COUNSELOR: Who else needs a chair?

 

KID 1: Me!

 

UNCERTAIN: Here you go Diamond

 

COUNSELOR: Do you have your timeline? Oh come we would will like to see that.

 

KID: It starts here, 1999.  I was born. 2004 my uncle passed away from cancer. 2006 bullying started in the new school and I started to assault students. 2008 I start the fourth grade; I broke a student’s thumb, and got suspended. That was about my fifth suspension. My first arrest was in 2009, I was about, like, 10, 11. I was hanging around negative people, started bringing guns to school. My uncle Bobby got murdered. He got shot seven times on my block. My foster mother kicked me out.  I got arrested November 21^st. I got sent to NSP 162. I found out I was pregnant January 2^nd, 2015. I had a miscarriage January 9^th and now I’m making a change for myself one step at a time. I’m capable of change. That’s pretty much it.

 

TITLE CARD: Like Any Other Kid

 

INTERTITLE: On any given day, 50,000 kids are incarcerated in the United States. The vast majority are locked up in juvenile facilities which operate like adult prisons.  The three facilities in this follow a different method based on the “Missouri approach.” The goal is for kids to change their behaviors through reflection and self-discovery, rather than punishment. Starting in the 1970s, Missouri reformed its overcrowded, violent, youth prisons. They developed a fully therapeutic model in facilities that were small and close to home. The rate of reincarceration dropped dramatically. 92% of the youth stayed out of jail. The “Missouri approach” became a model for reform. However, this type of juvenile program is still exceedingly rare.

 

[02:04]

 

TEXT: Morgan Hill, California

20 miles south of Sane Jose

The William F. James Ranch

 

COUNSELOR: Action!

 

[knocking]

 

KID 1: Who is it?

 

FRIAS: It’s me, you know who it is.

 

KID 1: Who?

 

TEXT: Frias

Age 16

 

FRIAS: The one you owe money to.

 

KID 1: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

 

FRIAS: You owe me money, come outside let’s talk. I’ve been looking for you for months, where you been?

 

KID 1: I’ve been here.

 

FRIAS: No you been hiding from me, I seen you last night at the liquor store, you ran away from me. I need that money, I need to pay my rent, bro.

 

FRIAS (INTERVIEW): The first time I got incarcerated was a 245 – a stabbing, gang-related. I was 12 years old, and I did nine months in maximum security. And since then I’ve been in and out, in and out.

 

FRIAS: I don’t do drugs, I left drugs when I had my baby.

 

FRIAS (INTERVIEW): My neighborhood knows how I am, they know I’m loyal to my gang. That’s the ones that showed me everything: how to respect, how to love. I love my hood more than I love myself.

 

FRIAS: I need my money. It’s not even worth it, I’ll just go work and find my own money, whatevers. I’m not trying to go to jail for assaulting him.  I just wanna walk. Whatevers.

 

COUNSELOR: And cut!

 

[applause]

 

COUNSELOR: Now, my question: how real was that? Do you really just walk away?

 

FRIAS: No I wouldn’t.

 

SAL (INTERVIEW): I think of my kids, there’s no way that I could imagine that they would go and experience so much at such a young age.

 

TEXT: Sal Heredia

Treatment Supervisor

 

SAL (INTERVIEW): With Frias, by 13 he’s experienced drugs, he’s experienced sex, he’s experienced living on the street, he’s experienced assaulting people. Having to provide at home, buying and selling cars. The list goes on.

 

[04:40]

 

KIDS IN POOL: Marco! Polo!

 

COUNSELOR: Ready?

 

COUNSELOR: Ready?

 

KID: Yeah we’re ready.

 

UNCERTAIN: One! Two! Three!

 

KID: Did we get it right this time or not?

 

UNCERTAIN: You did good this time.

 

[05:13]

 

TEXT: William F. James Ranch

G Pod

 

MAGGIE: I really want us to find the positive in everyone, so when we go around you’re gonna check in and then you’re gonna say what your grading is or how you think you did for the week.

 

TEXT: Maggie Clifford

Counselor

 

MAGGIE: And then I’d like everyone, if they can, try to say, you know, ‘Savannah, you did really well on this.” Just try to find the positive, that’s really important.

