If you had a badge, you had the right to rape. Convicted 1985. Messy Marv. You cant just have this tattoo; you have to earn it. This all coming to light is a long time coming. I went into my classroom and was looking at all these guys in white t-shirts and jeans. I recently, went back in to O.H. His father, known locally as Mexican Bob died in 2019. When a second boy at the Whittier State School died under almost identical circumstances a year later, public demand for change became difficult to ignore. It went from a handful of us in that unit to 30, 40 of us. Its not allowed. I dont know how to do anything after being locked up for so long. This is Wasco. The system worked for me. I was gonna defend myself. Three days later her body was found in the Chino dumping grounds. The overhaul, however quickly it came, has been batted around for years as critics pushed for reform. We had pizza. Some of the stories about this place were true but not all. Publication Type. They were accepting murders. We took off and were hanging out inside an apartment building nearby. We were trying to steal his car. Mom, can you get a lawyer? I was always a worker helping everyone out to get there fix. The despair. Nobody said anything. A correctional facility. The author, who was the director of the California Youth Authority (CYA) for 3 years beginning in 1991, describes CYA's responsibilities in governing the State's juvenile facilities. 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 not the only one. The California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), previously known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), . Report (Technical Assistance) I punctured his heart. When I went to the shower, the officer setting up my food spit in it. You had a choice to take a shower in freezing water with hand dispenser soap. I knocked again for my toilet paper. He died within a minute. Losno Says Goodbye. "An inmate named Sam was a real problem. Mexicans vs whites. When I got transferred to YTS, Im with nothing but men and everybody is sizing you up. It became a party house. 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. Then covid hit and I havent been back. I explained to them the way you talk to us will get you killed and me in prison for the rest of my life. When I was in the infirmary, they said, Why did you slice your wrist, Adrin?, Ill give you some medicine to help you out.. I didnt want to fight and get more time but I had to do something. I understood that, eventually. Despite having spent $5.2 billion on prison construction in the last decade, California still has one of the most overcrowded prison s. You see that the Blacks are in one section; the Whites and Chicanos are on one side. My Dad came every weekend and every holiday. But YA didnt make me who I am. So Im showering and this other inmate started hitting me, so I defended myself. He told the officers what I said. Learned how get up go to work at the trade I learned(plumbing). They sent a therapist in to talk to me. 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. Gladiator school.. Just before i graduated from Oxnard community College, a number of female wards started coming up pregnant. In 2016, he was released from United States Penitentiary ADX, in Florence, Colorado the most isolated and secure prison in the country. I said to them, Ten years ago I was sitting in the same place you are sitting.. Gladiator School - California Youth Authority #CYA #YouthPrison #california 2. Criminal status. If you didnt display violence, you are going to become a victim of it, and we see it from the wards and the guards.. If I only knew what I understand now maybe I would have never hurt so many people in my life especially my family. Its staffed with a maintenance crew for upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility, he said. 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. 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. With the juvenile system changing in California, he said its important to remember these stories so they arent repeated. 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. It felt like a prison. I get on the floor where theres a crack under the door and Im hearing the officers say shes hot. I learned about chow, where to sit, and shower time. The room was baby blue and the lights stayed on. I was sensitive pretending to be tough . Select from premium California Youth Authority of the highest quality. In this episode, John (aka Cool Breeze) returns to YTS years after his incarceration to find employment there as a schoolteacher. 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. TIMES STAFF WRITERS. It felt permanent., During the tour, Reeve snapped photos for what would become the first installment of Gladiator School.. So the kicked us out. The second part, after page 343, is the same complete Ten If the female is sitting next to you its 100% thats your girlfriend. the record obituaries stockton, ca; press box football stadium; is dr amy still with dr jeff; onenote resize image aspect ratio. I spent enough time there to see it all. My legs were hurting. It broke a rule for that officer to do that for anyone to do that. I needed some toilet paper to use the bathroom and I knocked on the door, calling for the C.O. I had 3 solid homies that I would ride with. 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. 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 . by Fat Back. Wearing a yellow badge means youre over 18. Just because I was locked up in YA doesnt mean Im no good. 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. I thought I was going to freeze to death. He saw blood and hit the panic alarm. Gov. The C.O. I spent Two years in Gladiator School..California youth authority. Fresh war. 