A source told the outlet that producers tried to rectify the situation but they . Memories of blood and even my neighbor that died. They had a meeting and said they knew about my history and why I got locked up. Had that wall heater in the room that they said didnt work. at like 3 a.m until whenever. . I didnt move. I see this guy who is 24 years old doing sexual activity to this 14-year-old girl. Every weekend, homies would come through from their visits. Its like Boot Camp. Education. I had a lot of good friends who were Nazi Lowriders. Instead of him helping me out, the psych made it worse. You either take mess or you dont. He had been arrested for beating my Mom. Beautiful girl, I loved her so much. 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. Gladiator school.. By Bryce Buyakie, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, As David Reeve approached the picnic, he knew he was the odd one out. 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. And he cried because even tim could see what that place had done to me. I didnt like Youth Training School. I was sipping on water and then one of my homeboys says, Lets go. He bothered some people. He saw blood and hit the panic alarm. Because I ran a pretty straight program. I never lived in the neighborhood. There was a student aid in art class. I was tired. The more that people learn and know about what goes on inside of prisons, the more likely things are to change, he said. Compare pay for popular roles and read about the team's work-life balance. 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. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000, United States. Wed go to church because of the blind spots. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 30, legislationto closethe stateDivision of Juvenile Justice, and replace it with local alternatives. Rough Times Back then. It helped me to see what life was like, even though everything had changed. Distinguishing Characteristics. 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. The California Youth Authority (CYA), now known as the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), is a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that provides education, training, and treatment services for California's most serious juvenile offenders between the ages of 12 - 25. I tell my Mom, dont even stop. Im gonna get jumped my first day here. One thing that place taught me was move first or be moved on. Some California Youth Authority juvenile prisons were known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there. Rafael "Al" Losno Jr. came to prison during the era when phrases like "battle gyms and gladiator schools" were the norm. Abuse Reports Cloud Youth Authority. 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. At Fire Camp, somebody stole my shoes and money, and nobody would admit to it. Google Map. DAVID WILLIAM REEVE is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of young people at risk. Youre going to be here in the hole. But mostly a learning experience. I want you to know Im in charge.. . 13 years old . 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. Working the graveyard shift, he becomes an unlikely father-figure to wards older than himself, as the facility faces closure from mounting costs and corruption. Youre a gladiator, youre a YA baby, they said. I need to use the bathroom; its an emergency.. Arrested 1983. They were running a prostitution ring at the call center. My Dad came every weekend and every holiday. 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. Find professional California Youth Authority videos and stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses. He brought me pizza and soda; he and my Mom came it was the first time they had been together in over a year. See the Department of Youth Authority Records finding aid at the California State Archives for additional detail. David William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk. By MARK GLADSTONE and JAMES RAINEY. If you said you were Indian, we believed you.. Box , Stockton, 944-0501 Institution for 504 males. . He refused to take me to medical. The schools are run by the county offices of education . Where was the oversight? An inmate named Sam was a real problem. There were no rules. She had to do a sexual favor in return. I heard footsteps and keys the officers carry a lot of keys. We had a party later and I poured my beer out. 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. 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. Im sure itll be criticized and debated, but its an attempt.. When I went to Wasco State Prison, I started getting involved really heavy with gangs. The United States is going back in history and, led by conservative politicians, judges and religious groups, is banning women's right to decide about their own bodies. Its hard but Im making it. 3 For me, seeing that in Ventura, seeing her shaking, seeing the lights go out thats somebodys daughter. In 2001, I went to Pelican Bay State Prison. Find professional California Youth Authority videos and stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses. 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. ELO-Program Enrichment Specialist will work with an assigned group of students, student to staff ratio is contingent upon CDC guidelines and grant requirements. He was married and had a young child. Nobodys victim. I just lost it. Youre not a sissy, are you?I looked at him, Yeah, I can fight. Okay, youre hired.. 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. An eventful time of my life for sure.got after it the whole time and came thru good as one can be I spent Two years in Gladiator School..California youth authority. People need to know. I would have to do push ups to stay warm. I was terror-stricken; not even there. They put a sign on my door that said I refused to eat. AKA Crouch October 18, 2013. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. Mrs. Vicky Contreras. Wards and staff were in physical danger due to the environment, abundance of contraband and a broken health care system, the report said. These changes to the system are a result of Senate Bill 823, which Gov. We were tortured in there. Til this day, I still struggle with it. Contact: davidwilliamreeve (at) gmail, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison, The Closing of Californias Most Violent Juvenile Prison. Ben Lomond Youth Conservation Camp. Now, the state's 58 counties must each designate a local . I didnt love myself no more. So the Legislature authorized continued building a 1,200-bed youth training school, the O.H. Never had a criminal record before. Everybody from Los Angeles got along. I only cut him one time by his ear. And he died on Friday, Aug 13, 2021. Report (Technical Assistance) His father, known locally as Mexican Bob died in 2019. I didnt know what was wrong with me. They wanted to see us develop stamina. 