 

EVELYN: I feel excited, like, I feel so excited.

 

TEXT: Evelyn

Age 15

 

EVELYN: Like, cuz I…

 

[laughter]

 

Counselor off set: That’s OK, nothing wrong with being excited. That’s a good thing.

 

UNCERTAIN: I.’m happy

 

KID: Evelyn was really, really respectful this week. She really was, she was so nice to me. 

 

[laughter]

 

MAGGIE: Anybody else?

 

Kid: Yeah, Evelyn’s doing really good. I know she’s only 15 but I think she’s been maturing a lot, cuz she hasn’t told the staff what to do, or how  they should run the program.

 

[laughter]

 

MAGGIE: What changed for you, cuz I notice you didn’t have those outbursts you were having where you were like yelling at everyone. You’re like “Woah!”

 

EVELYN: This is like important to me, because I have to start like preparing myself to be a mother, and I can’t be acting the same way.

 

EVELYN (INTERVIEW): The reason why I got locked up, it’s three cases. Three different cases. But they were the same: robbery with weapon. I was drunk and then I went into Walmart and I put like radios, clothes, everything in the cart. And I seen the loss-prevention behind me, and I pulled out a knife on him. And I tried to stab him but he backed off. And then I took my purse and we started running, and we went into a building, we were hiding, but we got surrounded by cops. I was sobering up, and like “Get down!”, like we were coming down and “Get down to the floor! Throw yourself to the floor! Or else we’re gonna shoot.” They had the guns and I seen the dogs and I was like “Damn.” And I still had the knife on me, I was like “What am I going to do?” It was scary.

 

EVELYN: I don’t have to act like this. And I just like being nicer.

 

MAGGIE: Very insightful.

 

UNCERTAIN: So yes, you passed your week.

 

[applause]

 

UNCERTAIN: Excellent job.

 

[07:24]

 

TEXT: Bridge City, Louisiana

11 miles outside New Orleans

 

TEXT: Bridge City Center for Youth

 

LEBEUF: Mr. LeBeuf checking in, very optimistic as always.

 

TEXT: Henry LeBeuf

Dorm Leader

 

LEBEUF: As well as blessed to have a good staff. Let’s proceed.

 

TEXT: Dorm Staff Meeting

 

MALE STAFFER: Even the youths have said that this is probably the best they’ve seen the dorm since they’ve been here.

 

FEMALE STAFFER: The floors are being kept up, the decorations, stuff like that. And they’re very proud of the dorm. They aren’t tearing up nothing. Always been different. I can leave my glasses somewhere they give them to me- they don’t hide them from me.

 

LEBEUF: So everybody comes, well that’s good then! That is real good.

 

FEMALE STAFFER: They really look out for us.

 

LEBEUF: We gonna go ahead and push towards individual youth. Kade, wow, he’s the model for the dorm right now. He’s already – he’s opening up a lot.

 

FEMALE STAFFER 2: He knows what his triggers are, he knows what his risk – risky situations are. He needs to mentally put himself in those situations. “What am I gonna do, you know, if my friends gonna take a joyride, or what have you. We gonna get him ready for that.

 

LEBEUF: So we know where we need to be with him.

 

[kid raps with siren behind him – inaudible]

 

KID PLAYING CHESS: The king go back there.

 

LEBEUF: Everybody hit the couch.

We just came out of a team meeting. I mean, from what the dorm has changed from now – I mean from then to now – it’s like night and day. You put it on a scale from nine to ten I’d say it’s a nine and a half.

 

KID 1: Um, can I say something?

 

LEBEUF: What’s that?

 

KID 1: Since I’ve seen you take over the dorm I’ve seen a lot of changes, you know? We ain’t never had decorations up. Now we have somebody who  really wanna see us do good. I appreciate your hard work.

 

[laughter]

 

LEBEUF: That’s great.

 

KADE: Everything’s happening now. Got furloughs comin’. Escorts. All that coming up.

 

[09:31]

 

TEXT: Kade

Age 17

 

KADE (INTERVIEW): When I came I’m thinkin’ it was gonna be bad because you

know, the facility. But it’s good, like everybody treats you good around here. Mr. LeBeuf, hoo woo, he crazy sometimes, he funny, he makes the whole day better when he comes to work.

