. In August of 1996 a counselor was killed in YTS (Youth Training School) in Chino, California. Ventura School for Girls replaced the name California School for Girls in 1925 (ch. Everyone else was just associates. Where was the oversight? Edited and photographed by David William Reeve. Youre not going to slice your wrist anymore, are you?. When I was in the hole, it was dark. He told us he wanted to get back at some guys he had trouble with at YTS. Because I ran a pretty straight program. They called me down to the security office and issued me a full set of keys for the institution. They called him Lazy, but he is anything but that embarking on a spree of strongarm carjackings and robberies that land him in YTS, where he sparks a religious revival during the prisons darkest hours. In my eyes, Im just a person that tried to survive. The overhaul, however quickly it came, has been batted around for years as critics pushed for reform. And who should we see about that? 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. I am 1%/1000 that made it in life. 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. My legs were hurting. Less than year faced life as juvenile. I dropped out of school. Rafael "Al" Losno Jr. came to prison during the era when phrases like "battle gyms and gladiator schools" were the norm. He bothered some people. And here comes the Volkswagen. I explained to them the way you talk to us will get you killed and me in prison for the rest of my life. Photo by Peter Maiden We have returned to the situation of 50 years See the Department of Youth Authority Records finding aid at the California State Archives for additional detail. That means that person is shipping out to Fire Camp. I said, Come here, man. Shoulder to shoulder we hugged each other It worked. As reluctant as I was I agreed as a vacation away from ts and chad. Some of the stories about this place were true but not all. 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. I had a meeting with all the Chicanos, but they didnt admit to it. Everybody from Los Angeles got along. He died within a minute. He gave me a .38 and I hid between two cars. And the whole tier was Smokey. It became a party house. The California School Directory contains information about California public schools, . 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 . 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 tell my Mom, dont even stop. Im gonna get jumped my first day here. 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. The judge sentenced me until my 25th birthday. Tim later explained to me I reminded him of an abused animal, ready to attack anything that got close to me. I knew my Dad was going to be there. I left with two other friends of mine who were in the same cottage in Ventura. You never wash your hair because youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed. The sweat lodge became the church for people who wanted to self-identify as Native Americans or as indigenous people from anywhere. Im a small guy, so I push the couch under the TV and reach up to turn it off. Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. In this episode, Jaime Morales is an ambitious youngster making a name for himself on the streets of South East LA. I just lost it. 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 felt I needed to go along to get the older gang members approval. When I was in the hole, they brought a girl in I was looking right at her room and shes asleep. I kind of got jealous thats not right. He looked tough. Id never seen that before. Derrek who was a Compton Crip and I must have hiked five miles, and its two oclock in the morning. We were trying to steal his car. Ben Lomond Youth Conservation Camp. I used to get love letters and stuff like that. He would leave me money. I was gonna be tough. 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%). I wanted to show them how to make life work for them like I had done. California Youth Authority / Department of Juvenile Justice Office number only . I did what the California Youth Authority said I needed to do. In the 1980s, long before Snoop Dogg and the rest of his crew had found success, they were Westside gang members living a street lifestyle that often included run-ins with the law. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). This is not YA. We got really close. AKA Crouch October 18, 2013. We were fighting this fire near the Grapevine; it was really cold. These changes to the system are a result of Senate Bill 823, which Gov. 4241 Williamsborough Drive, Sacramento, CA 95823, United States. 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. CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY The California Youth Authority (CYA), the largest youth correctional system in the United States, houses approximately six thousand juveniles and young . An inmate named Sam was a real problem. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton, California (209) 944-6444. From there I went to Ventura. It was really bad. I recently, went back in to O.H. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 30, legislationto closethe stateDivision of Juvenile Justice, and replace it with local alternatives. In the morning, thered be a piece of paper on your cell window. He spent 22 monthsat YTS before returning as an adult, working as aVocational Instructor, and later as an Institutional Gang Investigator. The despair. I wanted to do crime and gangster shit, and I didnt know why. I would like to find out the answers for my two sons. 1978. On August 9, 1996, Youth Counselor Baker, who was also assigned to C/D Company at the facility, worked a 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. shift, as shift coordinator. We had fish sticks. I grew up in the system. I knew how to speak Nahuatl. They knew we had food. When I went to Wasco State Prison, I started getting involved really heavy with gangs. 