Paso Robles, Nellis and Preston school were much harder places to do time in than YTS. I aint gonna lie. Sentenced till I turned 25. 89 F3738:271, ODC 2:9(3-8) Department of Youth Authority Records Fred C. Nelles School for Boys (Whittier State School) After I took my shower, I couldnt find my hair grease. O. H. Close School, P.O. 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 learned So much but got Negatively influenced because all there was is negativity going on around everywhere , Back then CYA was worser than Prison. brucelisker .com. Lisker told Reeve there were five to 10 assaults a day. 531 Followers. I broke down in the rack 1 time. They were running a prostitution ring at the call center. We get into a gun battle. I was with the heavy hitters in La Eme. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail.com, DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. Yeah From 1998-2004 I went from Norwalk Reception SRCC, to Fred C Nelles School For boys to YTS, yeah it was Gladiator School but it hardened an individual and made ones mind wise, you read everything you can get your hands on from Cultural books to Novels to keep the mind occupied and sharp and worked out hard to be war ready for the next incident one had to participate in,real rascial One jump we all jump,you learn loyalty and friendship righteouseness and how to read people you had to stay alert and observe your surroundings your boys are 112% we looked out for one another and took care of eachother,wed sent little care packages to the fellas in the holding rooms and scooby snacks,that place and life made One Major Righteous individual out of me. Reeve lives 20 minutes from YTS, also known as the Heman G. Stark Correctional Facility. He saved me he had all girls and he said working at yts gave him all the sons he could ever want. I would love to see a lawsuit where we are the victors not the victims of a broke, violent system that should have been extinguished long ago. This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. Had that wall heater in the room that they said didnt work. I was sensitive pretending to be tough . I figured I was going to parole from there. California Coalition for Youth PO Box 161448 Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 514-4464 (916) 514-4499 fax. Jesse Ferguson, a 22-year-old from Richmond, has been at N.A. My choice was either go to Fire Camp or get more time, and I didnt want more time. California Dept of the Youth Authority. The smell, loneliness the gloomy days. We got really close. 2. Im a retired U.S. Army Ranger and I served seven combat tours. 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%). When his desire to fit in with the gang leads to murder, Luis sheds his need for protection by fighting for survival in YTS. In this image, a young woman expresses her view with a sign during a reproductive rights protest in 2021 in Fresno. A guy killed himself by hanging from a sheet. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. When I tell you to stand up, youre going to stand up. I lost my family, my brother died, I became an uncle. Rough Times Back then. 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. They shot me with this rubber bullet that knocked me to the floor then took me to the hole. We all road out together. Youth Authority: California: Directed by Gabriel London. CREATIVE. Tracy to Cedar to Greenbrier and spent most my time in the Rack. Memories of blood and even my neighbor that died. Gavin Newsom has announced the proposed closure of the state's three youth detention centers including the one in Ventura County in the . You need to get a lawyer.. After spending almost three decades inside California's toughest penitentiaries, Losno paroled from San Quentin this June as a changed man. And absolutely someone should be held accountable. 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. Came to yts in spring of 1968. Whites didnt have gangs. I had 3 solid homies that I would ride with. Theres was no longer the honor that I grew up with in the institution. I had a girlfriend whose name was Suzanna. Ridley Scott's upcoming Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an on set clash with an unnamed co-star. I figured if nobody is going to follow the rules of an institution, Im going to relax the rules, too. 937) as an independent . I shot a couple people on the street and I got arrested. Today, the former juvenile prison sits empty. Other State, county, or city-operated 24-hour custody facility. The Crips and Bloods were separated. Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Now, the state's 58 counties must each designate a local . Fire Camp is run by the California Department of Forestry. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. I served the sentence given me and moved on with my life. There I realized I wasnt going to make it. I kind of got jealous thats not right. California Youth Authority. Man what a trip that was, the thought of the smell of mace and tear gas soaked blankets still makes my mouth water.And the thought of warm bologna sandwiches 3 times a day while doing a stretch in the rack at Preston def brings a half cocked smirk filled with a Im bad mutha fu#@#$ attitude to my face! From inmates to staff to visitors to religious volunteers. The inmate population of California, in 1977, was 19,600. I would like to find out the answers for my two sons. I became a shot-caller for the Sureos gang. He turned the camera monitor off and came inside and started hitting me. Man, them DDMS hearing had me shot down at every board hearing, Was in Nellies and Preston 79 til 81 learned to be a tough guy seen so many old friends in cya when I hit. Lord High School has a similar structure to other public schools, including: A principal, certified teachers, and other support staff. I was actively fighting, gang banging, throwing fucks, kicking off riots, Ironwood and tamarack programs. They take me to her unit. the record obituaries stockton, ca; press box football stadium; is dr amy still with dr jeff; onenote resize image aspect ratio. Membership Inquiries membership@calyouth.org. Without the availability of long term correctional facilities and subsequent programs that I would take advantage of in my adult hood, I would've ended up dead, imprisoned for life and definitely would have continued to victimize my community due to my gang subculture lifestyle. Remember what they taught us? I looked at him and he looked at me, and I didnt even care. California Education Authority Kim Rigg, Superintendent of Education P.O. I didnt know what was wrong with me. Wasnt the best time in my life, saw some things, but the trauma made me who I am now. . They bought a house and things were good. This is the intermedia. All it took were some disrespectful words, and boom. ca.gov. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). I heard the door open the heard them cover her mouth and rape her. It was only a matter of time. They put me on home probation and said I could no longer live with my Dad. All future Diplomas from this Stockton CYA facility will not carry the WASC accreditation. I spent Two years in Gladiator School..California youth authority. Something started happening with me. His name was Tim. Every weekend, homies would come through from their visits. This is prison. The second part, after page 343, is the same complete Ten I couldnt believe it. There was no right or wrong. I barely made it, but Im here taking care of my 5 kids. I went to Nrcc when I was 15 (1999)than Preston, Karl Holton, and Dewitt. I didnt see my Mom for six months. Less than year faced life as juvenile. I heard that if youre in for murder, you cant go. Before we go to eat dinner, we go to the living room to watch TV for an hour. His father, known locally as Mexican Bob died in 2019. The guy sitting next to her will pretend like hes doing his homework. He would go to the girls room, give her some new shoes. This first episode depicts the Heman G. Stark Juvenile Prison, previously known as YTS or Youth Training School, as it stands today, years after it was closed by the State of California. My goal was not to kill anybody. "Here I was just a kid, slammed with 15 years-to-life . 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. by Fat Back. I wanted to speak to the superintendent. The Whites they were called Woods. It broke a rule for that officer to do that for anyone to do that. I didnt suffer anymore because I saw the way that Fire Camp was run. Enrichment Specialist act as a positive adult role model, coach, and mentor. I wanted some way out. I programmed. 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. Dec. 24, 1999 12 AM PT. Big Herc went to California Youth Authority Preston, where you can find kids charged with everything from Assault to Murder. CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY The California Youth Authority (CYA), the largest youth correctional system in the United States, houses approximately six thousand juveniles and young . In the morning, thered be a piece of paper on your cell window. We got so big that the staff started letting us meet for Bible studies.. He has been married for 25 years and has raised six kids, including a son who became a LAPD officer. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. You cant just have this tattoo; you have to earn it. Its 2022 and still feels like yesterday. By MARK GLADSTONE and JAMES RAINEY. But Parliament's gain was a loss to a string of men. It was really bad. I held knowledge about gangs because I was a shot-caller, so they didnt want me to have any contact with other gang members. Beautiful girl, I loved her so much. He had fought with my homeboy so when he came at me I just put out a knife and stabbed him. And he cried because even tim could see what that place had done to me. Google Map. I sign up for continuation school and as we drive up, I see a bunch of Cholos standing in front of the school. Its staffed with a maintenance crew for upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility, he said. 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. The more that people learn and know about what goes on inside of prisons, the more likely things are to change, he said. Redemption my brothers! Bruce Lisker is a man who at age 17 was wrongly arrested, tried, and convicted for the March 10, 1983 murder of his adoptive mother Dorka, 66, in the family's Sherman Oaks residence. 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. I went into my classroom and was looking at all these guys in white t-shirts and jeans. As an adult, he was recruited into the top ranks of the Mexican Mafia. I wish they could have taken all of them. I try to help people now. I woke up one morning and saw that little paper in my window. I went to prison in Atwater, CA in Terre Haute, Indiana in Oklahoma too. I was a ward of the courts from 1990-1999. He died of colon cancer at 53. 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. Rip. These grant funds were awarded for the incorporation of California waste tire products into multiple youth facilities throughout the State. So the kicked us out. 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 . . Youre not a sissy, are you?I looked at him, Yeah, I can fight. Okay, youre hired.. In this episode, Chris, aka Child defends his Echo Park neighborhood as a member of the Westside Crazies, where ambush-style gun battles erupt from slow-passing cars and gang affiliations define enemies and allies on the street and in prison. But mostly a learning experience. Im sure itll be criticized and debated, but its an attempt.. Everybody was doing sexual activity. When you first go in, you have to know the rules and regulations, and theres always somebody willing to give all the information. But man, I seen some crazy ass shit in all the institutions I visited! I didnt like Youth Training School. 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. At night peeping counselors at shower windows outside. All of them who I was able to build a relationship with return to Oakland and was connected to support services all did very well. 