 

LEBEUF: Together we can do anything, we make it easy for us. I’m trying to get everybody on one same page, cuz as a unit – that’s the only way we’ll succeed. That’s just point blank. Like everytime I tell you, embrace your moment. Don’t let a moment cost you your life.

 

KID: A moment’s what got us in here.

 

LEBEUF: Exactly.

 

[10:10]

 

TEXT: Bronx, New York

 

TEXT: Sheltering Arms

 

COUNSELOR: Everybody over here, let’s go.

 

PHOEBE: With the exceptions of some of our new people, y’all should know this like forward and backwards.

 

TEXT: Phoebe Dickson

Missouri Approach Consultant

 

PHOEBE: Cuz this is what helps you get out of program. So, why do we have a phase system? We wanted to actually have a point where you guys are working on some stuff, trying to figure out and get to know why we keep on having these same cycles going on in our families. Why we still keep making some unhealthy choices. We gotta start applying this to ourselves and it’s very very very hard. It’s very hard to put on paper stuff about ourselves.

 

KID 1: Now you working on phase three, and you have to go back and organize your life -line. There has to be at least a couple of good events that you can remember. Something. Riding a bike, going to a birthday party…

 

KID 2: My first time riding a bike I got kicked off my bike by an old man, and I had to go to the hospital.

 

KID 1: So, second grade…?

 

KID 2: For my birthday my teacher bought me cupcakes.

 

KID 1: In seoncd grade?

 

PHOEBE (INTERVIEW): A kid is a kid is a kid, anywhere, you know? Having the same wants, needs. They have had to do some of the worst things in their lives to survive. They’re just putting down “I know I got arrested, I started doing this then.” But then you start hearing “My grandmother passed,” “my father left,” and you start seeing all these events that became unstable in a kid’s life. They don’t make those connections.

 

PHOEBE: Let’s go around, tell me how your night went. Did you sleep well? Did we have any bad dreams? What was our sleep patterns like?

 

MADDY: I had a dream, right? That some little kid, he skipped me in line, right? And then like, yo I really decked him. And then after that his mom left him, so I had to take care of him. And he didn’t know where he lived or nothin’. So we’d go home straggling, I started buying him clothes – like not buying – stealing him clothes and stuff. Hot hats and scarves, and then it started getting cold and I had to take care of him all by myself. And then…

 

TEXT: Maddy

Age 14, 2 weeks into program

 

PHOEBE: OK, thank you for sharing. Interesting.

 

MADDY (INTERVIEW): A lot of people from my hood they basically raised me. Since I was 12 to now – that’s like two and a half years – I was outside, I was on my own. I wasn’t really at home most of the time, cuz my grandma put me in a group home. So I AWOLed, I ran away.  I was locked up for assault, so… I used to get bullied a lot. And then I couldn’t take it no more. I dunno, I just fight easily. Any little thing you’d say I’m gonna wanna fight. Before I locked up, like, I see a lot of people dying and stuff like that. I used to walk around with a knife and I used to think, like, this is all a game, it’s either you win or you lose. But now I know what it’s like. Everybody ends up losin’.

 

[13:39]

 

PHOEBE: Okay let’s have a seat, ladies, and after this nobody gets up without permission.

 

KID: Abandoned by her mother, a heroin addict turned prostitute, Megan ran away from ten different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges.

 

PHOEBE: This is being shown hopefully to help. There are a lot of things that we’ll talk about that will trigger some people.

 

MEGAN [ON SCREEN]: I think it’s gonna really register when I see my mother. When I see her in [unintelligible]. I’m… I can do this, you know?

 

PHOEBE: It’s telling a story, can some of us relate to what’s going on?

 

KID: Yes.

 

MADDY: Nah I ain’t gonna front, a little part of it I started crying. Cuz like when she was yellin’ at her mom and shit. And like that reminds me of when I was yelling at my mom. When she used to be on drugs and stuff, I used to yell at her. Cuz she never used to even remember my name or nothin’ like that. I used to ask, “Do you know who I am?” She’s like “No, I’m mad high and stuff.” So like…

 

MADDY (INTERVIEW): I didn’t choose to live this type of lifestyle, it’s around me. I’m trying my hardest to make it here, but it’s just like I used to curse every day, smoke every day, do whatever I want. And now I’m here, so I can’t go from doin’ that every day and coming here and changin’ over night.

