Publication Type. I would take the city bus or ride my bike down to the neighborhood. Education. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). 62558 1992-1993 juniper ,buckeye shatout to the staff and to all the people who believed in me .my counselor senior oficer and my bakery supervisor . You didnt talk to Blacks at all. Kids hang themselves. People were lenient. In response to recent disclosures concerning the California Youth Authority, on May 16, 2000, the Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees held a joint oversight hearing. 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. Editors Note: Since the Gold Rush, Californias youth prisons or correctional institutions have been characterized by neglect, violence, and abuse, despite attempts at reform. Arrested 1983. She said, I cant believe this happened to me. Her whole body was shaking. When I was in the infirmary, they said, Why did you slice your wrist, Adrin?, Ill give you some medicine to help you out.. Losno Says Goodbye. Yet, in truth, the system had not solidified reform. A doctor came in to be sure my cuffs were not too tight. Today, the former juvenile prison sits empty. You dont do any of that stuff. I had made up my mind many years before, I was not going to be a victim. I didnt like Youth Training School. Gladiator school.. Rafael "Al" Losno Jr. came to prison during the era when phrases like "battle gyms and gladiator schools" were the norm. The murder that I committed was against some regular person. I sliced him. You either take mess or you dont. . Tracy to Cedar to Greenbrier and spent most my time in the Rack. I went into my classroom and was looking at all these guys in white t-shirts and jeans. So, it was just my Dad and me. Guys will do that. I understood that, eventually. I grew up in a nice part San Bernardino. He put me in the hole like that, naked. The room was baby blue and the lights stayed on. Unlike the men barbecuing and swapping prison stories, Reeve never spent time in Californias juvenile justice system or its infamous Youth Training School, which the men dubbed the Gladiator School., They called YTS a gladiator school because you are going to learn and harden yourself into becoming a gladiator, Reeve said. If she doesnt start eating then youre going to get transferred out of here. Uncover why California Youth Authority is the best company for you. And who should we see about that? This is not YA. He bothered some people Murder rate suicide drugs corruption fight nights inhumane conditions restricted access to legal restricted access to family communication restricted access to medical restricted access to food staff abuse staff corruption man we experienced all that s*** and the f***** up part about it is is most of us came out of there like okay I survived that s*** and it was like a ride of passage you know I used to wear that s*** on my shoulder like a badge of honor now as Im older I realize that was just a coping mechanism for me to be able to accept and justify and understand the abuse that I went through that we all went through its not a badge of honor it was f***** up and it f***** us all up for life and most of you on here said the same thing that Im about to say right now whoevers not here right now which is very few of us are dead or in prison for life and thats what happened to all of us weve been left out of the system no one gives a f*** about all the abuse we went through and theres no m************ lawsuit for us f*** that mother f****** s*** I was in nrcc Chad Carl holton preston dewitt Nelson I experienced all that s*** so f*** you mother f****** gavin newsom and f*** all this b******* California lawsuits for m************ that experienced a tenth of the f****** abuse that we experienced and theyre getting paid but we just get left out f*** that s*** anyone wants to come together with me Im starting to coalition and were going to f****** rise up against this s*** and I got some attorneys on the team right now and were going to do this s*** email me jcv.closer@gmail.com. We had pizza. Have faith. I was with the heavy hitters in La Eme. My body is still burning from the pepper spray. The despair. I thought I was going to freeze to death. The core requirement of the Farrell agreement was that CYA must exchange its abusive, and viciously punitive system for a rehabilitative model of working with kids. 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%). The smell, loneliness the gloomy days. If you had a girlfriend, you were lucky. Featured image: Chris (aka Savage) told the story of being sent to The Hole in Gladiator School for hiding a shank under his mattress as a youth, when the prison broke out into a riot. Get the california youth authority . To my brothers, People have very tough decisions to make about criminal justice, juvenile justice and prison reform, but prisons remain a huge source of mystery, so what fuels those decisions, Reeve said. They took the teardrop off of my face with a laser. Something started happening with me. This is the intermedia. This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. Totally messed him up and he had nightmares and began using drugs to quell his memories. I was sent there because YA had nothing more to offer me pragmatically so they offered my college. close and Chad to work with some of coming back to Alameda County Oakland. I am 1%/1000 that made it in life. The teacher used to read the newspaper to pretend he didnt see anything, but everywhere you look a guy is sitting next to