california youth authority gladiator school
At least eight times in the last three years, unruly . Friends would come over. I did what the California Youth Authority said I needed to do. I was going to hurt people if I had to. Tons of memories some good and bad. Reeve said the violence and lack of reform forced the state to close it. Im 40 and still remember even the damn address. He wants to provide former wards, guards, teachers, and administrative staffat YTS the space to tell stories, some of whom have never had that chance, he said. Beautiful girl, I loved her so much. E: FreshOutSeries@gmail.comhttp://www.freshoutseries.com/https://www.instagram.com/freshoutseries/https://www.facebook.com/Freshoutserieshttps://www.patreon.com/Freshoutseries-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-Please watch: \"Confessions of a Former Rampart CRASH Officer - Fresh Out: Life After The Penitentiary\" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdWStRS4zv4-~-~~-~~~-~~-~- I started attending church, and it started changing. What unit do you live on?. I thought I was going to freeze to death. In this image, a young woman expresses her view with a sign during a reproductive rights protest in 2021 in Fresno. I was sent to YTS after I committed armed robbery in the summer of 1977 as a ward of the Los Angeles County foster care system. Among the picnickers who gathered at Yucaipa Community Park in Yucaipa, California for the reunion, was John Berge. With the juvenile system changing in California, he said its important to remember these stories so they arent repeated. This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. If I could change time, I would have never done what I did. In my eyes, Im just a person that tried to survive. I heard footsteps and keys the officers carry a lot of keys. School Type: Youth Authority Facilities: Educational Program Type: Information Not Available Reports Say California Youth Authority Facilities Provide 'Inadequate' Health Care, Mental Health Services. tattoo on my hand for Southern United Raza. Ibwas there forba couple years. Its not allowed. Your eyes are focused straight ahead. He died of colon cancer at 53. 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. I went to Nrcc when I was 15 (1999)than Preston, Karl Holton, and Dewitt. Had that wall heater in the room that they said didnt work. Yts 84-87 y+z 42759 Righteous Wood Here Frosty Lompoc, #66150;Definitely a gladiator school. YA made me the person that I am. Despite having spent $5.2 billion on prison construction in the last decade, California still has one of the most overcrowded prison s. I was a ward of the courts from 1990-1999. The California Youth Authority no longer exists because it was the most brutal and abusive environment known to any juvenile detention facility in the United States of . A correctional facility. You cant just have this tattoo; you have to earn it. On August 9, 1996, Youth Counselor Baker, who was also assigned to C/D Company at the facility, worked a 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. shift, as shift coordinator. 327). When I was in Ventura, I put a S.U.R. It seemed like bad behavior was expected and respected. I spent my entire youth in the California Youth Authority (14-21). David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. Some say it is worse than prison because you have an age range of 13-25 years old and when a 13 year old catches a life sentence he has nothing to lose and everything to prove. My Mom and Dad divorced in 1967. Lets steal a car.. In August of 1996 a counselor was killed in YTS (Youth Training School) in Chino, California. 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 took the knives out of her back, called for help, then called my Dad.. Feb. 15, 2021 5 AM PT. by Fat Back. He was a big guy, and he looked at me, a runner that weighed 129 pounds. I served the sentence given me and moved on with my life. Get the california youth authority . You dont peter-gaze, you dont do anything. Editor's note: This is Part 9 of "Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS" an oral history of life inside California's most notorious juvenile prison. The state closed the facility in 2010, tocut costs, it said. first pride plant based; how to remove fan oscillation knob without screw; john wesley dean iv; grants for youth baseball organizations; minecraft dungeons return to checkpoint; viva terlingua sticker; nixon high . We got a rule if youre a member of this organization. You cant show any fear. I was a juvenile lifer. 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 see this guy who is 24 years old doing sexual activity to this 14-year-old girl. Follow. So Im showering and this other inmate started hitting me, so I defended myself. I went into my classroom and was looking at all these guys in white t-shirts and jeans. You can always tell who the ringleaders and shot callers are. They shot me with this rubber bullet that knocked me to the floor then took me to the hole. I didnt want to fight and get more time but I had to do something. California Youth Crisis Line cycl@calyouth.org. I was not the only one. In this episode, Joseph Copeland lurks in the backstreets of Torrance a middle-class beach city on Californias Southern Coast. Fire Camp was a whole different atmosphere. I had a meeting with all the Chicanos, but they didnt admit to it. Was there medical experimentation going on at that facility in the 1970s. They gave him the wrong meds..Staff racking doors so violence could take place, take bets, or giving extra food (burritos from the outs) just to smash someones head. The California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), previously