This is prison. If I wanted to buy beer, I could go to the bar and put it on his tab. They shot me with this rubber bullet that knocked me to the floor then took me to the hole. When I got transferred to YTS, Im with nothing but men and everybody is sizing you up. We had fish sticks. 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. It was a learning experience. You could do whatever you want. But YA didnt make me who I am. The inmate population of California, in 1977, was 19,600. I was sipping on water and then one of my homeboys says, Lets go. All future Diplomas from this Stockton CYA facility will not carry the WASC accreditation. I was able to write a book about my experience to help with the PTSD. Flag. Because I wanted to be macho and do what the gang says? I knocked again for my toilet paper. 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 despair. Ill get you some Nikes. Remember what they taught us? I looked at him and he looked at me, and I didnt even care. He saw blood and hit the panic alarm. But i was only given 18 months. Ya baby 58158 checking in. From inmates to staff to visitors to religious volunteers. Youre not a sissy, are you?I looked at him, Yeah, I can fight. Okay, youre hired.. Seen grown men guards beat up little kids like men seen doctors prescribed my friends psych meds and fuck em up. My first week at YTS, I have a picture of my Dad who came to visit 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. This army of Men of God started rising up there. It became a party house. And absolutely someone should be held accountable. We had meat. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton, California (209) 944-6444. I got a black hand tattoo across my chest. My body was burning with pepper spray. I did ok in there. You need some counseling, somebody to talk to you and hear you out. It wasnt so much violence as much as the predator adult counselors. I was going to hurt people if I had to. We had a party later and I poured my beer out. I thought I was going to freeze to death. 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. Before we go to eat dinner, we go to the living room to watch TV for an hour. 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 . 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 can see the glow of the fire down below. Abuse Reports Cloud Youth Authority. Here I am 14 years old. 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. He would go to the girls room, give her some new shoes. 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. After the cops leave, I heard the car come back a second time the Volkswagen again. I never lived in the neighborhood. If the images or a settlement of some kind because of the abuse us wards 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, I was on K&L for 7 years 86-92.. YTS saved my life. 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. He bothered some people. Rip. They put me in the observation room where there is a camera. It became a party house. He has been married for 25 years and has raised six kids, including a son who became a LAPD officer. At the reunion, he met Chuck Supple, the former state director of juvenile justice, who had flown from Sacramento to attend the picnic. Everyone else was just associates. In the morning, thered be a piece of paper on your cell window. (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. We were teenagers then. He was there for murder and was 24-years-old. When members of the gang came out of jail, we always looked up to them. I only cut him one time by his ear. He told me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to drink, pour your beer out and put water in it. If I wanted to buy beer, I could go to the bar and put it on his tab. Haha. You need to get a lawyer.. When you first go in, you have to know the rules and regulations, and theres always somebody willing to give all the information. 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. Sometimes you get put in unpredictable circumstances. I shot a couple people on the street and I got arrested. They take me to her unit. 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. Find out what works well at California Youth Authority from the people who know best. Riots kicked off every week. 44 32276 4430013. We got a rule if youre a member of this organization. Its a way to communicate codes we speak when we dont want officers to know. I was cool with everyone. 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. Well that was 40 years ago. Distinguishing Characteristics. Legislation transferred all three schools, placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Institutions in 1921 (ch. Youre not going to slice your wrist anymore, are you?. CDS Code. He died of colon cancer at 53. I didnt want to work. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). Fucked up place but it made me who I am today a solid motherfuker. I get a paper and write her a note and use the elastic string in my boxers to slide it under her door. In this episode, Bruce Lisker is accused of an unimaginable crime that casts him from the safety of his suburban Sherman Oaks home into a nightmarish new reality and the struggle to survive Gladiator School. Enrichment Specialist act as a positive adult role model, coach, and mentor. When youre a Black Hand in the Mexican Mafia, you cannot theres no rape. I figured if nobody is going to follow the rules of an institution, Im going to relax the rules, too. It didnt look like a rehabilitative place, he said. Im human. You want some Nikes? Cold as fuck out on that bench in a thin jumpsuit in the cage to get air outside. We were fighting this fire near the Grapevine; it was really cold. Less than year faced life as juvenile. "The state institutions were . My whole mind was thinking about escape. 