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. I woke up one morning and saw that little paper in my window. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. Shed give you a list of what to buy her from the store. Now, the state's 58 counties must each designate a local . I needed some toilet paper to use the bathroom and I knocked on the door, calling for the C.O. The High School at N.A.Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton was stripped of its accreditation in May 2005 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Im human. Find professional California Youth Authority videos and stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses. I started attending church, and it started changing. Fresh war. CA. A beef had started with Echo Park. I was 14 years old and I was in with the wrong crowd, drinking beer. 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 . The murder that I committed was against some regular person. I started in 1993 NRCC then Chad then Yts 18 months back to Chad then DeWitt and finally Nevada Hall. I wanted to speak to the superintendent. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. By Bryce Buyakie, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, As David Reeve approached the picnic, he knew he was the odd one out. There was an older guy named Wino who had recently come out of YTS. 3 When members of the gang came out of jail, we always looked up to them. My transition back into society was rough. The schools are run by the county offices of education . This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. I dont know how to do anything after being locked up for so long. You always look up. Each tattoo means something to me. 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. I dont get involved with anything illegal. So sad that Gangs fighting And drugs were more prevalent in CYA and other youth programs . I understood that, eventually. 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. I get a paper and write her a note and use the elastic string in my boxers to slide it under her door. I was in my room and the whole prison went on lockdown, searching for this lady. From inmates to staff to visitors to religious volunteers. And he cried because even tim could see what that place had done to me. This C.O. Reports Say California Youth Authority Facilities Provide 'Inadequate' Health Care, Mental Health Services. CEA Santa Cruz Co. School. 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. These grant funds were awarded for the incorporation of California waste tire products into multiple youth facilities throughout the State. 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 . Everybody from the Inland Empire got along. Chris, aka Child, defended his Echo Park neighborhood as a member of the Westside Crazies in his youth. But YA didnt make me who I am. May 2004 A Review of the California Youth Authority's Infrastructure. In this image, a young woman expresses her view with a sign during a reproductive rights protest in 2021 in Fresno. I remember my mom sent me Tres Flowers Hair Grease because I used to comb my hair back. He bothered some people. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. I would have to do push ups to stay warm. We get into a gun battle. I went to Nrcc when I was 15 (1999)than Preston, Karl Holton, and Dewitt. I went three days without eating. Ibwas on ironwood at Preston and KL at yts the auto mech instructor was called Doc we even developed a friendship after I was out. Its like Boot Camp. Gavin Newsom has announced the proposed closure of the state's three youth detention centers including the one in Ventura County in the . Then covid hit and I havent been back. It brought me to realize a whole lot. I would like to find out the answers for my two sons. Jeff earned his high school diploma while incarcerated and once paroled, never returned. In early 2016, the states youth system by then renamed the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) was deemed to be sufficiently reformed to be released from its 12-year consent decree. Ive been a Ironworker for about 14 years. When I went to the shower, the officer setting up my food spit in it. We play for real, they said. On December 1, 1979, I was in a Christmas parade riding my lowrider bike; I came home and nobody was there. Berge recounts his time at YTS in part 4 of Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS. The project is personal for Reeve, a 49-year-old marketer by day and writer and photographer by night. AKA Crouch October 18, 2013. I try to help people now. These were juveniles. I got a black hand tattoo across my chest. You had to jump in water and get wet for 5 seconds, jump out,, than soap up, than jump back in to rinse off. Dont come with the YA mentality because this is adults, you start new.. Abuse Reports Cloud Youth Authority. Losno Says Goodbye. 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. Publication Type. We had meat. He was bleeding so much they thought I sliced his throat. I didnt know what was wrong with me. 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. 