success rate of keeping young kids out of jail. Copies of the program's DVD are now kept in every patrol car, ready to be handed out by the Lake St. Louis Police Department.

Learn more about the program on Lawton's website.

(WATCH the Fox video below and another at the bottom from MSNBC)