1977 ( tDAR id: 209096) This Resource is Part of the Following Collections PDF California Youth Authority Facilities Review - oig.ca.gov Gladiator School: Memories From the Terrible Past of . I grew up in the system. Instead of him helping me out, the psych made it worse. I cut a piece of plastic from a plate on my food tray and waited for the night guard. When I went to the shower, the officer setting up my food spit in it. I started reading and educating myself on the Bible. Got my ged. Santa Cruz, CA 95060. 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. close and Chad to work with some of coming back to Alameda County Oakland. I was crying. You had a choice to take a shower in freezing water with hand dispenser soap. I wanted to show them how to make life work for them like I had done. I kind of got jealous thats not right. Each tattoo means something to me. I was sent to YTS after I committed armed robbery in the summer of 1977 as a ward of the Los Angeles County foster care system. We were tortured in there. I was walking in slow motion, like a zombie. So Im showering and this other inmate started hitting me, so I defended myself. Three days later her body was found in the Chino dumping grounds. 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! You dont do any of that stuff. He would ask, What type of shoe do you wear? North Hollywood Boy reflects on years in gang, juvenile hall and California Youth Authority (pt1) Sexual assaults in CYA. There I realized I wasnt going to make it. I remember being referred to as a YA baby in prison due to going to CYA and consequently it came with a reputation to live up to. People need to know. We were not going to learn; we were going to see our girlfriends and give them a kiss. By 1980, my Dad was working in Los Angeles and I had no supervision. Redemption my brothers! 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 . The courts figured I was still in Walnut, but I stayed with him. The Collapsing Circus & California Government Violence and Murder | Christopher Maffei. So many disgusting horrific stories my boyfriend would tell me. What unit do you live on?. Youre a gladiator, youre a YA baby, they said. "Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS" an oral history of life inside California's most notorious juvenile prison. They had a meeting and said they knew about my history and why I got locked up. When I tell you to stand up, youre going to stand up. He was married and had a young child. 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. Welcome to a new series of difficult but important testimony. When I was in the hole, it was dark. I was actually there when that lady got killed and the body was found at the dump. A county or juvenile facility. Its hard but Im making it. CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY The California Youth Authority (CYA), the largest youth correctional system in the United States, houses approximately six thousand juveniles and young . A source told the outlet that producers tried to rectify the situation but they . After doing time in YTS CYA I went right to prison with a LIFE sentence for a gang related shooting and gang enhancements. I went to his house a couple of times and met his family. There were marks on my legs. Even with us gone, they still kept coming up pregnant. The happiest day of my life was when I got out of prison. Ridley Scott's upcoming Apple TV+ series Sinking Spring after getting into an on set clash with an unnamed co-star. 2. I started attending church, and it started changing. Then Chad lol. Contact the California State Archives for more information. 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. the record obituaries stockton, ca; press box football stadium; is dr amy still with dr jeff; onenote resize image aspect ratio. My mouth was hanging open. 481). Im sure itll be criticized and debated, but its an attempt.. If you knew how old I was at the time you wouldnt believe me. Wearing a yellow badge means youre over 18. Youre fighting fires with somebody whos watching your back. Visit davidreeve.net for more. In 2001, I went to Pelican Bay State Prison. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. Reports Say California Youth Authority Facilities Provide 'Inadequate' Health Care, Mental Health Services. They took the teardrop off of my face with a laser. You cant just have this tattoo; you have to earn it. I tell my Mom, dont even stop. Im gonna get jumped my first day here. She would have sex with guys in exchange for $100 worth of commissary. Lol. At night peeping counselors at shower windows outside. If you had a girlfriend, you were lucky. The California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), previously known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), . After all, it took some convincing for the group to make an exception for him. Youre kind of small. I grew up in a nice part San Bernardino. I try to be positive. If the Blacks are on one side of the shower, then you dont go in the shower at all. Nobody had any honor. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. If you didnt display violence, you are going to become a victim of it, and we see it from the wards and the guards.. We where in the mountains of ione so it was freezing. DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. I took the knives out of her back, called for help, then called my Dad.. 