[Ism]

I applied for a State job at the Swanson Youth Detention Center in Louisana, as a guard. While at the Academy they asked.. "why did you apply for the job?" One after the other, the men in training said they wanted to be a role model and teach the kids what being a real man was. When it was my turn, I said... "I want to show them their life isnt over because they are in here... I am one of them. At 17 I stole a car radio. It was worth over $300 so it was a felony. The embarrassment and the shame you feel and saw in your parents eyes can all be erased by making better choices in the future."

The Academy is on the property inside the gates and razor wire. On day one, walking to the building I recieved my 1st death threat from prisoners working on the lawn crew. The threats also came with several racial slurs. You see correctional facility is 98% African American and I was about to become the only Caucasian guard. There were other caucasians but they were counselors, teachers, or administration.

The prisoners ranged in age from 13-21 (at 21 they are released or transfered to an adult prison). Most of the dorms hold 8-12 people. The dorms have 2-3 large screen tv's each w/ a video game consoles(Ps3, Xbox, ect), stacks of games, and Asley Furniture provides couches, tables, drapes. Those are the dorms that had the prisoners w/ good behavior that are following the program.

The Holly Unit was different. A hold over from when the correctional facility was a work camp people feared. It was set up more like a Adult prison. It was where the "Problem Prisoners" were kept. My wing was known as "Holly B". It was an open room that had 18 steal bunk beds w/ 2 padlocked drawers on the bottem for the prisoners assigned to it. Twenty or so large plastic chairs, four tables and a 19inch tv in a corner of the room. While I was there, it held 22 prisoners between the age of 14-16. The woman in the Control room would buzz me in, and I would be alone w/ 22 felons w/ nothing but my personality and a hand radio for help.

We were taught at the academy, deescalation techniques. The louder they got the quieter we got. Seperate them, ect. The most dangerous time was when we took them to school, because thats when all ages were together and they were in larger groups. On my 1st day after graduating the academy at the school, I walked into a class because I saw a 17 yr old leaning over a 16 yr old from my dorm intimidating him. I backed him away, but he turned and grabed a push broom someone had left in classroom corner. He unscrewed it and began to spin it, making a crack, about beating the "White CupCake" up. The others in the class laughed egging him on... I laughed too... and asked "what happens to your reputation, if the "Old White Cupcake" wins..?" (i was 40 when i took this job) This made the class laugh with me, defusing tensions. It ended w/ him handing the broom handle to me and sitting down. It was just the 1st test they had for me.

I spent the next month constantly watching my back. I didnt trust anyone. I saw only the danger they represented to me. It wasnt until they earned a day at the pool, that I saw them differently. Most of the prisoners were from the city, they had never been swimming. All but 4-5 of the 22 had to put on a life jacket to get in the water. As they played, they began to call out to me "Hey Sarge watch this..." as they put their face in the water and swam 10ft before coming up sputtering for air. As they learned to dive for the first time in the deep end "Hey Sarge...look at me!" I sat there watching them... encouraging them... offering praise... giving them the appoval they needed from someone... anyone... even the "Old White Guard" and for the first time I saw them as kids.. and myself in them... and remembered why I was there...

[M0rd3kaI]

Excellent read Ism, very nice and encouraging story... I would've added to that, but sadly my life has not yet been long enough to gather such memories and experiences. I do hope that it will get there though, just to see the change, see the future, see the hope that there can be in people, no one is programmed to kill, no one is programmed to steal, rape, molest, harass... You might say some people are just evil... not entirely, ever look at the world from their perspective? place yourself in their shoes? think what they thought, feel what the felt? If I were to tell you you're wrong, and you thought to the best of your knowledge you were correct, wouldn't you also feel enraged? Perspective is something that is different for everyone, just look at something in a different perspective and see the different sides that you always thought was 'wrong' just because you were led to believe that they were.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that illegal things are good, I'm just saying there is always good in people, there is always determination in people... you just have to show them enough care to find out what and help them through, improving them in the way they know how... not in the way people believe how. Rewards are a nice way, but it's not always the right way in my eyes, Rewarding a person at the slightest of time that they have not improved is worse than letting them loose, very fine line between good and bad rewards. Sometimes all they need is a friend.

[GaryO]

There's a message in there some place... No idea where though...