 

[15:01]

 

TEXT: Missouri Approach Staff Training

Queens, New York

 

CHARLES: So what are some of the goals behind punishment? What are some of the ways we want a kid to understand when we’re creating a punishment?

 

TEXT: Charles Galbreath

Missouri Approach Consultant

 

STUDENT: Teach them a lesson.

 

CHARLES: Okay so we wanna teach them a lesson.

 

STUDENT: Remorse?

 

CHARLES: Remorse?

 

STUDENT: Respect.

 

CHARLES: Respect.

 

STUDENT: I would look at punishment as a deterrent. So if I spanked you this time for it, next time you do it, you’re going to be thinking about a spankin’.

 

STUDENT: What about humiliation?

 

UNCERTAIN: Yeah. I’ve seen situations where somebody did things and basically being humiliated stopped them from doing it again.

 

STUDENT: That was raised from their culture. If I do something silly, stupid, there’s one called “pig pens,” you put it down like this, and with your legs-

 

STUDENT: Sometimes I used to be on my knees for like five hours.

 

STUDENT: That corporal punishment, which is not what we’re dealing with, I’m not gonna do that.

 

UNCERTAIN: No you are gonna do it again.

 

PHOEBE: When I grew up we used to have to do squats and stand there and lean against the wall and do all type of stuff; went through the same thing. But I didn’t like that. And I always told myself when I get my own kids, I’m not gonna do that.

 

PHOEBE (INTERVIEW): I work with the Missouri Youth Service Institute, and we’re contracted to work with different jurisdictions throughout the country to help them implement the Missouri Approach.

 

PHOEBE: I attempt to talk first.

 

PHOEBE (INTERVIEW): Different states will take our model and make it their own. But the core principles remain the same.

 

STUDENT: In our generation, growing up…

 

PHOEBE (INTERVIEW): All staff go through an intensive training. Many, many of them still come here with the correctional mindset, and we have to help them to try to leave that behind.

 

CHARLES: Humiliation is a great way to get people to learn a lesson, to caution, to remorse. But now they are humiliated. Why would we want do that to a growing youth? Humiliation are the tattoos of the soul.

 

KIMARA: I know we’ve all heard the saying “hurt people hurt people”, it is a cycle. I know we all have these heavy-handed beliefs that we- nah nah wait a minute, but wait a minute, wait a minute.

 

TEXT: Kimara Dawson

Supervisor, Sheltering Arms

 

KIMARA: And listen, it’s normal to feel that way. If you have a belief system that’s been in place for twenty years, you’re not gonna change in two weeks. To believe that this will work better.

 

CHARLES: What therapeutic model teaches you is that “you stole these donuts, so because of that there is a price to pay, and you will be in this program.” But in this program you’ll be introduced to resources, we’re teaching them patience, we’re teaching them communication skills. We’re teaching them a lot of things that they didn’t have when they came in the door. So it adds to you. Versus when you’re in the correctional approach, a lot of that takes away from you, because you’re fighting, you’re having to still take what you need, because there’s abuse that occurs, there’s neglect that occurs. So a lot of people learn how to commit more crimes, in a better way, in the correctional system, because it doesn’t fulfill the need.

 

[18:02]

 

TEXT: The Ranch

 

TEXT: Paul Myrvold

Welding teacher

 

PAUL: First two gentlemen could step in here. Got a haircut?

 

KID: Good morning, sir.

 

PAUL: Excuse me sir, what are you doing in the counselor’s chair.

 

KIDS: Control yourselves!

 

PAUL: Yeah, I reserve that chair for the counselors for a reason.

 

KID: Well the counselor reserved it for me, so…

 

PAUL: I’m already getting a line of crap, here.

 

KID: Sir let’s just have a good day.

 

PAUL: You know how to have a good day? Don’t start with me.

 

[18:42]

 

TEXT: Staff Meeting

B Pod Counselors

 

SAL: You know what I feel like we should start Grabshite will join us.