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.. After I took my shower, I couldnt find my hair grease. I was 14 years old and I was in with the wrong crowd, drinking beer. I programmed. You cant show any fear. C. Hood 64961. Im 40 and still remember even the damn address. Employment Information The judge sentenced me until my 25th birthday. He bothered some people This is called initiation! I looked at Derrek and asked, Are you cold? Hes chattering like I was. My experiences while in YTS gave me the edge that I needed to want more then I grew up with. It was in the newspaper. But as the dream fades, his nightmare begins, on a journey destined for YTS. Gladiator school.. When I was in Ventura, I put a S.U.R. I need to use the bathroom; its an emergency.. 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. Can you fight? I refused to eat. We continue this next episode of difficult but important testimony. You go through CPR training and fire rescue training. If the female is sitting next to you its 100% thats your girlfriend. 13 years old . People were lenient. If I only knew what I understand now maybe I would have never hurt so many people in my life especially my family. This cholo guy rushed me and started fighting. . In this episode, John (aka Cool Breeze) returns to YTS years after his incarceration to find employment there as a schoolteacher. She called Youth Authority and said, if something happens to my son, Im going to sue you guys. They called from Sacramento and they transferred me. To my brothers, They identified themselves as that, and we accepted them. I was trying to get out. But in Fire Camp youre not just with your race, now its a buddy system. 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. She couldnt say anything to the teacher because other girls would turn on her and say she was a snitch. Its staffed with a maintenance crew for upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility, he said. End date 4/12/99 Thanx to all the counselors that believed in me,ie. I dropped out of school. Theres so much abuse that Id been through. At Fire Camp, somebody stole my shoes and money, and nobody would admit to it. 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. Give me the gun, I said to my buddy. It made me very happy because that meant I could stay at Ventura. May 2004 A Review of the California Youth Authority's Infrastructure. My Mom and Dad divorced in 1967. It all becomes very complicated; its not good guys versus bad guys, Reeve said. My choice was either go to Fire Camp or get more time, and I didnt want more time. I was terror-stricken; not even there. Lord High School has a similar structure to other public schools, including: A principal, certified teachers, and other support staff. 3. Why would I suffer out here? It made me survive so many years in Federal Prison. I heard about Fire Camp in 1984. 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. It was only a matter of time. He looked tough. See the Department of Youth Authority Records finding aid at the California State Archives for additional detail. Gladiator School episode 5 "The only way out". These changes to the system are a result of Senate Bill 823, which Gov. Fire Camp was a whole different atmosphere. Have faith. A bullet went through the side of my face then hit my friend in the stomach, but the bullet didnt penetrate him. I wish they could have taken all of them. 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 . I remember my mom sent me Tres Flowers Hair Grease because I used to comb my hair back. You soap up it takes 35, 45 seconds. You either take mess or you dont. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. I felt I wasnt going to see all the violence that I had seen before, but it was worse. The room was baby blue and the lights stayed on. Photo by Peter Maiden We have returned to the situation of 50 years . I was in my room and the whole prison went on lockdown, searching for this lady. And most of the time he just couldnt even talk about it as an adult. Box , Stockton, 944-0501 Institution for 504 males. The release said the attacker will be sent to the local facility as the previous state-run facilities, the California Youth Authority and the Department of Juvenile Justice, were closed. I was sipping on water and then one of my homeboys says, Lets go. I sliced him. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). My roommate was in a street gang. He brought me pizza and soda; he and my Mom came it was the first time they had been together in over a year. Lisker told Reeve there were five to 10 assaults a day. He told me whenever youre drunk, but you still want to drink, pour your beer out and put water in it. I didnt like Youth Training School. 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. I lost my family, my brother died, I became an uncle. Guys will do that. Only went to jail one time but did a gang of time as a youngsta. Wed go to church because of the blind spots. Report (Technical Assistance) I served the sentence given me and moved on with my life. Get the california youth authority . 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. So sad that Gangs fighting And drugs were more prevalent in CYA and other youth programs . #77766 (1996 to 2005) SRCC, Fred C. Nelles, HeMan G. Starks YA BABY !!!! There was Im alive and staying alive, or the opposite.. I knew my Dad was going to be there. , what type of shoe do you wear many disgusting horrific stories my boyfriend would tell me on the and... 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