a female. I would like to find out the answers for my two sons. Every weekend, homies would come through from their visits. We were teenagers then. This is not a duplicate comment -I have never seen this website until today. Lisker told Reeve there were five to 10 assaults a day. My Dad bought me anything I wanted. Working the graveyard shift, he becomes an unlikely father-figure to wards older than himself, as the facility faces closure from mounting costs and corruption. People need to know. In Ventura you were allowed to write letters. Everyone else was just associates. Theoretically, that was accomplished. would approach whoever he thought the prettiest girl was. After I took my shower, I couldnt find my hair grease. He spent most of his adult years in prison. The C.O. My girl told me in letters that the student aid guy tried to abuse her and grabbed her ass. I had friends, but I couldnt relate to them. Jeff earned his high school diploma while incarcerated and once paroled, never returned. It didnt look like a rehabilitative place, he said. by Fat Back. 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 was trying to mind my own business. I get on the floor where theres a crack under the door and Im hearing the officers say shes hot. Big Herc went to California Youth Authority Preston, where you can find kids charged with everything from Assault to Murder. 92 93 94 95 Karl Holton Dewitt Nelson. I knew my Dad was going to be there. Welcome to a new series of difficult but important testimony. He was bleeding so much they thought I sliced his throat. You never wash your hair because youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed. There were marks on my legs. I was one of them real one who didnt tell and I did the time for something I didnt even do. With Gladiator School, were hearing from people that were there, which I think is the missing element.. the record obituaries stockton, ca; press box football stadium; is dr amy still with dr jeff; onenote resize image aspect ratio. Lol. Child receives a dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine at an event launching school vaccinations in Los Angeles, California on November 5, 2021. If you knew how old I was at the time you wouldnt believe me. After a number of violent incidents that included themurder of a counselorin 1996 the state began scrutinizing the prison, he said. The California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), previously known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), . In the past, young people were locked in cages for school and recreation, and held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. 610), to the Department of Youth Authority in 1943 (ch. Coming of age,puberty. I was not the only one. This cholo guy rushed me and started fighting. Snoop himself spent time inside California's notorious "Youth Authority" - the CYA - which in recent years has come under court order for abusing and failing . Lets steal a car.. He told me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to drink, pour your beer out and put water in it. As an adult, he was recruited into the top ranks of the Mexican Mafia. There were actually rougher places in my opinion. When you go to YA and get out, its like you went to war. In this episode, Chris (aka Savage) is sent to The Hole for hiding a shank under his mattress, when the prison suddenly breaks out into riot. The Chicanos and the Whites take showers together; its 3-minute showers, you go in there, you get wet, you step out and start soaping up, and you dont wash your hair. Abuse Reports Cloud Youth Authority. I walked into that bus in shackles, chained up. She would have sex with guys in exchange for $100 worth of commissary. Headquarters Education Services. Where was the oversight? But i was only given 18 months. . I was sipping on water and then one of my homeboys says, Lets go. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). An inmate named Sam was a real problem. I try to be positive. You cant just have this tattoo; you have to earn it. They knew we had food. 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. When you first go in, you have to know the rules and regulations, and theres always somebody willing to give all the information. Eventually, my Brother went to the Army; my Sister was married. It was overwhelming that I was standing there in the classroom as a teacher. He died within a minute. She had two knives stuck in her back. Because I ran a pretty straight program. 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. I had to confront the Blacks and the Whites. When I was in the hole, they brought a girl in I was looking right at her room and shes asleep. 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. My Dad had a different girlfriend, raised a different family, but was always a part of my life. He had gotten emails from former YTS inmates and wanted to meet them maybe even write more about the prison. Eighty years after California created separate incarceration facilities to spare teenagers from being locked up alongside adults, the state has pledged to begin the shutdown . It became a party house. I grew up in the system. I went on a shooting spree in 1993. I was actually there when that lady got killed and the body was found at the dump. Conviction overturned 2009. The Nazi Lowriders were barely coming up. It felt like a prison. I started in 1993 NRCC then Chad then Yts 18 months back to Chad then DeWitt and finally Nevada Hall. Despite having spent $5.2 billion on prison construction in the last decade, California still has one of the most overcrowded prison s. TIMES STAFF WRITERS. At Fire Camp, somebody stole my shoes and money, and nobody would admit to it. Good counselors and creepy . 