 

TEXT: Sal Heredia

Treatment Supervisor

 

SAL: So let’s just have an overall check-in of the pod, see where we’re at, and we’ll go and talk about issues.

 

COUNSELOR: Pod status has been on a slow decline over the past week, I’d say.

 

AMY: Two, three weeks.

 

COUNSELOR: They’re integrating, I’d give them that – to a degree.

 

DENNIS: Because of the integration being the goal, everything else has kind of fallen.

 

SAL: In talking to Frias and the boys, they feel that when people that are not pod staff, they come in, that they pick on them for every single thing.

 

COUNSELOR: But they also try to get away with everything.

 

SAL: Well, where they’re coming from, is they see you guys the way you’re with them, right? So we have a new staff and they’re like “Well Mr. Bondi doesn’t mind if I just get up and sharpen my pencil. I’m not doing anything wrong.” But if, you know, they start “Hey, don’t get up!”, “Oh!”, you know that starts right there. And then resistance turns into – it’s in your face, “F- you,” and then here you go. You know, minor getting kicked out of the class.

 

BONDI: So yeah I understand but at the same time it’s almost you taking the blame from the kid, and now your placing it on the staff.

 

SAL: No, that’s why I don’t wanna get into-

 

COUNSELOR: That’s what we all-

 

SAL: But in order to help other staff deal with our pod, they do need kind of like some help. I mean, ’specially Frias.

 

COUNSELOR: The thing with him, you tell him to do something, he’s gonna “Ugh!” He’s gonna be cussin’, he’s gonna be cussin’, and he’s gonna get up and do exactly what you don’t-

 

COUNSELOR: While he cusses you out.

 

COUNSELOR: You just have to put up with his cussin’ and all his madness, on his way, while he’s doing it.

 

AMY: You need to be deaf.

 

COUNSELOR: Exactly.

 

[laughter]

 

[20:12]

 

ANNE: Sorry to interrupt, but um-

 

RICH: They’re, uh, taking every opportunity to mess with that guy, Garcia. They’re liter-, they’re trying to pump him through the roof. Flores and Campos they want to take the liberty to kind of go over to his station and start taking everything off of his station. Which I’m like “What are you guys doin’?”

 

TEXT: Rich Janisch

Extra Staff

 

COUNSELOR: Yeah.

 

RICH: All the stuff that he was workin’ with, little brass things and everything, whatever. So they go to try to raid his station, stuff like that.

 

SAL: Myrvold was talking earlier in the morning about the whole class thing, so let’s go ahead and bring him back.

 

[2-:42]

 

COUNSELOR: Let’s shut it down. Shut it down.

 

KIDS: What?

 

COUNSELOR: Shut it down. Close everything, put away-

 

ANNE: So what is going on today where I’ve got two different staff coming to me – coming to me because your staff are in a meeting – concerned about the behavior that’s going on in this class?

 

TEXT: Anne Elwart

Ranch Manager

 

KID: Well we think it was going well. Everybody was working on their jewelry, doing good.

 

ANNE: So my staff are crazy, when they’re seeing things like going on like people getting into other people’s stuff?

 

KID: I know why, I know why, ma’am, coz I-

 

ANNE: One at a time, one at a time.

 

KID: Coz I ran out of brass, so I go to the other side to see if anybody had brass and there was none. And then I seen some over there. And I grabbed a piece of brass. And then Janisch got mad and said “Can you put that back? Don’t be takin’ other people’s stuff.” And I was like “Okay,” and I gave it back to him. Then I went to Myrvold, that’s when Myrvold got over here and brought more brass for us, and then we had a new supply.

 

SAL: So what are your concerns right now? So we can go back to the [inaudible].

 

PAUL: Okay, well frankly, at this particular moment I was surprised that you came in.

 

ANNE: Because things were going well?

 

PAUL: They were goin’ okay.

 

ANNE: Okay.

 

[21:50]

 

SAL: First of all, take big deep breaths, relax. So according to you guys, the issues are misunderstandings about what’s going on?

 

KIDS: Yeah!

 

KID: Yeah, he comes to me, he’s telling me “Y’all stay away from, I know you got some problems, stuff like that.” I’m like “What the heck?” and then he goes over there to him and he just stirred it up again and we already talked and everything was cool.