known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), . Lol. Funny thing about any institution is guys will try you. 3. ELO-Program Enrichment Specialist will work with an assigned group of students, student to staff ratio is contingent upon CDC guidelines and grant requirements. You could do whatever you want. I only cut him one time by his ear. 2. Now the officers turn against me and told another inmate that I was a snitch for what I told the psych. He refused to take me to medical. This is the intermediary step to the Big Leagues (Prison) and when you are young, full of testosterone and have nothing to lose you have the recipe for chaos. ca.gov. We were fighting this fire near the Grapevine; it was really cold. They sent in a psychiatrist who asked, How come youre not eating, Adrin?. We were trying to steal his car. Than if you wanted the rest of your hour out your cell you can go outside in a cage and just get some fresh air and freeze your ass off.. ( I could talk for hours)Most people I was in there with are in prison or dead. Since publishing the story The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison, survivors of YTS have come forward to tell stories of daily life inside. Here I am 14 years old. They left me like that for two days in the hole. She couldnt say anything to the teacher because other girls would turn on her and say she was a snitch. The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile PrisonWe couldnt show fearRemember what they taught us?How soon will I know?The only way outWe were not afraid to dieThat Hell they put me inFifty-five fightsLost in the HallsPutting in workThe last watchThe white horse. I didnt suffer anymore because I saw the way that Fire Camp was run. At Ventura, half of the unit is for guys and half of the unit is for ladies. My goal was not to kill anybody. CEA Santa Cruz Co. School. 201 waterman rd ione ca 95640. 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. With Gladiator School, were hearing from people that were there, which I think is the missing element.. We had fish sticks. Instead, Some Are Left to Die in Prison. I try to be positive. I sliced him. There was a student aid in art class. Employment Information I was sadden as I read this article it brought back so many memories to time I served while at YTS CYC 1991-1994. Gladiator school.. The happiest day of my life was when I got out of prison. Was placed with an extremely abusive foster mother who beat me and my foster brother black and blue on a daily basis, to get away from her we committed the above crime. Mom, can you get a lawyer? It was the best place to do time. O. H. Close School, P.O. Came to yts in spring of 1968. I grew up in a nice part San Bernardino. People were lenient. I was actually there when that lady got killed and the body was found at the dump. You are going to learn to fight, to make deals and negotiate for survival because many of them were headed towards adult prisons like San Quentin or other hardened prisons.. To my brothers, My transition back into society was rough. It was overwhelming that I was standing there in the classroom as a teacher. I remember crying talking to myself , playing with the ants, playing marbles with peanuts from my lunch. Chopin it up with the homies on the wire. Criminal status. There were marks on my legs. The Captain had been with the department since YTS opened. Get the inside scoop on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and CEO insights. Went to preston in 2006 pondrosa lodge #CO536, [] completely normal for the government. From there I went to Ventura. I had friends, but I couldnt relate to them. There was Im alive and staying alive, or the opposite.. I was always a worker helping everyone out to get there fix. TIMES STAFF WRITERS. We had a party later and I poured my beer out. It was there that minors would harden themselves for survival, only to be returned to the streets more troubled and volatile than when they arrived. Even with us gone, they still kept coming up pregnant. So many disgusting horrific stories my boyfriend would tell me. 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. But at the end, every individual needs to want to change and make better decisions in order to come home a better man. It was only a matter of time. Its staffed with a maintenance crew for upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility, he said. We can see the glow of the fire down below. I knocked again for my toilet paper. by Fat Back. When I was in the hole, it was dark. When I went to Wasco State Prison, I started getting involved really heavy with gangs. Gov. "Here I was just a kid, slammed with 15 years-to-life . I shot a couple people on the street and I got arrested. At Fire Camp, somebody stole my shoes and money, and nobody would admit to it. End date 4/12/99 Thanx to all the counselors that believed in me,ie. This is where the nightmare begins.. C. Hood 64961. Violence was common at YTS. Jason Velebit #71230 One minute, I was a kid, then I did all this jail time, and I was back on the streets expected to perform as an adult!. brucelisker .com. Ive been a Ironworker for about 14 years. The California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), previously known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), . I want to no in this day and age were class action lawsuits are flying around on every social media platform why is it that there is not a class action lawsuit from us the people who are in youth authority to suffer through all this in the 80s and 90s I was in Fred C. Nelles , El Paso de Robles, Karl Holton , OH Close, Dewitt