Im a small guy, so I push the couch under the TV and reach up to turn it off. Then went to Karl Holton, then Preston. I went to Camp Karl Holton and it was more peaceful. I didnt suffer anymore because I saw the way that Fire Camp was run. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. Edited and photographed by David William Reeve. is giving out make-up and shoes. He approached my girlfriend and she wanted some shoes and had to do a sexual favor. I was able to write a book about my experience to help with the PTSD. They like to flaunt themselves, and if you get caught peter-gazing, its rough for you. It was in the newspaper. He starts telling us a story that the Department of Juvenile Justice was moving out of adult prisons and into a health and human services category in the state, Reeve said. I was not the only one. Report (Technical Assistance) Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. Totally messed him up and he had nightmares and began using drugs to quell his memories. This is called initiation! I was sadden as I read this article it brought back so many memories to time I served while at YTS CYC 1991-1994. At Ventura, half of the unit is for guys and half of the unit is for ladies. She would have sex with guys in exchange for $100 worth of commissary. Lets steal a car.. But mostly a learning experience. I sliced him. I did not want to hurt this guy. Everybodys watching TV and Im sitting on the couch. I sliced him. You cant take care of your son, the judge told my mom, so Im sending him to the California Youth Authority. My charges were attempted murder, so they sent me to the YA Facility at Paso Robles. With the juvenile system changing in California, he said its important to remember these stories so they arent repeated. 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. I was screaming and crying. Your eyes are focused straight ahead. 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. We was back on lock down. 13575 Empire Grade Rd. My body was burning with pepper spray. You need some counseling, somebody to talk to you and hear you out. Lets steal a car.. I didnt want to lose my girlfriend, so I told her that if she didnt get out of that class, Id break up with her. In 2016, he was released from United States Penitentiary ADX, in Florence, Colorado the most isolated and secure prison in the country. A guy killed himself by hanging from a sheet. Yts 84-87 y+z 42759 Righteous Wood Here Frosty Lompoc, #66150;Definitely a gladiator school. Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS is an oral history of life inside Californias most notorious juvenile prison. He bothered some people. I had a girlfriend whose name was Suzanna. Dec. 24, 1999 12 AM PT. 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. Thats rape in my mind. 1978. Guys will do that. 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. It all becomes very complicated; its not good guys versus bad guys, Reeve said. My Dad bought me anything I wanted. Lisker told Reeve there were five to 10 assaults a day. I was trying to get out. My girl told me in letters that the student aid guy tried to abuse her and grabbed her ass. The California Youth Authority (CYA) received a $150,000 direct grant from the CIWMB at its Board meeting in April 2003. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. He gave me a .38 and I hid between two cars. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail. The room was baby blue and the lights stayed on. The California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), previously known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), . Rip. You soap up it takes 35, 45 seconds. Whoever stole my Tres Flowers fuck yer mom, fuck yer dead homies.. This C.O. . He would leave me money. We were fighting this fire near the Grapevine; it was really cold. 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. I held knowledge about gangs because I was a shot-caller, so they didnt want me to have any contact with other gang members. An eventful time of my life for sure.got after it the whole time and came thru good as one can be 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. California Coalition for Youth PO Box 161448 Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 514-4464 (916) 514-4499 fax. We all road out together. 4241 Williamsborough Drive, Sacramento, CA 95823, United States. Here I am 14 years old. 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. You never wash your hair because youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed. But at the end, every individual needs to want to change and make better decisions in order to come home a better man. An inmate named Sam was a real problem. I was sent to the hole, but I earned my respect. 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. This has repercussions throughout the whole youth authority, statewide. So Im showering and this other inmate started hitting me, so I defended myself. Beautiful girl, I loved her so much. 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. NRCC and Holton, saw it change from 89 to 90 when they banned smokes lol. Youre going to be here in the hole. 481). Its easy to get caught up and live a wild life in there but if if you never made strides to wanna change your mentality then that door was and still is revolving. Rafael "Al" Losno Jr. came to prison during the era when phrases like "battle gyms and gladiator schools" were the norm. did the night rounds and knocked on my door. After I took my shower, I couldnt find my hair grease. 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. My whole mind was thinking about escape. Even with us gone, they still kept coming up pregnant. 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. North Hollywood Boy reflects on years in gang, juvenile hall and California Youth Authority (pt1) Sexual assaults in CYA. Northern California Youth Center, Stockton, CA Includes four institutions. In ts it was gladiator school and in Chad it was known as the battle dome we even had a real goat named billy as a mascot. They left me like that for two days in the hole. They were running a prostitution ring at the call center. End date 4/12/99 Thanx to all the counselors that believed in me,ie. Now Im in Gladiator School, coming from a college campus-style institution where we could hold hands with girls, go to class, and dances. What unit do you live on?. All youth who have not yet completed a GED or high school diploma are required to attend school. 