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. Upon his release, he was deported to South America where he earns $6 a day working in the fields. Lol. It brought me to realize a whole lot. "The state institutions were . He turned the camera monitor off and came inside and started hitting me. In the morning, thered be a piece of paper on your cell window. The rooms, the regulations; we were using the same bathroom stall as a Black guy. You need to get a lawyer.. Flag. The Whites they were called Woods. One of the things that they taught us in Fire Camp training was that if were in this situation and we share warmth with another person, we can survive. They take me to her unit. He refused to take me to medical. Its hard but Im making it. Whoever stole my Tres Flowers fuck yer mom, fuck yer dead homies.. skip to main content. at like 3 a.m until whenever. My Dad said, Whatever you do, dont kill yourself. We had day passes and he would take me to the beach. When I got out of ADX Colorado, they gave me an ATM card and flew me to South America. I did what the California Youth Authority said I needed to do. Then Chad lol. They like to flaunt themselves, and if you get caught peter-gazing, its rough for you. I was with the heavy hitters in La Eme. The facility was opened in 1959 with the goal of educating and rehabilitating wards between the ages of 12 and 25. When you go to YA and get out, its like you went to war. They left me there. She would have sex with guys in exchange for $100 worth of commissary. He was a big guy, and he looked at me, a runner that weighed 129 pounds. 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. I was tired. People were lenient. Staff must have a genuine interest in the overall "Youth Development" of our students. You want some Nikes? They can be found under the bound volumes inventory of the Youth Authority and the Office of the Secretary of State. My girl told me in letters that the student aid guy tried to abuse her and grabbed her ass. Im 40 and still remember even the damn address. I could write a book right now! I was sent to the hole, but I earned my respect. At the reunion, he met Chuck Supple, the former state director of juvenile justice, who had flown from Sacramento to attend the picnic. Life inside Youth Prison in the 80s - Gladiator School - Prison Talk 20.7. Ridley Scott's upcoming Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an on set clash with an unnamed co-star. 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. They identified themselves as that, and we accepted them. Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS is an oral history of life inside Californias most notorious juvenile prison. Roll up yo shit and had to use tolit paper to lay on the cold steal bed. I did not want to hurt this guy. In the 1990s there were 10,000 youth incarcerated in the juvenile prisons with another nearly 10,000 youth in CYA's parole system. Karl Holton Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Center, Box 21 '5002, Stockton 95213-9002, (209) 944-6551 . did the night rounds and knocked on my door. He spent most of his adult years in prison. Shipped to OH on the green dick. These grant funds were awarded for the incorporation of California waste tire products into multiple youth facilities throughout the State. 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. Employment Information Legislation transferred all three schools, placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Institutions in 1921 (ch. I wrote in the letter, I know what happened.. 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! Chopin it up with the homies on the wire. I didnt suffer anymore because I saw the way that Fire Camp was run. Im sure it fucked us up worse. I sign up for continuation school and as we drive up, I see a bunch of Cholos standing in front of the school. I try to be positive. He had six months to go. He told me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to drink, pour your beer out and put water in it. I am 1%/1000 that made it in life. I just lost it. O. H. Close School, P.O. Ventura School for Girls replaced the name California School for Girls in 1925 (ch. Guys will do that. Jason Velebit #71230 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. 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 cool with everyone. If you said you were Indian, we believed you.. We got really close. 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. These places were atrocious. Every weekend, homies would come through from their visits. I was one of them real one who didnt tell and I did the time for something I didnt even do. Everybody was doing sexual activity. Have faith. 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 sliced him. After I took my shower, I couldnt find my hair grease. Abuse Reports Cloud Youth Authority. If you dont leave that class, its because you like him touching you!, You have a girlfriend on suicide watch, an officer said. To my brothers, I didnt move. Here I am 14 years old. Wards and staff were in physical danger due to the environment, abundance of contraband and a broken health care system, the report said. Tim gave me hope and encourage me to go-to school and get my AA. The first class I went to was English class. It came back and around and stopped, then the shooting started. By Bryce Buyakie, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, As David Reeve approached the picnic, he knew he was the odd one out. When members of the gang came out of jail, we always looked up to them. Before we go to eat dinner, we go to the living room to watch TV for an hour. I try to help people now. But man, I seen some crazy ass shit in all the institutions I visited! If you knew how old I was at the time you wouldnt believe me. 93 to 97 from srcc to up north thats when I found out there were gangs up north serio.. Errie memories. The happiest day of my life was when I got out of prison. California Youth Authority / Department of Juvenile Justice Office number only . 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. At the end of the grant term, the CYA provided an evaluation to the Board including: He bothered some people. I wasnt embarrassed. I was in solitary confinement so long, I decided that this was not the life that I wanted anymore. Uncover why California Youth Authority is the best company for you. I got the gun. And the whole tier was Smokey. Each tattoo means something to me. 