Well, s*** M0rd, the whole read was filled with messages.
Damn nice. Mighty damn nice.

[M0rd3kaI]

Gary, the proud owner of the "Personal stories, ramblings, could get lengthy" always approves of his shareholders

Thanks for that, stay tuned, might be some more coming up some time or another.

[GaryO]

Hey, Ism

Welcome to the fray.
A very nice read for sure.

Louisiana, aey.
Extracted my southern bride from Bossier City.

Yeah, JDH, ‘Juvi’, been on the wrong side of that one too.

Not sure if I’d have the guts to do what you’re doin’ though.
Nice thing is, they have yet to become real hard cases, so they’re still a bit reachable.
Folks in jails and prisons have a different set of ‘special’ needs.
Been there too.
Stretches were just ‘punk time’, days, weeks, sometimes months.
Some jails down south have what is called ‘P’ farms.
It’s there that I discovered I didn’t know the difference between my own hind end and a hole in the ground.
Found out though.
‘Where you from, boy?’
‘Oregon’
‘nawlins? I got folk in nawlins.’
‘No, O-r-e-g-o-n.’
‘O-h-h-h-h, Oreeeeegone.’
‘You a yankee.’
‘No, not really.’
‘Oh yeah you are, and a smart ass too boot. We got special jobs for smart ass Yankees.’
Fillin’ a tote sack with little bits of cotton while under the jurisdiction of a slack jawed, mouth breathin’ troglodyte is not a fun filled day.
I learned to keep my mouth shut, and my ass outta jail.
What a complete waste of time.
I learned that defending my honor was sometimes just a vain ego trip, especially when the bar was full of friends of the person that was nettling you. They become witnesses in attempted murder cases……damn witless panty wastes.


Anyhoot, welcome Ism
A very nice read for sure.

[GaryO]

Gary, the proud owner of the "Personal stories, ramblings, could get lengthy" always approves of his shareholders

Thanks for that, stay tuned, might be some more coming up some time or another.

No worries for that, always tuned…..but it is getting to be summer here………….
Cheers, laddie

[M0rd3kaI]

And winter is already upon us South Africans... sad really, no more short skirts and tight tops... but I do like the Winter more... you're able to see the difference between girls and women then more easily judged on their attire. anyway. Enjoy it Gary. Maybe even sneak in some lustful pics for the less fortunate to have that perid of time

[GaryO]

And winter is already upon us South Africans... sad really, no more short skirts and tight tops...

s-o-o-o-o, what do you wear in winter?.............

sorry, I was compelled



So, I just did my early morning ritual here at the plant, of stepping out back, and slowly sipping my 2nd cup of the day, and enjoying a smoke.
Our manufacturing facility is in town, and right off the freeway.
But, amongst the typical fauna of squirrels, coons, possums, and cats, we have deer.
This part of Oregon has Columbian Black Tail Deer.
Quite small really, compared to their white tail, and muley cousins.
This morning I notice a fresh deer trail in the grass, leading from our building, down thru a glade of trees, into a little protected swale of bushes and willows.
So, I’m studing this when here comes a little buck bounding right toward me.
Now I’ve had deer run my direction before, but only because I hid well, not because I was the reason they were running. Yeah, he was running to me.
Some dipshit is feeding these deer!
It’s quite unsettling, really, to have a deer run at you.
So I raised my arms and said ‘HEY!’
He stopped, but still commenced to canter toward me.
So I backed outta sight around the corner of the building.
Then poked my head around the corner.
He was craning his neck, tryin’ to figure out what had happened to his animated food source.
Then I just stayed hidden around the corner.
About a ten count later, his little felt covered nubbed antler head poked around the corner.
……..so I fed him….and rubbed his goofy little head.

Damn, I’m a softy sometimes.

[M0rd3kaI]

And winter is already upon us South Africans... sad really, no more short skirts and tight tops...

s-o-o-o-o, what do you wear in winter?.............

I prefer the Classical Long flowing dress for formal wear, casual, houses jeans, plain shirt and a fashionable jacket with or without hood and sleeves, depending on the mood.

(You asked for that feeding into humour is always fun, some exciting statements make their way fourth.)

Gary, you should have altered the story to accommodate for Hammy's preference and needs... But I have to agree, Nature is awesome, and the innocence of animals are awe-inspiring, only seeing the good.... sorry, typo, I meant food in people and their habits. I really find it interesting that an animal will approach a human out of free will and allow the human to touch them, feed them, admire them from arms-length.