 

SAL: We were talking about staff working in your pod that don’t normally work with you. How can you guys handle staff’s perception of what goes on?

 

KID: Like Viraycould have handled it like a better way, you know? Like other people, other people are different, so you gotta understand.

 

KID: Well maybe there’s a two-way street and we can help them, but we also  need staff’s help. Maybe I can tell him what’s going on and if we’re doing cool. Don’t just tell ’em like “Oh these two minors are having problems.” Because that’s how they’re gonna walk in, because that’s how Janisch came in today.

 

SAL: How would you suggest we do that so we can still do our job, but we don’t always, you know-

 

COUNSELOR: Overreact.

 

SAL: Overreact?

 

KID: You just said it, sir, just tell them to keep an eye on them, you don’t have to tell like separate from each other if they go next to each other.

 

UNCERTAIN: Yeah, cuz then that makes me feel like there’s tension when there’s not.

 

SAL: The level that you guys have gone to as far as socializing with the opposite gang member, the whatever, it’s to the point where it actually makes people uncomfortable.

 

COUNSELOR: Yeah it does.

 

COUNSELOR: Cuz they’re not used to it.

 

CAMPOS: So do it or don’t do it !

 

SAL: Listen, the staff come in, and if Frias is over here chopping it up with, you know, Campos, they’re gonna be like “Dude, they’re planning a riot,” you know.

 

[laughter]

 

SAL: “Oh my god, no, Frias, get away from there!” You know? And then Frias gonna be there: “What the fuck?!” you know?

 

[laughter]

 

FRIAS: Exactly!

 

SAL: “Hey Heredia can you come down to Bravo Pod?”

 

FRIAS: Well that’s just paranoid-, paranoid staff.

 

SAL: Okay, exactly.

 

FRIAS: It’s not my fault.

 

SAL: Hey, and I hear you. Okay.

 

COUNSELOR: We all need to be flexible, right?

 

KID: Everybody.

 

COUNSELOR: So I come into work and I know like what’s going on, so I’m flexible with certain things. New staff comes in, they don’t know as much. You guys will now need to be flexible with them. Like so they’re gonna be more “Hey you need to do this. I want you over here.” So you guys: “Okay, I get it.” Alright? So it goes both ways.

 

KID: That’s what we did today, sir.

 

KID: Yeah we were sure it was okay.

 

KID: We did what they told us to do earlier.

 

SAL: And then that’s why, again, we’re having a conversation, we’re not having a meeting about “Hey look you guys are screwing up this is the consequence.” It’s very different. So look guys, the only thing I’m gonna say is maybe an apology in a way. Um… but you guys gotta understand where we’re coming from, okay?

 

[applause]

 

SAL: Alright.

 

UNCERTAIN: So what have we got this afternoon?

 

[24;25]

 

[Chris Brown’s ‘Strip’ plays]

 

MUSIC (SOME GIRLS SING ALONG): I just wanna see you strip, girl take your time with it
Girl I just wanna see you strip God damn you're sexy (for meeee)
God damn you're sexy! God damn you're sexy!
Girl I just wanna see you...

Got my shades on with my J's on in the club with a pocket full of ones

This girl, booty out of control there she go up and down the pole

Which one I'm take home get my freak on if you ain't freaking, we ain't speaking

 

[laughter]

 

TEXT: Evelyn

 

[applause]

 

KID: D’you make a hat? Think this is gonna fit your baby?

 

EVELYN: Yeah.

 

KID: Aren’t their heads a little bigger than this? Isn’t this for like a doll.

 

EVELYN: No. Newborn babies are small.

 

EVELYN (INTERVIEW): Even though it’s been hard, I’m gonna try my best to be a good mom. In elementary school I used to really good, I was like one of the smartest girls in school. And on like the tests I used to score high. But then, like, after my parents got separated I started doing bad. Like, getting into fights.

 

EVELYN: Oh no you’re supposed to put it in the second one.