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 . Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. In this episode, Jaime Morales is an ambitious youngster making a name for himself on the streets of South East LA. In August of 1996 a counselor was killed in YTS (Youth Training School) in Chino, California. I knew my Dad was going to be there. Criminal penalty. Child receives a dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine at an event launching school vaccinations in Los Angeles, California on November 5, 2021. These men who survived should tell their stories any way they can. The women used to rip their pants on purpose and didnt wear panties. I looked at Derrek and asked, Are you cold? Hes chattering like I was. And here comes the Volkswagen. It was normal. 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. Everybodys watching TV and Im sitting on the couch. I knocked again for my toilet paper. She said, I cant believe this happened to me. Her whole body was shaking. You see that the Blacks are in one section; the Whites and Chicanos are on one side. 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.. Find California Youth Authority stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. The C.O. I didnt want to fight and get more time but I had to do something. There were no rules. I didnt move. Provide students with a learning environment that provides them . But for the Chicanos, they were already in gangs. I cut a piece of plastic from a plate on my food tray and waited for the night guard. I sliced my wrist and got under the blanket. I got along with gangsters better than people that were my friends. There were brothers there who were very Black but had a little Cherokee in them. Thats rape in my mind. I was listening. 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. I fell to my knees beside her and could see she was still breathing. After all, it took some convincing for the group to make an exception for him. Pretty much ran my own program. I got a black hand tattoo across my chest. 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. Rafael "Al" Losno Jr. came to prison during the era when phrases like "battle gyms and gladiator schools" were the norm. Advocacy Information advocacy@calyouth.org. General Inquiries info@calyouth.org. My mom was covered in blood. This is where the nightmare begins.. Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. My body is still burning from the pepper spray. 13575 Empire Grade Rd. If the governor's plan is approved by the state legislature, it would end the brutal legacy of a youth prison system in California that once housed as many as 10,000 youth and teens. Youre going to sleep when I tell you to sleep. After the cops leave, I heard the car come back a second time the Volkswagen again. In this episode, Joseph Copeland lurks in the backstreets of Torrance a middle-class beach city on Californias Southern Coast. I want you to know Im in charge.. If you had a girlfriend, you were lucky. Staff must have a genuine interest in the overall "Youth Development" of our students. They like to flaunt themselves, and if you get caught peter-gazing, its rough for you. Lets steal a car.. This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. I was actually there when that lady got killed and the body was found at the dump. If you didnt display violence, you are going to become a victim of it, and we see it from the wards and the guards.. 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. He gave me the paperwork a basic state application that included a physical exam, a background investigation, and a medical exam. NCJRS Photocopy Services. He told the officers what I said. But it really hit hard right here in YTS. 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. They called me down to the security office and issued me a full set of keys for the institution. 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. In 2001, I went to Pelican Bay State Prison. When I went to the shower, the officer setting up my food spit in it. He punched me in my ribs. 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. Its not allowed. Only went to jail one time but did a gang of time as a youngsta. by Fat Back. I wrote in the letter, I know what happened.. In one fight, the former CYA ward said he was given two black eyes. Ibwas there forba couple years. Much love to all my broken friends who cant be fixers. We were trying to steal his car. The room was baby blue and the lights stayed on. I was telling the officer that I needed to go to medical, please, please. They cuffed me up and hung me by my feet in the shower. Dont come with the YA mentality because this is adults, you start new.. To my brothers, Haha. Im sure it fucked us up worse. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). We continue this next episode of difficult but important testimony. He earns no money by telling their stories. This is Wasco. I was in YTS from 1981 to 1988. My deceased husband was at the CYA in Chino in the early 1970s. It was weird being back on the units Sacramento, kern, owens, paharo, American, Tuolumne my old cells, the visiting hall, where I would see my family cry ass they left all the crazy shit came back. "The state institutions were . And most of the time he just couldnt even talk about it as an adult. Youre kind of small. I left with two other friends of mine who were in the same cottage in Ventura. They can be found under the bound volumes inventory of the Youth Authority and the Office of the Secretary of State. The system worked for me. It closed in 2010. My girl told me in letters that the student aid guy tried to abuse her and grabbed her ass. Im human. It made me survive so many years in Federal Prison. They took the teardrop off of my face with a laser. I shot a couple people on the couch the women used to their! 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