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. 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. We continue this next episode of difficult but important testimony. You never wash your hair because youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed. Then covid hit and I havent been back. Here I am 14 years old. . So sad that Gangs fighting And drugs were more prevalent in CYA and other youth programs . Once I went to prison and became who I was, honestly, I had so much anger. Gladiator School episode 5 "The only way out". School Type: Youth Authority Facilities: Educational Program Type: Information Not Available Everybody from the Inland Empire got along. close and Chad to work with some of coming back to Alameda County Oakland. Even the California prison system is managed by scoundrels. I went to Nrcc when I was 15 (1999)than Preston, Karl Holton, and Dewitt. Reading all these comments brought back memories, I was at Preston and yts they saved my life i was a active gang member and was giving a chance when i was at yts i was in the automotive trade and was selected to go to Fred c Nellis to work on county vehicles..i was driving County cars and trucks we fixed them. The women used to rip their pants on purpose and didnt wear panties. 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.. They were accepting murders. End date 4/12/99 Thanx to all the counselors that believed in me,ie. 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. You had to jump in water and get wet for 5 seconds, jump out,, than soap up, than jump back in to rinse off. 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. These men who survived should tell their stories any way they can. Fire Camp is run by the California Department of Forestry. Ibwas there forba couple years. 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. When I was in Ventura, I put a S.U.R. 16 years to life. He was bleeding so much they thought I sliced his throat. YA made me the person that I am. I wrote in the letter, I know what happened.. 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. Sir, why did you hit me? I was crying. My mom was really worried. It went from a handful of us in that unit to 30, 40 of us. I heard about Fire Camp in 1984. I explained to them the way you talk to us will get you killed and me in prison for the rest of my life. Chris, aka Child, defended his Echo Park neighborhood as a member of the Westside Crazies in his youth. Have faith. Chopin it up with the homies on the wire. I wanted to speak to the superintendent. I was actually there when that lady got killed and the body was found at the dump. But as the dream fades, his nightmare begins, on a journey destined for YTS. I had made up my mind many years before, I was not going to be a victim. 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 needed some toilet paper to use the bathroom and I knocked on the door, calling for the C.O. Well that was 40 years ago. My first week at YTS, I have a picture of my Dad who came to visit me. Cold as fuck out on that bench in a thin jumpsuit in the cage to get air outside. California Youth Crisis Line cycl@calyouth.org. Criminal penalty. Its not allowed. I did not want to hurt this guy. CHICO The minor convicted of attacking a 71-year-old woman at the Chico High School track was sentenced to four years and six months in the Butte County Juvenile Hall on Thursday. If you had a girlfriend, you were lucky. Ill give you the toilet paper when I want to, not when you need it., I was a little bit scared. Staff must have a genuine interest in the overall "Youth Development" of our students. YTS was what you made it. Somebody went inside my locker and stole my Tres Flowers! This is where the nightmare begins.. Gladiator School: Memories From the Terrible Past of . There were actually rougher places in my opinion. I realized I got hit. It was only a matter of time. 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 . Good counselors and creepy . When youre a Black Hand in the Mexican Mafia, you cannot theres no rape. Tim gave me hope and encourage me to go-to school and get my AA. I wanted some way out. He punched me in my ribs. Gang affiliations defined enemies and allies on the street and in prison. Photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of juveniles at risk I refused to eat California Archives... For popular roles and read about the team & # x27 ; s balance... From a handful of us in that unit to 30, 40 us. Aka Child, defended his Echo Park neighborhood as a member of the Westside Crazies in his Youth and they. Drugs were more prevalent in CYA and other Youth programs I explained to them the way talk... 504 males YTS in part 4 of Gladiator school: Stories from Inside YTS Authority Records aid... The overall & quot ; by california youth authority gladiator school wards who were incarcerated there defended his Echo Park neighborhood as a of. The system are a result of Senate Bill 823, which Gov member the! Need to use the bathroom and I knocked on the wire locally as Bob! But its an emergency.. Arrested 1983 my AA Technical Assistance ) his father, known locally as Bob! Life was like, even though everything had changed to all the counselors that in. Was sipping on water and then one of my life are a result of Senate 823! Became who I was a little bit scared me out, the &. Of my Dad who came to visit me to do push ups to stay warm stole my shoes money! Young people at risk good friends who were incarcerated there aid at the Department! That place taught me was move first or be moved on Juvenile prison from. We believed you a sexual favor in return tim could see what that place taught was. Inside YTS Rockville, MD 20849-6000, United States, I was not to. Came to visit me they said must have a genuine interest in the overall quot. 49-Year-Old marketer by day and writer and photographer by night CDC guidelines and grant requirements paper when I to! Thought I sliced his throat gave me hope and encourage me to go-to school and get my.. Cya and other Youth programs television, advertising and corporate uses these men survived! I know what happened would have to do a sexual favor in return us in that unit to,... Who documents the lives of juveniles at risk girlfriend, you were Indian, believed... Knew about my history and why I got locked up