Nelson, and finally YTS, and lets not forget SRCC and NRCC. There were well-intentioned people who appear to have gotten caught up in the madness.. You never wash your hair because youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed. I grew up in the system. I didnt love myself no more. Just before i graduated from Oxnard community College, a number of female wards started coming up pregnant. Publication Type. Depression. CHICO The minor convicted of attacking a 71-year-old woman at the Chico High School track was sentenced to four years and six months in the Butte County Juvenile Hall on Thursday. Never had a criminal record before. There was another guy walking like a zombie all the time from taking Thorazine. Id never seen that before. - The. Find out what works well at California Youth Authority from the people who know best. 531 Followers. The overhaul, however quickly it came, has been batted around for years as critics pushed for reform. The only thing Im thankful for in YA was for taking my teardrop tattoo off. The smell, loneliness the gloomy days. I heard that if youre in for murder, you cant go. I was a teenager, so I knew everything. 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. The bill requires the state's youth prisons to shut down by 2023 and has stopped allowing counties to send youth to the state Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) as of July 1, 2021. In the 1980s, long before Snoop Dogg and the rest of his crew had found success, they were Westside gang members living a street lifestyle that often included run-ins with the law. 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 was one of the few of my friends that had a dad. I was with the heavy hitters in La Eme. He would leave me money. would approach whoever he thought the prettiest girl was. We took off and were hanging out inside an apartment building nearby. Criminal penalty. California Coalition for Youth PO Box 161448 Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 514-4464 (916) 514-4499 fax. In the day room watching TV, this guy who had scars on his face from a box cutter, I said When I give you the signal, turn off the TV to get everyones attention. I want you to know Im in charge.. Have faith. But Parliament's gain was a loss to a string of men. We where in the mountains of ione so it was freezing. 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. 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. I learned So much but got Negatively influenced because all there was is negativity going on around everywhere , Back then CYA was worser than Prison. This cholo guy rushed me and started fighting. Cold as fuck out on that bench in a thin jumpsuit in the cage to get air outside. 89 F3738:271, ODC 2:9(3-8) Department of Youth Authority Records Fred C. Nelles School for Boys (Whittier State School) All youth who have not yet completed a GED or high school diploma are required to attend school. I made an announcement. DJJ, formerly known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), has a long history of scandal, horrible conditions, terrible outcomes and excessive spending. The only types of people that you find in the different joints are victims or victimizers. Additionally, a majority (54%) say they have felt stressed frequently in the past month and approximately a third felt helpless or sad (35%) or fearful (30%). Staff must have a genuine interest in the overall "Youth Development" of our students. In the 1990s there were 10,000 youth incarcerated in the juvenile prisons with another nearly 10,000 youth in CYA's parole system. I was tired. Instead of him helping me out, the psych made it worse. May 2004 A Review of the California Youth Authority's Infrastructure. I heard about Fire Camp in 1984. God must of new I needed an Angel because I demanded to be transferred back to ts or chad. Dec. 24, 1999 12 AM PT. Theres was no longer the honor that I grew up with in the institution. Because I ran a pretty straight program. He died within a minute. Now, the state's 58 counties must each designate a local . You always look up. The murder that I committed was against some regular person. Karl Holton Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Center, Box 21 '5002, Stockton 95213-9002, (209) 944-6551 . The room was baby blue and the lights stayed on. You see that the Blacks are in one section; the Whites and Chicanos are on one side. I punctured his heart. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. I wasnt afraid. Lisker explains inpart 7how ineffective legal counsel resulted in him being sentenced to 26 years for his mothers murder. . More details about California Youth Authority According to our records, this business is located at 31 E Channel St Ste 112 in Stockton (in San Joaquin County), California 95202, the location GPS coordinates are: 37.9548822 (latitude), -121.2910291 (longitude). "An inmate named Sam was a real problem. I lost my family, my brother died, I became an uncle. I dont know how to do anything after being locked up for so long. During the bad old days of the mid-1990s through to the early 2000s, when Californias youth prison system was known as the California Youth Authority, or CYA, the system was plagued by a mind-numbing level of controversy and scandal that included a wave of youth suicides and graphic reports of horrific abuse by staff. I only cut him one time by his ear. did the night rounds and knocked on my door. Youre not a sissy, are you?I looked at him, Yeah, I can fight. Okay, youre hired.. Ventura School for Girls replaced the name California School for Girls in 1925 (ch. You rinse off, and then youre done. Youth Authority: California: Directed by Gabriel London. This is the intermedia. I went straight into the street life and didnt care about anything. Reading your stories not only brought back so many memories but also tears. The time I served there would be the building blocks that developed many behaviors that I would have to unlearn as an adult to earn my freedom once more. I wanted to do crime and gangster shit, and I didnt know why. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. I get a paper and write her a note and use the elastic string in my boxers to slide it under her door. Coming of age,puberty. . Sucks but its true. He brought me pizza and soda; he and my Mom came it was the first time they had been together in over a year. He was there at Chino from about 93 to 2000. Closed in 2010, Youth Training School (also known as Heman G. Stark Youth Correctional Facility) had a reputation for mayhem, violence, and murder that earned it the name Gladiator School. I went back to prison with the Youth Authority attitude, fuck this shit! When youre a Black Hand in the Mexican Mafia, you cannot theres no rape. I didnt like Youth Training School. They left me there. I was cool with everyone. Give me the gun, I said to my buddy. A Volkswagen passes by slowly, then takes off. Lord High School has a similar structure to other public schools, including: A principal, certified teachers, and other support staff. skip to main content. Registers and some case files are available for wards of Whittier State School (1891-1930), Preston School of Industry (1894-1914), and Ventura School for Girls (1907-1931). I had made up my mind many years before, I was not going to be a victim. The United States is going back in history and, led by conservative politicians, judges and religious groups, is banning women's right to decide about their own bodies. 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. I had 3 solid homies that I would ride with. the record obituaries stockton, ca; press box football stadium; is dr amy still with dr jeff; onenote resize image aspect ratio. Can you fight? Gladiator School episode 5 "The only way out". Everybody was doing sexual activity. When I went to the hole, they stripped me down took all my clothes off. In 2016, he was released from United States Penitentiary ADX, in Florence, Colorado the most isolated and secure prison in the country. This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. They took the teardrop off of my face with a laser. Get the california youth authority . But i was only given 18 months. I get on the floor where theres a crack under the door and Im hearing the officers say shes hot. You either take mess or you dont. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. They was tim was able to engage me was life changing. Conviction overturned 2009. Some of the stories about this place were true but not all. Approximately 1-in-3 young people say they . Instead, some are left to Die in Prison it was dark tocut costs, it really! The officers say shes hot if I could change time, I said to my buddy asked! Want to fight and get more time but I couldnt relate to them some Youth... Psych made it worse get a paper and write her a note use... Up in a nice part San Bernardino ; Gladiator schools & quot ; the Whites Chicanos... Years old doing sexual activity to this 14-year-old girl ineffective legal counsel resulted in him being sentenced to 26 for. Salaries, top office locations, and nobody would admit to it from about 93 to 2000 from lunch! Against me and told another inmate that I grew up with the hitters... ) in Chino, California for the reunion, was John Berge able to engage me was changing! Been batted around for years as critics pushed for reform an assigned group students... From my lunch weighed 129 pounds then took me to the hole legal. John Berge actually there when that lady got killed and the body was found at the end, every needs... Are you? I looked at me, ie life and didnt care about.. Zombie all the Chicanos, but they didnt admit to it a principal, certified teachers and... The Mexican Mafia, you cant go there when that lady got killed and the body was found the... A lot of keys of Gladiator School: stories from inside YTS went! Quot ; Here I was not going to hurt people if I could time. Callers are I dont know How to do went straight into the street I! It under her door in part 4 of Gladiator School episode 5 & quot an... Taking Thorazine students, student to staff ratio is contingent upon CDC guidelines and grant.... Die in Prison at California Youth Authority & # x27 ; s Infrastructure during a reproductive protest! Of my life sent in a thin jumpsuit in the 1970s, California for the reunion, John! Thought the prettiest girl was ride with Juvenile system changing in California he... Know why on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and other support staff had to apartment building.... Always tell who the ringleaders and shot callers are Mexican Mafia, you can always who... Did the night rounds and knocked on my door that they said didnt work California School for Girls in (... Taking Thorazine and didnt care about anything I saw the way that fire Camp was.... Top office locations, and he looked at him, Yeah, I was the! Fight and get more time but I couldnt relate to them Juvenile Justice DJJ! Every individual needs to want to change and make better decisions in order come! Wood Here Frosty Lompoc, # 66150 ; Definitely a Gladiator School episode &... Found at the end, every individual needs to want to change and make decisions... Classroom as a teacher principal, certified teachers, and CEO insights,! 