The prison was closed in 2010 when the State had no other solution for the violence and mayhem there; a State Attorney called it an especially horrible place and hundreds of workers lost their jobs. They had a meeting and said they knew about my history and why I got locked up. I tell my Mom, dont even stop. Im gonna get jumped my first day here. Fortunate enough to not get an L. To be dead on truthful, if you was playing politics and living that life style, then you were bound to get caught up in a mess. DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. Then Chad lol. Whites didnt have gangs. You always look up. If you said you were Indian, we believed you.. But mostly a learning experience. We were fighting this fire near the Grapevine; it was really cold. . Pretending to be very concerned to search after a visit for drugs by asking to spread cheeks and take long silent looks speeding my cheeks and not knowing how long or whats he up to. I could write a book right now! Its easy to get caught up and live a wild life in there but if if you never made strides to wanna change your mentality then that door was and still is revolving. I wanted to speak to the superintendent. Convicted 1985. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 30, legislationto closethe stateDivision of Juvenile Justice, and replace it with local alternatives. I was actively fighting, gang banging, throwing fucks, kicking off riots, Ironwood and tamarack programs. The judge sentenced me until my 25th birthday. My body is still burning from the pepper spray. I sign up for continuation school and as we drive up, I see a bunch of Cholos standing in front of the school. We had to run a lot. 610), to the Department of Youth Authority in 1943 (ch. Now, of course, California leaders are phasing out the states youth prison system, which will be replaced with local supervision and services, as part of a reimagined approach to youth justice. I went to my room and got a toothbrush, put a razor blade on the toothbrush, and went to the laundry room where Sam was. He had gotten emails from former YTS inmates and wanted to meet them maybe even write more about the prison. Remember what they taught us? I looked at him and he looked at me, and I didnt even care. He looked tough. If you dont leave that class, its because you like him touching you!, You have a girlfriend on suicide watch, an officer said. I became a shot-caller for the Sureos gang. Fucked up place but it made me who I am today a solid motherfuker. It was corrupt, it was horrible, and we continue to inch our way forward into more progressive forms of discipline and rehabilitation, and Im happy to see that, Reeve said. When I went to Wasco State Prison, I started getting involved really heavy with gangs. In this episode, Adrin (not his real name) ascends the ranks of La Eme The Mexican Mafia as he trades violence as currency in seeking shelter from the swelling corruption he witnesses within the California Youth Authority. I grew up in a nice part San Bernardino. Blacks vs Mexicans. I spent Two years in Gladiator School..California youth authority. Once I went to prison and became who I was, honestly, I had so much anger. I figured if nobody is going to follow the rules of an institution, Im going to relax the rules, too. Theres was no longer the honor that I grew up with in the institution. Gladiator School episode 5 "The only way out". Well that was 40 years ago. People need to know. In August of 1996 a counselor was killed in YTS (Youth Training School) in Chino, California. My girl told me in letters that the student aid guy tried to abuse her and grabbed her ass. She said, I cant believe this happened to me. Her whole body was shaking. I remember my mom sent me Tres Flowers Hair Grease because I used to comb my hair back. Chopin it up with the homies on the wire. Cutting Sam was a felony the only way out of there was to get to adult prison. It was overwhelming that I was standing there in the classroom as a teacher. Reports Say California Youth Authority Facilities Provide 'Inadequate' Health Care, Mental Health Services. The happiest day of my life was when I got out of prison. Somebody went inside my locker and stole my Tres Flowers! I was able to write a book about my experience to help with the PTSD. I held knowledge about gangs because I was a shot-caller, so they didnt want me to have any contact with other gang members. Losno Says Goodbye. My legs were hurting. Redemption my brothers! starved and neglected. I didnt want to work. skip to main content. Its staffed with a maintenance crew for upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility, he said. Everybody was doing sexual activity. And absolutely someone should be held accountable. And most of the time he just couldnt even talk about it as an adult. Rafael "Al" Losno Jr. came to prison during the era when phrases like "battle gyms and gladiator schools" were the norm. It helped me to see what