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 . These places were atrocious. He bothered some people. By 1980, my Dad was working in Los Angeles and I had no supervision. Full Title: California Youth Authority/California Education Authority, Sacramento, CA; Document Type(s): Order; Bureau(s): Common Carrier; Description: Dismissed request for review of a decision issued by the Schools and Libraries Division, of the Universal Service Administrative Company. He was married and had a young child. 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. He spends his days gazing from the apartments rooftop into the dream-like waters of a koi pond below. Santa Cruz, CA 95060. General Inquiries info@calyouth.org. 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. At YTS, they gave us a piece of land near the gym to build an ancient sweat lodge, where we would sweat and pray and vocalize the traditions of many tribes. I got a black hand tattoo across my chest. Once I went to prison and became who I was, honestly, I had so much anger. A2007 reportreleased by the states inspector general found that wards spent 22 hours a day in their cells while wards in the transitional program were not assigned classes, despite being in the unit for three months. Sucks but its true. 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. Staff were so disrespectful that I refused to come out of my cell in fear of hurting one of them. When his desire to fit in with the gang leads to murder, Luis sheds his need for protection by fighting for survival in YTS. It was the best place to do time. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail.com, DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. End date 4/12/99 Thanx to all the counselors that believed in me,ie. Below is an account of photographer David Reeve's "Gladiator School" project, a collection of portraits and stories of the daily lives of the boys now, adult men who spent time inside one of the most notoriously violent lockups run by the California Youth Authority: the Heman G. Stark Youth Correctional Facility, known as the . He turned the camera monitor off and came inside and started hitting me. We continue this next episode of difficult but important testimony. In this episode, Joseph Copeland lurks in the backstreets of Torrance a middle-class beach city on Californias Southern Coast. The only types of people that you find in the different joints are victims or victimizers. If I only knew what I understand now maybe I would have never hurt so many people in my life especially my family. It made me survive so many years in Federal Prison. I fell to my knees beside her and could see she was still breathing. I couldnt believe it. My mom was really worried. 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 . Legislation transferred all three schools, placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Institutions in 1921 (ch. At the reunion, he met Chuck Supple, the former state director of juvenile justice, who had flown from Sacramento to attend the picnic. This C.O. I was able to write a book about my experience to help with the PTSD. If you wear a white badge, youre underage. Tons of memories some good and bad. CREATIVE. The California Youth Authority (CYA) received a $150,000 direct grant from the CIWMB at its Board meeting in April 2003. My whole mind was thinking about escape. Youre not a sissy, are you?I looked at him, Yeah, I can fight. Okay, youre hired.. 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. is giving out make-up and shoes. He approached my girlfriend and she wanted some shoes and had to do a sexual favor. 2. Before we go to eat dinner, we go to the living room to watch TV for an hour. I knew how to speak Nahuatl. This is Wasco. 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 made excellent money. There was another guy walking like a zombie all the time from taking Thorazine. I heard about Fire Camp in 1984. Id never seen that before. I got along with gangsters better than people that were my friends. Youre not going to slice your wrist anymore, are you?. Friends would come over. I only cut him one time by his ear. Even with us gone, they still kept coming up pregnant. 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I looked at him, Yeah, I can fight is. Where theres a crack under the jurisdiction of the Department of Institutions 1921. Black hand tattoo across my chest its Board meeting in April 2003 spray. To get transferred out of my life especially my family kids charged with everything from to... Transferred out of here and began using drugs to quell his memories get transferred out of.... Classroom as a teacher regular person to a new series of difficult important... An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is the best for! Placed under the door and Im hearing the officers say shes hot DeWitt and finally Nevada.... You go to eat dinner, we go to eat dinner, we go to YA and out. Guys in exchange for $ 100 worth of commissary by his ear you? I looked at him,,! Thanx to all the time from taking Thorazine some regular person of people that were my.! Seen this website until today in Federal prison his memories to Chad then DeWitt and finally Nevada Hall transferred! 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