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. And here comes the Volkswagen. 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. People were lenient. General Inquiries info@calyouth.org. CREATIVE. They wanted to see us develop stamina. They took the teardrop off of my face with a laser. California Youth Authority / Department of Juvenile Justice Office number only . His father, known locally as Mexican Bob died in 2019. God must of new I needed an Angel because I demanded to be transferred back to ts or chad. He was there for murder and was 24-years-old. The judge sentenced me until my 25th birthday. The murder that I committed was against some regular person. He had six months to go. But in Fire Camp youre not just with your race, now its a buddy system. I was going to hurt people if I had to. This is where the nightmare begins. At least eight times in the last three years, unruly . 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. I didnt want to leave I had a girlfriend, somebody that I thought I was going to marry. But YA didnt make me who I am. The women used to rip their pants on purpose and didnt wear panties. Went to preston in 2006 pondrosa lodge #CO536, [] completely normal for the government. Riots kicked off every week. Everybody from the Inland Empire got along. When I got out of ADX Colorado, they gave me an ATM card and flew me to South America. "Despite popular myth, CYA and then DJJ, have not been 'gladiator schools' for the past two decades," Ramsey said." Shipped to OH on the green dick. I was in solitary confinement so long, I decided that this was not the life that I wanted anymore. Betty Boothroyd always claimed that she was 'married to the House of Commons'. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. It became a party house. I see this guy who is 24 years old doing sexual activity to this 14-year-old girl. When you go to YA and get out, its like you went to war. Contact the California State Archives for more information. If I wanted to buy beer, I could go to the bar and put it on his tab. Headquarters Education Services. I grew up in the system. If you dont leave that class, its because you like him touching you!, You have a girlfriend on suicide watch, an officer said. I went on a shooting spree in 1993. 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. Violence was common at YTS. 92 93 94 95 Karl Holton Dewitt Nelson. He spent 22 monthsat YTS before returning as an adult, working as aVocational Instructor, and later as an Institutional Gang Investigator. I couldnt believe it. And who should we see about that? Lol. 44 32276 4430013. I served the sentence given me and moved on with my life. The more that people learn and know about what goes on inside of prisons, the more likely things are to change, he said. 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. To my brothers, Employment Information Instead of him helping me out, the psych made it worse. The California Youth Authority is confronted with various challenges that call for a fresh examination of its facility needs: (1) an aging infrastructure with housing-related and other deficiencies; (2) demands for special facilities, as a result of state, federal, and court mandates to deliver mental health and education . Its like Boot Camp. At Fire Camp, somebody stole my shoes and money, and nobody would admit to it. We got a rule if youre a member of this organization. They would put swastikas on, but there was no Aryan Brotherhood. 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. Getting our cells searched and tossed up by the staff. Life inside Youth Prison in the 80s - Gladiator School - Prison Talk 20.7. They sent a therapist in to talk to me. My Dad said, you should never be involved in gangs, even though he was an outlaw biker. would approach whoever he thought the prettiest girl was. In this episode, John (aka Cool Breeze) returns to YTS years after his incarceration to find employment there as a schoolteacher. We got really close. When the lights came on the girl was crying. When I was in the hole, it was dark. Lord High School has a similar structure to other public schools, including: A principal, certified teachers, and other support staff. These places were atrocious. 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. My deceased husband was at the CYA in Chino in the early 1970s. 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. Records of the State Reform School (Marysville) include Board of Trustees' Minute Book, 1860-1868 (B0898, #1155); Cash Ledger, 1861-1868 (B0898, #2308); and Register of Audited Accounts, 1862-1868 (B7857, #2309). the author helped turn the entire CYA into a single school district and hired a superintendent of education to manage this aspect of the program. 1. Wearing a yellow badge means youre over 18. Editors Note: Since the Gold Rush, Californias youth prisons or correctional institutions have been characterized by neglect, violence, and abuse, despite attempts at reform. For more information about records for specific . Abuse Reports Cloud Youth Authority. Give me the gun, I said to my buddy. The California Youth Authority was known as "Gladiator School." You could do all the smashing you wanted to. Youre going to sleep when I tell you to sleep. Sometimes you get put in unpredictable circumstances. Eventually, my Brother went to the Army; my Sister was married. Messy Marv. My yts number was 33XXX thats how long ago it has been. Less than year faced life as juvenile. The Nazi Lowriders were barely coming up. I started attending church, and it started changing. We can see the glow of the fire down below. On December 1, 1979, I was in a Christmas parade riding my lowrider bike; I came home and nobody was there. I was actively fighting, gang banging, throwing fucks, kicking off riots, Ironwood and tamarack programs. Website. This is prison. I made an announcement. The overhaul, however quickly it came, has been batted around for years as critics pushed for reform. If she doesnt start eating then youre going to get transferred out of here. Something started happening with me. When his desire to fit in with the gang leads to murder, Luis sheds his need for protection by fighting for survival in YTS. I want you to know Im in charge.. Its here that the 15-year old begins his career of crime, accelerating through the ranks of local jails, juvies, camps, and rehabs, before earning a formal education in survival at YTS. I didnt want to work. 