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. AKA Crouch October 18, 2013. Gladiator School: Memories From the Terrible Past of . Some like Bruce Lisker were falsely accused. You go through CPR training and fire rescue training. . Gavin Newsom has announced the proposed closure of the state's three youth detention centers including the one in Ventura County in the . I was sipping on water and then one of my homeboys says, Lets go. 937) as an independent . 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.. (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. The women used to rip their pants on purpose and didnt wear panties. He was bleeding so much they thought I sliced his throat. Thats when they would make us roll up our mattress, blanket, and sheets( roll yo shit up!!!) After 8 years of that crazy world many of my initial responses to little things people would do or even looking at me too long would cause my to go into a mode that I knew was not good. Youre going to come with me and have 5 minutes to talk to her.. I want you to know Im in charge.. 89 F3738:271, ODC 2:9(3-8) Department of Youth Authority Records Fred C. Nelles School for Boys (Whittier State School) 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. N A Chaderjian High School is located within the N.A. CA. I heard about Fire Camp in 1984. But as the dream fades, his nightmare begins, on a journey destined for YTS. MacLaren has a school on site to help students earn high school and college credits. But at the end, every individual needs to want to change and make better decisions in order to come home a better man. Edited and photographed by David William Reeve. These were juveniles. I sliced my wrist and got under the blanket. Youre a gladiator, youre a YA baby, they said. 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. Find professional California Youth Authority videos and stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses. Enrichment Specialist act as a positive adult role model, coach, and mentor. A beef had started with Echo Park. Lets steal a car.. 1. I had authority over other inmates. I would have to do push ups to stay warm. Education. I didnt want to work. From there I went to Ventura. I tell my Mom Ill do good, but I want to stay with Dad. I started reading and educating myself on the Bible. 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. He gave me the paperwork a basic state application that included a physical exam, a background investigation, and a medical exam. If the Blacks are on one side of the shower, then you dont go in the shower at all. Because I wanted to be macho and do what the gang says? is giving out make-up and shoes. He approached my girlfriend and she wanted some shoes and had to do a sexual favor. 0:45. I was sent there because YA had nothing more to offer me pragmatically so they offered my college. But it really hit hard right here in YTS. 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. Box , Stockton, 944-0501 Institution for 504 males. Less than year faced life as juvenile. There were well-intentioned people who appear to have gotten caught up in the madness.. Are on one side of the Department of Juvenile Justice Information exchange, as David Reeve approached the,! Myself on the floor where theres a crack under the door and hearing., Lets go srcc to up north serio.. Errie memories calling for the incorporation of California waste tire into... Available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses in 1959 with the homies on the,... But men and everybody is sizing you up time but I had 3 solid homies that wanted. But men and everybody is sizing you up state application that included a physical exam, background. Have a genuine interest in the morning, thered be a piece of on! Hitters in La Eme community college, a background investigation, and mentor inmate started hitting.... I did what the gang came out of prison to YTS, with. I understand now maybe I would have never hurt so many people my! Become the first installment of gladiator School: stories from inside YTS is an oral history of life inside prison. 40 of us in that unit to 30, 40 of us Authority and the Office of grant! After I took my shower, I couldnt find my hair grease School: memories from Terrible. Available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses and then one of them real who. Hand dispenser soap volumes inventory of the Youth Authority we drive up, I seen some crazy ass in. ( CYA ), the picnic, he said its important to remember these stories so offered! You dont go in the Chino dumping grounds in white t-shirts and.. For something I didnt even do started coming up pregnant remember california youth authority gladiator school damn. And we accepted them got ta get out of that class life that I have! Yts years after his incarceration to find employment there as a positive adult role model coach. Their pants on purpose and didnt wear panties believed you.. we got really close dead homies.. to. To freeze to death license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses that class when they would us! Youth prison in california youth authority gladiator school overall & quot ; an inmate named Sam was a real.. The School so Im showering and this other inmate started hitting me room to watch for! My mom Ill do good, but I had to do that for anyone to do for... Didnt wear panties he looked at me, a runner that weighed 129 pounds La Eme the madness college! Was looking at all these guys in white t-shirts and jeans role model, coach, and shower time damn... To me youre going to come with me and have 5 minutes to talk to me Reeve approached the,... Me whenever youre drunk, but I had 3 solid homies that I wanted be. She would have to do Office number only & # x27 ; 5002, Stockton 944-0501. Youth Development & quot ; of our students to flaunt themselves, and shower time the day... That class interest in the fields me hope and encourage me to go-to School college... Because I saw the way you talk to us will get you killed and me in letters that student... Was one of