life was like, even though everything had changed. (Experience in California state service applied toward this requirement must be at a level of responsibility not less than that of a Youth Correctional Officer or Youth Correctional Counselor. Whoever stole my Tres Flowers fuck yer mom, fuck yer dead homies.. Membership Inquiries membership@calyouth.org. North Hollywood Boy reflects on years in gang, juvenile hall and California Youth Authority (pt1) Sexual assaults in CYA. I tell my Mom Ill do good, but I want to stay with Dad. These grant funds were awarded for the incorporation of California waste tire products into multiple youth facilities throughout the State. They shot me with this rubber bullet that knocked me to the floor then took me to the hole. . If she doesnt start eating then youre going to get transferred out of here. Memories of blood and even my neighbor that died. It took months of persistent emails and letters to the state corrections department and using his family connection as leverage. Your eyes are focused straight ahead. A bullet went through the side of my face then hit my friend in the stomach, but the bullet didnt penetrate him. I only cut him one time by his ear. In this episode, Joseph Copeland lurks in the backstreets of Torrance a middle-class beach city on Californias Southern Coast. In 2016, he was released from United States Penitentiary ADX, in Florence, Colorado the most isolated and secure prison in the country. I was one of the few of my friends that had a dad. If the images or a settlement of some kind because of the abuse us awards went through while there if you have information at all on the lawsuit thats pending or was in the past that I could get compensation for please e-mail me at getrdonehauling@hotmail.com thanks my name is Greg Fawcett, Hello I was in the Californias Authority I was it Preston does a lawsuit going on about four awards that were there and can receive relief. I was arrested for burglary and went to juvenile hall for the night. I fell to my knees beside her and could see she was still breathing. Key findings of the survey include: 9-in-10 young people say mental health is a priority, but only 4-in-10 rate their own mental health highly. I got mad at her and said you gotta get out of that class. If I get in a fight with the guy that touched her, theyd move me to a prison. In this episode, 14-year old Luis Ortega arrives in Los Angeles, lonely and vulnerable, before looking to South Centrals notorious 38th Street Gang for protection. May 2004 A Review of the California Youth Authority's Infrastructure. I cut a piece of plastic from a plate on my food tray and waited for the night guard. Because I ran a pretty straight program. Because I wanted to be macho and do what the gang says? I did what the California Youth Authority said I needed to do. When they took the handcuffs off, the guard slapped me real hard. He gave me the paperwork a basic state application that included a physical exam, a background investigation, and a medical exam. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail.com, DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. Give me the gun, I said to my buddy. They like to flaunt themselves, and if you get caught peter-gazing, its rough for you. Ridley Scott's upcoming Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an on set clash with an unnamed co-star. These changes to the system are a result of Senate Bill 823, which Gov. I started in 1993 NRCC then Chad then Yts 18 months back to Chad then DeWitt and finally Nevada Hall. When the lights came on the girl was crying. Big Herc went to California Youth Authority Preston, where you can find kids charged with everything from Assault to Murder. "Here I was just a kid, slammed with 15 years-to-life . My deceased husband was at the CYA in Chino in the early 1970s. Gladiator School: Memories From the Terrible Past of . My Dad bought me anything I wanted. Ive been a Ironworker for about 14 years. I no longer participate in self destructive behaviors/beliefs and have a career working as a substance use counselor at CRC Norco prison for Amity Foundation. He died of colon cancer at 53. Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. 531 Followers. At night peeping counselors at shower windows outside. They shot me with this rubber bullet that knocked me to the floor then took me to the hole. Mexicans vs whites. Everyone else was just associates. Berge recounts his time at YTS in part 4 of Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS. The project is personal for Reeve, a 49-year-old marketer by day and writer and photographer by night. He had fought with my homeboy so when he came at me I just put out a knife and stabbed him. In the morning, thered be a piece of paper on your cell window. You cant just have this tattoo; you have to earn it. In this episode, Jaime Morales is an ambitious youngster making a name for himself on the streets of South East LA. I felt I wasnt going to see all the violence that I had seen before, but it was worse. The more that people learn and know about what goes on inside of prisons, the more likely things are to change, he said. Im sure it fucked us up worse. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton, California (209) 944-6444. California Education Authority Kim Rigg, Superintendent of Education P.O. This is where the nightmare begins.. I would take the city bus or ride my bike down to the neighborhood. Where was the oversight? Visit davidreeve.net for more. But for the Chicanos, they were already in gangs. Find California Youth Authority stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. I was terror-stricken; not even there. Its a way to communicate codes we speak when we dont want officers to know. My mom was really worried. Youre going to come with me and have 5 minutes to talk to her.. This is not a duplicate comment -I have never seen this website until today. In this episode, Jeff (aka Huerito) is short timing when he leaves the comfort of Ventura Youth Correctional Facility to arrive at Fire Camp. State prison. The sweat lodge became the church for people who wanted to self-identify as Native Americans or as indigenous people from anywhere. I served the sentence given me and moved on with my life. He died within a minute. Before we go to eat dinner, we go to the living room to watch TV for an hour. Eventually, he was allowed entry in 2017. I realized I got hit. Thats rape in my mind. I got the gun. The state gave CYA a budget of around $200,000, of which $60,000 was meant to pay the three board members' salaries. It took me a while to come to terms with this and the whole evolution that allowed this to happen. You cant show any fear. Gavin Newsom signed last year. The only types of people that you find in the different joints are victims or victimizers. And who should we see about that? I didnt love myself no more. Today, the former juvenile prison sits empty. My experiences while in YTS gave me the edge that I needed to want more then I grew up with. N A Chaderjian High School is located within the N.A. I was one of them real one who didnt tell and I did the time for something I didnt even do. You never wash your hair because youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed. If you were a female you went to Ventura. It's called Gladiator School for a reason, when the worst of the worst kids are too young for Prison they are sent to Youth Authority. I did not want to hurt this guy. I got those keys on my belt and felt, my god, how things have changed. I remember being referred to as a YA baby in prison due to going to CYA and consequently it came with a reputation to live up to. Turned alot of good kids who had a chance into bad guys. This is Wasco. Distinguishing Characteristics. In this episode, David Sanchez, a 19-year old with few options in life, takes a job as a corrections officer at YTS, where the willingness to fight was the only experience needed. YA made me the person that I am. My whole mind was thinking about escape. Headquarters Education Services. Gang affiliations defined enemies and allies on the street and in prison. In this episode, Adrin (not his real name) ascends the ranks of La Eme The Mexican Mafia as he trades violence as currency in seeking shelter from the swelling corruption he witnesses within the California Youth Authority. Youth Training School (known formally as Heman G. Stark Youth Correctional Facility) had a reputation for mayhem, violence, and murder that earned it the name Gladiator School. I went to live with my Mom in Walnut, California, with her boyfriend and my two younger Brothers and a baby Sister, with a different dad. Youre going to shit when I tell you to shit. The California Youth Authority (CYA), now known as the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), is a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that provides education, training, and treatment services for California's most serious juvenile offenders between the ages of 12 - 25. You can always tell who the ringleaders and shot callers are. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail (dot) com, DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. 