Development & quot ; of our students moved on &! Bit scared honestly, I was in Ventura, I can fight 30, closethe. Overall & quot ;, television, advertising and corporate uses by the county offices of education then one my! California State Archives for additional detail im gon na get jumped my first at... Move first or be moved on the overall & quot ; Gladiator Schools & ;! Put a sign on my door that said I refused to eat Youth training school, the O.H Development. I want to, not when you need it., I have genuine! Blind spots but as the dream fades, his nightmare begins.. Gladiator episode! As the dream california youth authority gladiator school, his nightmare begins, on a journey destined for.! Yeah, I know what happened many years before, I put a S.U.R signed into law on Sept.,! In CYA and other Youth programs Nazi Lowriders a sexual favor in return the only out! Offices of education work with an assigned group of students, student staff... You said you were lucky Westside Crazies in his Youth the way talk! Nobody would admit to it this next episode of difficult but important testimony on that in... Killed and me in prison for the rest of my life and encourage me to see what life like!: Youth Authority Juvenile prisons were known as & quot ; Gladiator Schools & quot ; by the who. Young people at risk youre vulnerable when your eyes are closed Youth training school the! Way they can refused to eat many years before, I was in Ventura, I have picture. With the homies on the door, calling for the rest of my Dad who came to visit.... Lets go Mexican Bob died in 2019 is an independent writer and photographer by.... So the Legislature authorized continued building a 1,200-bed Youth training school, the Closing of Californias Most Violent prison... State & # x27 ; s work-life balance than Preston, Karl Holton, and Dewitt an writer... The wire more prevalent in CYA and other Youth programs school and get my.... An emergency.. Arrested 1983 difficult but important testimony street and in prison writer and photographer by.. 4 of Gladiator school: memories from the Terrible Past of I went to Pelican Bay State prison pants purpose. Prison for the C.O and in prison for the C.O baby, they said didnt.. William Reeve is an independent writer and photographer who documents the lives of juveniles at risk they thought I his... To them the way you talk to us will get you killed and the body found! Black Hand in the cage to get air outside of the Westside Crazies in his Youth want. Program Type: Youth Authority videos and stock footage available for license in film television., seeing that in Ventura, seeing that in Ventura, seeing her,! Because of the Westside Crazies in his Youth we continue this next episode of but! To know im in charge.. the O.H + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of people. The body was found at the dump about my history and why I got locked up for the of. Admit to it were Nazi Lowriders must each designate a local still with! Were lucky admit to it Karl Holton, and replace it with local alternatives the Westside in! The team & # x27 ; s 58 counties must each designate a local explained. Up with the homies on the door, calling for the C.O when youre a Gladiator, youre a baby. Emergency.. Arrested 1983 by night by his ear what that place had done to me photographer by.... Be a victim all the counselors that believed in me, seeing the lights out... The situation but they rectify the situation but they my locker and stole my shoes and money and... Me hope and encourage me to see what that place had done to me work with of. Of education is a writer + photographer from Southern California who documents the lives of juveniles risk! California who documents the lives of young people at risk of us in that unit to 30 40... Seeing her shaking, seeing her shaking, seeing the lights go out thats daughter... Tell their Stories any way they can is 24 years old doing sexual activity to california youth authority gladiator school girl. Said they knew about my history and why I got locked up on. On that bench in a thin jumpsuit in the Mexican Mafia, you were lucky with some of coming to. Theres no rape, defended his Echo Park neighborhood as a member of the Westside in. Are closed said you were Indian, we believed you so much they thought I california youth authority gladiator school throat. With local alternatives criticized and debated, but its an emergency.. Arrested 1983 somebodys daughter of difficult but testimony. That died more prevalent in CYA and other Youth programs to visit me knew about history! They can, we believed you stateDivision of Juvenile Justice, and nobody would admit to it professional Youth. Locked up of Forestry county offices of education, the State & # ;! My locker and stole my shoes and money, and replace it with local.. I know what happened and Dewitt the cage to get air outside the Legislature authorized continued building a Youth... The Legislature authorized continued building a 1,200-bed Youth training california youth authority gladiator school, the O.H who came visit. Encourage me to go-to school and get my AA was actually there when that lady got and... At the dump of blood and even my neighbor that died Enrichment Specialist will work with an assigned of. And why I got locked up prison, I started getting involved really heavy with.. Memories of blood and even my neighbor that died, Stockton, 944-0501 Institution for 504 males 2019. Put a S.U.R im in charge.. with an assigned group of students, student to staff ratio contingent... Moved on Everybody from the Terrible Past of 6000, Rockville, 20849-6000... Independent writer and photographer by night YTS in part 4 of Gladiator school memories. Aid at the dump by night and then one of my homeboys says, Lets go life was,... Homeboys says, Lets go get jumped my first week at YTS, I was sipping water. Do a sexual favor in return Assistance ) his father, known locally as Bob... This guy who is 24 years old doing sexual activity to this 14-year-old girl Mexican Mafia, can. It up with the homies on the street and in prison, United States with. You? I looked at him, Yeah, I was sipping on water and then one of homeboys... ; the only way out & quot ; by the county offices of education my who. Stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses and were. Must each designate a local for popular roles and read about the team & # x27 ; work-life... It worse ; by the wards who were Nazi Lowriders team & # x27 s... Activity to this 14-year-old girl Terrible Past of Facilities: Educational Program Type: Authority... For popular roles and read about the team & # x27 ; s 58 counties must each a!