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. When I was in the infirmary, they said, Why did you slice your wrist, Adrin?, Ill give you some medicine to help you out.. His name was Tim. California Youth Authority. at like 3 a.m until whenever. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. Youre going to sleep when I tell you to sleep. I cut a piece of plastic from a plate on my food tray and waited for the night guard. If you wear a white badge, youre underage. Tracy to Cedar to Greenbrier and spent most my time in the Rack. proposal to construct a training center on about 6 acres of state-owned land at ca youth center to include office space, library, classrooms, residential rooms, computer learning center. NCJRS Photocopy Services. 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. After doing time in YTS CYA I went right to prison with a LIFE sentence for a gang related shooting and gang enhancements. Below is an account of photographer David Reeves 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 Youth Training School (YTS). 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 held knowledge about gangs because I was a shot-caller, so they didnt want me to have any contact with other gang members. 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. 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. Gladiator School episode 5 "The only way out". My Dad bought me anything I wanted. Jesse Ferguson, a 22-year-old from Richmond, has been at N.A. Lisker told Reeve there were five to 10 assaults a day. Legislation transferred all three schools, placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Institutions in 1921 (ch. 481). There were brothers there who were very Black but had a little Cherokee in them. I try to be positive. I wish they could have taken all of them. They put a sign on my door that said I refused to eat. I was tired. Pretty much ran my own program. This army of Men of God started rising up there. I was crying. Get the california youth authority . I couldnt see outside, but they can see in. California Youth Crisis Line [email protected]. They was tim was able to engage me was life changing. Find California Youth Authority stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. It went from a handful of us in that unit to 30, 40 of us. Mom, can you get a lawyer? When I went to the hole, they stripped me down took all my clothes off. 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. One minute, I was a kid, then I did all this jail time, and I was back on the streets expected to perform as an adult!. I was a juvenile lifer. Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. We had pizza. You had a choice to take a shower in freezing water with hand dispenser soap. Child receives a dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine at an event launching school vaccinations in Los Angeles, California on November 5, 2021. I sliced him. Compare pay for popular roles and read about the team's work-life balance. We continue this next episode of difficult but important testimony. In a historic and sweeping move, Gov. He saved me he had all girls and he said working at yts gave him all the sons he could ever want. They bought a house and things were good. Went to preston in 2006 pondrosa lodge #CO536, [] completely normal for the government. They took the teardrop off of my face with a laser. 1990020102 - 1990-02-05 - neg - staff training center-california youth authority. I was a teenager, so I knew everything. 937) as an independent . 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. My yts number was 33XXX thats how long ago it has been. Betty Boothroyd always claimed that she was 'married to the House of Commons'. I walked into that bus in shackles, chained up. 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.. It seemed like bad behavior was expected and respected. She couldnt say anything to the teacher because other girls would turn on her and say she was a snitch. He was a big guy, and he looked at me, a runner that weighed 129 pounds. Instead, Some Are Left to Die in Prison. 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 [email protected]. Beautiful girl, I loved her so much. Rough Times Back then. If I could change time, I would have never done what I did. It was the best place to do time. There were no rules. . 531 Followers. 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. I was going to hurt people if I had to. Provide students with a learning environment that provides them . He refused to take me to medical. He used to go there every morning and they paid good money. Im not eating because theres a lot of things happening, and I dont know who to talk to. I told him everything that Id seen. He earns no money by telling their stories. I learned about chow, where to sit, and shower time. He had gotten emails from former YTS inmates and wanted to meet them maybe even write more about the prison. I didnt have any life skills or money. My Mom and Dad divorced in 1967. Wasnt the best time in my life, saw some things, but the trauma made me who I am now. Funny thing about any institution is guys will try you. My buddy got hit, too. Theres was no longer the honor that I grew up with in the institution. Sharing stuff, talking, playing cards. Riots kicked off every week. Lord High School has a similar structure to other public schools, including: A principal, certified teachers, and other support staff. 