[This is the fourth in a series of posts on Santa Maria Juvenile Hall in Santa Maria, California.]
 

 
They told I am gang affiliated. I’m in 12th grade, a senior. I graduate in 2 weeks. But I still have the rest of my time, I should be out in May. I was sentenced to two years orange [adult] when I first came in on Prop 21 charges [California Proposition 21 - was a proposition proposed and passed in 2000 that increased a variety of criminal penalties for crimes committed by youth and incorporated many youth offenders into the adult criminal justice system]. Then the charges were dropped to juvie. I can get out on probation when I am 18… but it tough to do it right because I can get 15 years confinement if I mess up. It is hard to … Read More »

[This is the third in a series of posts on Santa Maria Juvenile Hall in Santa Maria, California.]
 

I’ve been here more than 20 times all together. They say to me when I go each time, “We’ll leave the light on for you.”

M.Q., age 15: I’m from Santa Maria. I live with my Mom. My parents are divorced and I don’t communicate with my Dad, he abused me. And he made my mom iron his shirts so he could go out with another woman.
 

 
M.Q: I was charged with 11550. Meth. My Mom couldn’t believe it. They found a doggie (a meth pipe) when I was 14. Then I caught a 211—armed robbery, carjacking… We would pretend to hitch-hike and get picked up by Pisas-– illegal aliens. Migrant labor. Most of these guys were lonely and looking to hook-up with a younger … Read More »

[This is the second in a series of posts on Santa Maria Juvenile Hall in Santa Maria, California.]

S.D was the youngest of a group of boys who committed a violent crime together. He was 14 years old. Now, several of the others, his co-defendants, have been tried and sentenced. One was sentenced to juvenile life, which remands him to California Youth Authority until the age of 23. S.D, now 17 is facing a sentence of 50 years to life. If it seems a bit unbalanced, it is. It is not unusual for the youngest or least culpable person involved in a crime to receive the harshest sentence. Learn more about this disappointing phenomenon of the justice system in an article from the New York Times: “Less Culpable, But With Longer Sentences.”

Richard Ross spoke with S.D at Santa Maria Juvenile Hall … Read More »

“I’m from Salem. They had me in a take down a week or two ago. I got in a fight with a girl so they split us up and I spit on one of them, Mike…Nobody visits me. I’ve been here 3 months. My mom’s in Salem. She does a lot of meth. My dad lives in Arizona and works for Babies ‘R Us. My mom’s white, my dad’s black. The first time I was here I was here for 3 months. I was in juvi for 3 weeks after being on the street. My mom started doing meth when her dad died, she’s on probation, but my dad is clean… I have six sisters, one stepsister, two stepbrothers, one real brother.

“I’m here for disorderly conduct, false information– giving a fake name to a cop-– I gave him my cousins’ … Read More »

Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility is an all-female facility in Albany, Oregon. The only one in the state. Last month Richard Ross spent 12+ hours talking, photographing, and recording the people who live and work at Oak Creek. The following post focuses on two perspectives: K.X, a young woman in insolation at Oak Creek and Mike Riggan, the superintendent of Oak Creek…[See all blog posts on Oak Creek HERE]
 

“I’m in isolation at Birch. [During the day] you can’t lay down, gotta sit up. If they see you laying down they take away your mattress.”

I started doing a lot of stuff when my sister left: snorting powder, popping pills… I thought I was grown.”

– K.X, age 19.

“We do have good staff here. K.X, the girl in isolation, unfortunately, chose to assault another youth and … Read More »

Continuing our series on Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility…

 
Listen to the audio interview below, or at SoundCloud HERE.

 
€œThis is my fourth time here. This time I’ve been here about a month. I’€™m almost 18. Before this I was in DHS (Department of Human Services, sometimes CPS) custody. I was at Kristy Care, but I had assaults against staff. They all occurred during a take down when I was 14.
 

I’€™m here for 3 assault-4€™s– misdemeanors. There are no other programs that would take me. My mom is a Kurd. My sister and I were adopted by my dad, he’s a lot older. I was born and raised in Kurdistan. I was about 10 when I came here. I was in Kristy Care for cutting myself. My mom is 30… she’€™s a prostitute. My father is about 80. My dad sexually assaulted me and my sister. My mom stayed in Kurdistan. My adopted dad brought me and my … Read More »