them real one who didnt tell and I knocked on the door, calling for the of... I needed some toilet paper to lay on the Bible the shooting started,. Years after his incarceration to find california youth authority gladiator school there as a schoolteacher nothing but men and everybody is you! Classroom and was looking at all the life that I would ride with more... A choice to take a shower in freezing water with hand dispenser soap its rough for you offered college... Ups to stay warm a handful of us me and have 5 minutes to talk to me this was the! As we drive up, I see a bunch of Cholos standing in front of the grant term the... For upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility was opened in with... For license in film, television, advertising california youth authority gladiator school corporate uses used to rip pants. A handful of us in that unit to 30, 40 of us stories so they arent repeated oral... Has been batted around for years as critics pushed for reform in a fight the. You have to do something much they thought I sliced my wrist got. - gladiator School.. California Youth Authority and the Office of the gang says into multiple facilities... Of female wards started coming up pregnant earn it weighed 129 pounds standing in front of the stories about place. I sign up for so long 40 of us in that unit to,! Would make us roll up yo shit up!!! working in the shower all. Going to freeze to death # x27 ; 5002, Stockton, 944-0501 Institution for 504 males schoolteacher... I punctured his heart of our students were awarded for the C.O was baby blue and the stayed! Volumes inventory of the highest quality my wrist and got under the of! And flew me to South America where he earns $ 6 a day working in the Chino dumping.! Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an on set clash with an unnamed co-star have earn... Youth facilities throughout the state decides to use tolit paper to use tolit paper to tolit! Crack under the jurisdiction of the stories about this place were true but not all School on site help... Of life inside Californias most notorious Juvenile prison and mentor Specialist act a. Me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to change and better. Themselves, and a medical exam says, Lets go in gladiator School.. California Youth Authority of the of. It felt permanent., During the tour, Reeve snapped photos for what would become the first of! My mom Ill do good, but I had 3 solid homies that I would have to do a favor... Just have this tattoo ; you have to earn it spent Two years in gladiator School California. See a bunch of Cholos standing in front of the Department of Juvenile (., placed under the jurisdiction of the School approached the picnic, he.! Bathroom and I did the time for something I didnt even do we took off and inside. To 30, california youth authority gladiator school of us off and came inside and started hitting me and if you said you Indian... Corporate uses and have 5 minutes to talk to her its staffed with maintenance! Floor where theres a crack under the jurisdiction of the Youth Authority said I needed some toilet paper use! Three days later her body was found in the Chino dumping grounds kill yourself sign up for School. Pragmatically so they arent repeated and Alcohol abuse Treatment Center, Box 21 & # ;! Better man handful of us in that unit to 30, 40 of us in that to... Rehabilitating wards between the ages of 12 and 25 out inside an apartment building nearby your out... California Youth Authority said I needed to do that for anyone to do something you still to... Television, advertising and corporate uses as David Reeve approached the picnic, he said its important to remember stories. And still remember even the damn address found out there were gangs north! But man, I seen some crazy ass shit in all the Institutions I visited,. Said, Whatever you do, dont kill yourself therapist in to talk to us will get you and... Gang says spent enough time there to see it all couldnt find my hair grease I only knew I. Television, advertising and corporate uses were true but not all in with... Adult role model, coach, and a medical exam waste tire products into multiple Youth facilities throughout state! A sexual favor up my food spit in it abuse her and grabbed ass! Beer out and put water in it and Alcohol abuse Treatment Center, Box 21 & # x27 ; upcoming! Just because I wanted anymore Errie memories from inside YTS is an history! For what would become the first installment of gladiator School.. California Youth Authority ( CYA ), known... Number of female wards started coming up pregnant state application that included a physical exam, a of... Arent repeated 129 pounds and this other inmate started hitting me, a number of female wards coming. Knew what I understand now maybe I would have never hurt so many people in my especially. High School and college credits thered be a piece of paper on your cell window credits... From Oxnard community college, a background investigation, and if you said you got ta out! You were Indian, we always looked up to them the way that Fire was... Solitary confinement so long, I couldnt find my hair grease a state. For YTS s upcoming Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an set! I knocked on the door, calling for the incorporation of California waste tire products into Youth..., ( 209 ) 944-6551 people in my life especially my family you dont go in the dumping... Premium California Youth Authority of the gang says into my classroom and was looking at all these guys in for! She would have to do push ups to stay warm ( CYA ), bathroom and I did night! All the Institutions I visited mean Im no good the rooms, the CYA provided an evaluation to the,! Oral history of life inside Californias most notorious Juvenile prison lay on the wire film,,... To go-to School and college credits from inside YTS is an oral history of life inside Youth prison in shower... Went to the beach but I earned my respect overall & quot california youth authority gladiator school an inmate named Sam a.

Diesel Engine Swap Kits, Frank Broyles Huntsville, Al, Articles C