3 Despite having spent $5.2 billion on prison construction in the last decade, California still has one of the most overcrowded prison s. Criminal Justice Journalism in the Public Interest, a mind-numbing level of controversy and scandal, phasing out the states youth prison system, Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS, signed into law on Sept. 30, legislationto close, What Really Happened To My Kids? Wed go to church because of the blind spots. The Nazi Lowriders were barely coming up. Leave me alone, I shouted and lifted my hand. I went to Nrcc when I was 15 (1999)than Preston, Karl Holton, and Dewitt. Youth Camps where you put in work and fight daily.. Crouch is a beast he went to the YA and came back a sav..They called that dude the Russian concussion I think . Tim later explained to me I reminded him of an abused animal, ready to attack anything that got close to me. MacLaren has a school on site to help students earn high school and college credits. Theoretically, that was accomplished. Beautiful girl, I loved her so much. I knew how to speak Nahuatl. One thing that place taught me was move first or be moved on. Violence was common at YTS. We got so big that the staff started letting us meet for Bible studies.. Box , Stockton, 944-0501 Institution for 504 males. And that meant there were no rules. I understood that, eventually. He bothered some people Im a retired U.S. Army Ranger and I served seven combat tours. Photo by Peter Maiden We have returned to the situation of 50 years It all becomes very complicated; its not good guys versus bad guys, Reeve said. Funny thing about any institution is guys will try you. Records concerning juveniles are restricted. They sent in a psychiatrist who asked, How come youre not eating, Adrin?. I was always a worker helping everyone out to get there fix. Til this day, I still struggle with it. Employment Information The stuff that we suffer through is worse than anything Ive ever read in any books, I went to prison after prison afterwards and believe my mind, through all the trials and tribulations of CYA, was shaped and forged to be the calloused, hardened, scarred mind that has not been in trouble In over 20 years now, but still sees the world through clouded, broken eyes. Ibwas on ironwood at Preston and KL at yts the auto mech instructor was called Doc we even developed a friendship after I was out. He starts telling us a story that the Department of Juvenile Justice was moving out of adult prisons and into a health and human services category in the state, Reeve said. If you didnt display violence, you are going to become a victim of it, and we see it from the wards and the guards.. California currently has the dubious distinction of having the largest prison system in America. When I went to the shower, the officer setting up my food spit in it. "An inmate named Sam was a real problem. AKA Crouch October 18, 2013. They were running a prostitution ring at the call center. Missing earlier happy times wanting to be accepted what Got me there by joining 18st gang. Yeah I want to know what all these lawsuits going around where the f*** are our lawsuits I was in that mother f***** for almost 5 years straight I went in a child and came out of man I f****** witnessed and participated in numerous acts of extreme violence all of us even those of us that say man YA saved my life it didnt save your life bro You got m************ Stockholm syndrome all of us for those of you guys that ended up getting raped or for even you m************ that was raping those dudes every single one of us was a victim of f****** abuse and we should be on a f****** class action lawsuit we should be the one saying f*** that s*** if you were in ya in the 90s we experienced the worst prison systems in the United States had to offer second to f****** Louisburg Federal penitentiary back in the 80s. Shed give you a list of what to buy her from the store. I completed 21 years in prison and because of my age when I was convicted I was given a special BPH Board of Prison Hearings under AB261 and paroled on Life parole. I went on a good 6 year tour. I got a black hand tattoo across my chest. Some like Bruce Lisker were falsely accused. If I could change time, I would have never done what I did. Im not eating because theres a lot of things happening, and I dont know who to talk to. I told him everything that Id seen. As of now, he has published seven parts on Medium with more on the way. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail. Eventually, my Brother went to the Army; my Sister was married. At the reunion, he met Chuck Supple, the former state director of juvenile justice, who had flown from Sacramento to attend the picnic. My husband went through nearly every program through out CA and to be honest all it did was made him a better criminal not nurturing or love was given at all he is finishing his 27 th year was in pelican bay at 21 and has been to most adult prisons and is finishing his sentence tace in Folsom Prison as we speak 6 months from his out date and the only person that helped him was himself (oh and me ), I did the CYA tour 91-96. Youre going to be here in the hole. He told me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to drink, pour your beer out and put water in it. The Collapsing Circus & California Government Violence and Murder | Christopher Maffei. He worked at the TWA call center that was a vocational training program for the airline. I didnt want to lose my girlfriend, so I told her that if she didnt get out of that class, Id break up with her. My Dad had a good job. 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