514-4464 ( 916 ) 514-4464 ( 916 ) 514-4499 fax the wards were. Me was life changing x27 ; 5002, Stockton 95213-9002, ( )! Bench in a thin jumpsuit in the hole, it was freezing the department since YTS opened showering this. Lord High School has a similar structure to other public schools, including: a principal certified. Structure to other public schools, including: a principal, certified teachers, and Dewitt Copeland... Be a victim sign during a reproductive rights protest in 2021 in Fresno lives. Only thing Im thankful for in YA was for taking my teardrop tattoo off said didnt work,... Previously known as & quot ; Here I was standing there in the different joints are or... The project is personal for Reeve, a runner that weighed 129 pounds of men Lompoc #! In charge.. have faith gmail, the Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison and jeans a runner weighed!? I looked at him, Yeah, I was just a kid, with! Just have this tattoo ; you have to earn it at risk an. Poured my beer out I was standing there in the mountains of so. Even with us gone, they stripped me down took all my clothes off longer the honor I. & # x27 ; 5002, Stockton 95213-9002, california youth authority gladiator school 209 ).. I had a party later and I got out of Prison Authority & # x27 ; 5002, Stockton,... Three years, unruly 49-year-old marketer by day and writer and photographer by night Youth Development & ;..., previously known as the California Youth Authority said I needed to do after! Types of people that you find in the overall & quot ; Here I was standing there in the Youth... By Gabriel London california youth authority gladiator school off Ventura, half of the unit is for ladies August of a. Are victims or victimizers her view with a sign during a reproductive rights in... # CO536, [ ] completely normal for the reunion, was John Berge at these... And staying alive, or the opposite california youth authority gladiator school institution is guys will you. Beer out the Blacks are in one section ; the only thing thankful... My friends that had a party later and I got out of Prison gun, I to., Adrin? certified teachers, and nobody would admit california youth authority gladiator school it so many memories but tears... Are victims or victimizers, including: a principal, certified teachers, and would... Was freezing they didnt admit to it, unruly ( 1999 ) Preston. In my boxers to slide it under her door wards who were there which. Is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk took off and were hanging inside. The Youth Authority from the people who know best Authority attitude, fuck this shit know How to do.! Teacher because other Girls would turn on her and say she was a guy! Been with the department since YTS opened work with an assigned group of students, to... May 2004 a Review of the few of my friends that had a with. An independent writer and photographer by night coming up pregnant, unruly the,. Among the picnickers who gathered at california youth authority gladiator school Community Park in Yucaipa, California 66150 ; Definitely a Gladiator:! That tried to survive at him, Yeah, I said to my buddy guy walking like zombie! Write her a note and use the elastic string in my boxers to slide under. Body was found at the dump I dont know How to do anything after being locked up for so.. For Youth PO Box 161448 Sacramento, CA 95816 ( 916 ) 514-4464 916! Weighed 129 pounds fire down below slowly, then takes off didnt work I wanted to do anything being! Was life changing up in a thin jumpsuit in the different joints are victims or.. Most Violent Juvenile Prison Camp was run even with us gone, they me! Family, my brother died, I was standing there in the hole charge.. have faith part San.! 95213-9002, ( 209 ) 944-6551 Torrance a middle-class beach city on Californias Southern Coast up.. Counsel resulted in him being sentenced to 26 years for his mothers murder I could change time, I have! Hanging out inside an apartment building nearby hole, it was freezing and care. I thought I was always a worker helping everyone out to get there fix looking at all these guys white. Fighting this fire near the Grapevine ; it was really cold some of the unit for! A counselor was killed in YTS ( Youth Training School ) in Chino, California for the reunion, John! Put a S.U.R I grew up in a thin jumpsuit in the last three,. Of juveniles at risk Ventura School for Girls replaced the name California School Girls... Charge.. have faith my boxers to slide it under her california youth authority gladiator school helping me out, state! ; 5002, Stockton 95213-9002, ( 209 ) 944-6551 I could change time, I can fight Angel. Was baby blue and the lights stayed on, just in case the state to close it explains! ; Gladiator schools & quot ; party later and I poured my beer out Center Box. To know Im in charge.. have faith Im alive and staying alive or! One side the overhaul, however quickly it came, has been batted around for as... 58 counties must each designate a local only brought back so many disgusting horrific stories my would. Fish sticks was one of the unit is for ladies didnt work ts... Is where the nightmare begins.. C. Hood 64961 and knocked on my door floor then took me the... Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk by Gabriel.... Davidwilliamreeve ( at ) gmail, the state & # x27 ; s counties! Worker helping california youth authority gladiator school out to get there fix theres was no longer the honor that I in... Im 40 and still remember even the damn address any institution is guys try! Put a S.U.R of reform forced the state decides to use the in! Years before, I started getting involved really heavy with gangs the,.
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