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 . And he died on Friday, Aug 13, 2021. DA/FCC #: DA-01-317; Docket/RM: 96-45, 97-21 By 1980, my Dad was working in Los Angeles and I had no supervision. The anger I felt, the violence, the heartlessness, the cages, the smell, the water, the blood, the impact of being shot by beanbag guns, the riots, 1 one 1s, broken hands, the tension in the air just before it kicks off, staff assaults, drugs, alcohol, death. He was a big officer. He told us he wanted to get back at some guys he had trouble with at YTS. The rooms, the regulations; we were using the same bathroom stall as a Black guy. Uncover why California Youth Authority is the best company for you. I tell my Mom Ill do good, but I want to stay with Dad. Criminal Justice Journalism in the Public Interest, a mind-numbing level of controversy and scandal, phasing out the states youth prison system, Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS, signed into law on Sept. 30, legislationto close, What Really Happened To My Kids? Today, that total is approximately 159,000 and growing. It was the best place to do time. He has been married for 25 years and has raised six kids, including a son who became a LAPD officer. When I was in the infirmary, they said, Why did you slice your wrist, Adrin?, Ill give you some medicine to help you out.. 13 years old . Preston #81548. 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. If I wanted to buy beer, I could go to the bar and put it on his tab. 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. Im sure it fucked us up worse. I refused to eat. I was one of the few of my friends that had a dad. Gladiator School - California Youth Authority #CYA #YouthPrison #california And the whole tier was Smokey. But i was only given 18 months. 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. I couldnt register that what I was seeing was true. Where was the oversight? At the end of the grant term, the CYA provided an evaluation to the Board including: 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. CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY The California Youth Authority (CYA), the largest youth correctional system in the United States, houses approximately six thousand juveniles and young . 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. Criminal penalty. 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. It seemed like bad behavior was expected and respected. Everybody from Los Angeles got along. I said, Come here, man. Shoulder to shoulder we hugged each other It worked. You dont peter-gaze, you dont do anything. My husband went through nearly every program through out CA and to be honest all it did was made him a better criminal not nurturing or love was given at all he is finishing his 27 th year was in pelican bay at 21 and has been to most adult prisons and is finishing his sentence tace in Folsom Prison as we speak 6 months from his out date and the only person that helped him was himself (oh and me ), I did the CYA tour 91-96. According to . He told me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to drink, pour your beer out and put water in it. I sign up for continuation school and as we drive up, I see a bunch of Cholos standing in front of the school. When you first go in, you have to know the rules and regulations, and theres always somebody willing to give all the information. 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. There was an older guy named Wino who had recently come out of YTS. Cold as fuck out on that bench in a thin jumpsuit in the cage to get air outside. When I tell you to stand up, youre going to stand up. It felt like a prison. I dont get involved with anything illegal. 327). Arrested 1983. I just lost it. From there I went to Ventura. The Collapsing Circus & California Government Violence and Murder | Christopher Maffei. zoom in on sign reading "department of youth authority san marcos school for . I try to help people now. They left me there. She said, I cant believe this happened to me. Her whole body was shaking. As an adult, he was recruited into the top ranks of the Mexican Mafia. Theres so much abuse that Id been through. . CYA has also . "An inmate named Sam was a real problem. This cholo guy rushed me and started fighting. 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 . 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 was 14 years old and I was in with the wrong crowd, drinking beer. I went to prison in Atwater, CA in Terre Haute, Indiana in Oklahoma too. I had friends, but I couldnt relate to them. I aint gonna lie. Due to the fact that I was locked up so many times, its hard for me. Around 2 o clock in the morning, all the power went off. 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. I did my time from the halls to arc to nelles then to yts. 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. Ridley Scott's upcoming Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an on set clash with an unnamed co-star. I would like to find out the answers for my two sons. He died within a minute. I spent Two years in Gladiator School..California youth authority. . I did what the California Youth Authority said I needed to do. We had pizza. Gladiator school.. 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. When I got transferred to YTS, Im with nothing but men and everybody is sizing you up.
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