 

EVELYN (INTERVIEW): And when I was twelve, we ended up going over to Mexico. It was like crazy, like there’s a lot of freedom, and I just started kickin’ it with the wrong persons, and I started doing drugs. I got to see my dad in really bad conditions over there. We were both doing drugs together. He went to a rehab. And then after a while ended up in the same rehab with him. It was even more embarrassing. And when I came over here I started just partying, not going home. My mom stayed over there. I was like living with my boyfriend. He’s in two gangs. And I was just drinking with his family, doing a lot of drugs. I found out at juvenile hall that I was pregnant, and that was like the moment where I stopped and I was like “I can’t do- I can’t do nothing any more,” you know, like? I need a change.

 

[26:42]

 

TEXT: Bridge City Center for Youth

 

KID (rapping): Money, money, money, money, money…

 

BURKETT: Get out of Miss Yokum’s desk!

 

KID: Burkett, Burkett, where you from?

 

BURKETT: Get out the desk. Get out, up, thank you. A chair.

 

SECURITY: We gonna start Ms Burkett?

 

BURKETT: We are going to get started. We’re gonna go over the vocabulary.

 

KID: Excuse me Ms. Burkett…

 

KID: I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep that. You’re wasting the paper.

 

[laughter]

 

BURKETT: Just put- write you name and just say “refuse.” Next to each vocabulary word you have the definition. The first one being “intrigued,” I’m very interested and I’m fascinated. “Apprehensive,” fearful about the future. “Defiant,” which is what we’re having right here…

 

KID: What you gonna do?

 

BURKETT: …resisting or challenging. “Chastise,” to punish. “Nondescript…” And “serene,” calm and peaceful.

 

LEBEUF: Let me see. Come here.

 

[whooping]

 

LEBEUF: Come here.

 

KID: I owed him that. He bombed at me earlier.

 

LEBEUF: And what was…

 

KID: I was gonna get him back.

 

LEBEUF: My point is this, do you supposed to be playin’ up in there?

 

TEXT: Henry LeBeuf

Dorm Leader

 

KID: No.

 

LEBEUF: Huh?

 

KID: No.

 

LEBEUF: You know aren’t supposed to be doin’. But you choose now, is you tryin’ to learn? Or you trying to get back at somebody? Which one you tryin’ to do? Huh? You only can do one. Lemme know which one it is.

 

KID: What I wanna do is learn.

 

LEBEUF: Learn. You really? Was that a thinking strategy just now?

 

KID: No.

 

LEBEUF: But yet you, you supposed to be the next model for the dorm, right? Huh?

 

KID: Yeah.

 

LEBEUF: You tryin’ to go home, right? You need this.

 

KID: Yeah.

 

LEBEUF: I’m lyin’?

 

KID: No, sir.

 

LEBEUF: Do what you need to do, man.

 

KID: I’m very intrigued…

 

BURKETT: I mean, you’re intrigued…

 

KID: …by the second half of the school day.

 

BURKETT: No, you’re not fascinated by the second half of the school day. 

 

KID: I am.

 

BURKETT: But I can tell you what, you’re intrigued by art. You’re a gifted artist.

 

[29:00]

 

TEXT: Family Visitation

 

TEXT: Kade

 

LEBEUF: He told you all about his stage that he went up now? Last team meeting we voted him up, and he will be considered for a step-down. That’s what we’re workin’ on.

 

TEXT: Kade’s Mother

 

INTERTITLE: The staff thinks Kade is ready for an early “step-down” release to a group home.

 

LEBEUF: That’s even, you know, better than being in a secure facility.

 

KADE’S MOTHER: But he doesn’t want it.

 

LEBEUF: He don’t want it? Why, you wanna stay with me?

 

KADE: Okay, to be honest with you, I mean there’s no point to it.

 

LEBEUF: Wow, it’s hard to break away. He gonna say “Daddy Beuf, I’m staying with you.” I came from one of those [inaudible], as a younger youth, though. I was in the group home, so I know.

 

LEBEUF (INTERVIEW): Comin’ up you know I had a couple of issues, whatnot, so… basically I was put out the house, or whatnot, I got totally shut down, from, you know, from whole family. Yeah I guess, guess ma was like “close the door, don’t let him in,” and that’s why I know a lot about the shelter care and everything, and the step-down issue and everything, because I’ve been through the process myself.

 

LEBEUF: They gave me options, which I – I got a job, and I went to school, I was able to see my peers a lot more, than, than the time it just was for the weekends or whatnot. Long as that I stayed consistent at doing well. And I got the highest confidence up in him, he’s ready. The best thing in a father’s eyes is seeing his son grow up to be a man! He reminds me of me.