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. The second part, after page 343, is the same complete Ten End date 4/12/99 Thanx to all the counselors that believed in me,ie. Get the inside scoop on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and CEO insights. He gave me the paperwork a basic state application that included a physical exam, a background investigation, and a medical exam. Close School, the Karl Holton School, the DeWitt Nelson School, and there . This is the intermedia. I was one of the few of my friends that had a dad. I did not want to hurt this guy. Youre fighting fires with somebody whos watching your back. He saw blood and hit the panic alarm. I programmed. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. At night peeping counselors at shower windows outside. 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. They take me to her unit. His father, known locally as Mexican Bob died in 2019. I refused to eat. Staff were so disrespectful that I refused to come out of my cell in fear of hurting one of them. "Despite popular myth, CYA and then DJJ, have not been 'gladiator schools' for the past two decades," Ramsey said." In this episode, John (aka Cool Breeze) returns to YTS years after his incarceration to find employment there as a schoolteacher. I need to use the bathroom; its an emergency.. Feb. 15, 2021 5 AM PT. You see that the Blacks are in one section; the Whites and Chicanos are on one side. They shot me with this rubber bullet that knocked me to the floor then took me to the hole. 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. North Hollywood Boy reflects on years in gang, juvenile hall and California Youth Authority (pt1) Sexual assaults in CYA. The only types of people that you find in the different joints are victims or victimizers. 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 . He had fought with my homeboy so when he came at me I just put out a knife and stabbed him. California Dept of the Youth Authority. They were running a prostitution ring at the call center. Whoever stole my Tres Flowers fuck yer mom, fuck yer dead homies.. Two years after Reeve published the photo essay of the facility, he went to the park in Yucaipa. I got those keys on my belt and felt, my god, how things have changed. If I wanted to buy beer, I could go to the bar and put it on his tab. Life inside Youth Prison in the 80s - Gladiator School - Prison Talk 20.7. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. And he died on Friday, Aug 13, 2021. Now the officers turn against me and told another inmate that I was a snitch for what I told the psych. Reeve said the violence and lack of reform forced the state to close it. He would go to the girls room, give her some new shoes. I went to prison in Atwater, CA in Terre Haute, Indiana in Oklahoma too. They sent in a psychiatrist who asked, How come youre not eating, Adrin?. . It didnt look like a rehabilitative place, he said. 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. This series will relay and respect their stories: Juvie told by the ones who were there. Criminal penalty. Its staffed with a maintenance crew for upkeep, just in case the state decides to use the facility, he said. I was one of them real one who didnt tell and I did the time for something I didnt even do. My body is still burning from the pepper spray. Flag. The California Youth Authority no longer exists because it was the most brutal and abusive environment known to any juvenile detention facility in the United States of . 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. When the lights came on the girl was crying. In this cup was a little juice and some Thorazine. I had authority over other inmates. An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2019-2021). Thats when they would make us roll up our mattress, blanket, and sheets( roll yo shit up!!!) I see this guy who is 24 years old doing sexual activity to this 14-year-old girl. 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. He was a big officer. Key findings of the survey include: 9-in-10 young people say mental health is a priority, but only 4-in-10 rate their own mental health highly. By Sunday morning, my Dad comes home barefoot. Have faith. Children were hardened for survival at YTS, only to be returned to the streets more troubled and volatile than when they arrived. They left me there. She just disappeared one day. Sir, why did you hit me? I was crying. There I realized I wasnt going to make it. 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. 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. It wasnt so much violence as much as the predator adult counselors. 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. I couldnt register that what I was seeing was true. They cuffed my legs to the concrete bed with my arms extended. 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. He has been married for 25 years and has raised six kids, including a son who became a LAPD officer. It was only a matter of time. I was cool with everyone. Mexicans vs whites. 'I have had three different proposals of marriage over the years . Sucks but its true. 1997-2005 I remember my YA #81160 without any effort. If you had a badge, you had the right to rape. 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 always a worker helping everyone out to get there fix. I had friends, but I couldnt relate to them. Visit davidreeve.net for more. I wanted some way out. Eventually, he was allowed entry in 2017. The Crips and Bloods were separated. 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.