I have a similar story, although to do with the quite retarded (sometimes) backyard pigeon. They believe the crystals in the cat's litterbox (They absorb the urine and stink leaving only water to evaporate and drying out poop much faster than the cat litter we usually had) is food, so they insist of entering the house through the sliding door, and as soon as they realise there's someone that is coming after them (Usually my mother, quite loud, air filled with profanities, hand gestures that are similar to a drunken ballerina flipping off an Irishman). There's one of 2 ways to get these insane beings out of the house, open EVERYTHING and chase them around... only leads to more profanities and poop all over everything, OR catch them and take them outside... My mom opts for the first... usually shouting to me to stay where I am. I opt for the latter. Usually the pigeon bashes into the mirror over and over and over an over again... or get's trapped between the security gate and the sliding door. Either way, they tire out and I gently, but firmly pick them up, restrain their wings and get my mom to open the door so I can set them free outside.

One day I carried the darned moron out from my room, I held him, flt his heartbeat, saw his eyes go large (Yeah, this is all just normal for a pigeon, excuse the uselessness of me trying to add some drama...) when I got outside and opened my hands, he just sat there... (luckily not 'shat') I looked at him.. he returned the favour... probably the better part of 20 seconds, and for anyone who ever held a wild bird will know how long that is... I finally nudged him and he flew away.

Ever since, I kinda saw the beauty of mother nature even more, the fact that if you treat nature just right, it will allow you to do anything with it. So beautiful. So peaceful. So elegant.

Why would anyone say they hate the world we live in if all you have to do is ignore people and look around.

[Bull]

Great story Ism. Personally, I've been on the other side of that situation more times than I can count. Never been to juvie but I've been a guest of the state several times since my 18th birthday. (I'll tell that story some other time) I learned early on that if you want to avoid violence make friends with the "adult" prisoners because usually it's the younger guys who've got the chip on the shoulder and have something to prove.

I remember one stay, I was 20ish, don't remember what I got arrested for but it wasn't anything serious. I was in county lockup "court side" as they say, and the cell block they put me in was filled with older guys locked up for things like DUI's, public intoxication, a few were addicts, etc. It was the nicest time I've ever had locked up. We played cards, read books, watched tv, shared jokes, discussed things like politics, religion, childhood, women, and there were disagreements and a few heated arguments but nothing ever escalated to a fight. In fact, I don't think anyone in that block truly believed a fight was even possible. We all knew the guards were watching, if you started a fight they'd take you out of the nice cushy cell block and throw your butt into a private cell with no tv, books, or entertainment of any kind. All you've got is you, a cot, a metal toilet with a small sink, and if you're very lucky a window.

Anyway, once a week they'd let us go outside into the rec yard for about an hour, and usually 2 blocks would share this time. I remember leaning against a wall, watching a pickup basketball game, when the older gentleman I was standing with said two words to me and then walked away. "Heads up". I didn't know what was about to happen or why, but I did notice this younger guy walking toward me and he seemed to have a purpose. As he got closer I started to get scared. I didn't know what to do. I was a few inches taller than him but he was way more muscular, and as he finally walked up to me I could tell he was working something out in his mind. We stood there for a few seconds looking at each other when finally I asked, "What?" Everything else was like slow motion. He reached way back and threw a punch aimed for my nose.

I didn't think, I couldn't, there wasn't time, I reacted. I played a bit of little league baseball as a kid and my coach taught us how to avoid a bean ball by dropping to the ground as fast as you possibly can. We actually practiced this. So, instinct took over and I dropped like a ton of bricks. His buddies across the way thought he knocked me out and started cheering but actually he'd just punched a brick wall with everything he had. Broke his hand in like 10 places or something (the guards told me) and had to stay in solitary until the cast could come off (like 6-8 months). I don't think he can write with that hand any longer. I found out later that he was trying to get into this gang the younger boys started and part of his initiation was he had to start a fight in front of a crowd (during rec time) and win.

Anyway, that's my story of how my fear and childhood instinct saved me from getting my face caved in by some kid that was only trying to look cool in front of his friends. I actually felt sorry for the guy.

Somebody tell the story of how they lost their virginity, that should be good for a laugh and I think I need one.