 

KADE (INTERVIEW): I’m currently in BCCY for some crazy stuff. Wrong friends, I guess. I was drunk and took a four-wheeler and then crashed it. I’m close to all my family members, but me and my dad, we just don’t get along. He left when I was like two or three. He comes around when he comes around. I had a brother, but he died in a car wreck in 2010. He was 18. He was racin’ in his truck, and his friend swerved at him, and he swerved and then started flippin’. It was very hard. He was like a role model – taught me to play football, baseball, and golf. And the day he died, the next day, me and him were supposed to look at apartments together. And then after he died, my dad never came around no more. So now I’m the oldest, and look where I’m at.

 

LEBEUF: He don’t wanna leave me. Lord!

 

KADE’S MOTHER: He’s blushing!

 

LEBEUF: Now he’s blushin’! You know, we don’t wanna hold on to the good, but I’m going to  keep you with me, Kade. I can’t just let Kade go! I can’t let Kade go. That’s what you want?

 

KADE: That’s what I want, Daddy Beuf.

 

LEBEUF: [laughs] Lord have mercy.

 

[31:41]

 

DENNIS: Let’s go. Going to the pod.

 

TEXT: Dennis Viray

Counselor

 

DENNIS (INTERVIEW): I’ve been working at the James Ranch for 16 years. When I first started, we were in the old program, and it was basically all correctional. There was six staff watching 96 kids. You didn’t get to know any of the kids.

 

TEXT: Old James Ranch Dorm, 2000

 

DENNIS (INTERVIEW): It was “everyone, keep it quiet, sit on the end of your bunk, and remain quiet.” It was basically follow instructions, and that’s it. I hated the way I had to be to have control over the kids. I did not like always punishing. And I realize, they hated me.

 

DENNIS: You wanna play chess?

 

MANZANO: Yeah.

 

DENNIS: We can play chess. Play chess and talk.

 

TEXT: Manzano

Age 18, 1 month into program

 

DENNIS: Get you off your game. Do you play with other staff?

 

MANZANO: Yes sir. I beat ’em.

 

DENNIS: Who’s the best?

 

MANZANO: You.

 

DENNIS: That’s right. Remember that.

 

MANZANO: [laughs]

 

DENNIS: Last time we played, we didn’t play because you wanted to talk more. And I tried to push you away for a little bit because I was like “Man, you’re getting too close to me.” Know what I’m sayin’?

 

MANZANO: It’s cool, sir, it went by fast, I have fun talking to you.

 

DENNIS: I do too. It’s like I told you guys before, in this pod I treat everybody like they’re my own kid. We talk a lot about my nephew, huh?

 

MANZANO: Yeah.

 

DENNIS: Yeah.

 

MANZANO: You didn’t see that, huh?

 

DENNIS: But did you see this?

 

MANZANO: Oh shit. [laughs] I have a lot of boys that they’re like “Oh yeah, my dad, like, I hate that fool.” Like “Fuck that fool,” this and that. You know? “’Cause he was never there for me.” But my dad was always there for me, sir, so I could never say that about him. But I just wanna be like my dad was with me.

 

DENNIS: Mmm.

 

MANZANO: That’s for me, you know?

 

DENNIS: When was the last time you seen him?

 

MANZANO: Probably six months ago.

 

DENNIS: Wow. How come he hasn’t come around?

 

MANZANO: It’s just -I know sir, if he sees me here, or he sees me locked up, or… like I’ve never really seen him cry. He’ll probably start cryin’, and I would too, so it’s hard, sir. I’d rather not see him till I’m out.

 

MANZANO (INTERVIEW): My dad I love him, he’s a gentleman. I’m different from him, like he didn’t raise me to be the way I am. My anger is bad because sometimes I can’t control it and it gets to me and I just go off.

 

DENNIS: So, how do you think you did this week?

 

MANZANO: I think I did good. Better than before.

 

DENNIS: And what changed?

 

MANZANO: Like I’m not talkin’ to the movements. Or… yeah.

 

DENNIS: Okay.

 

MANZANO: My behavior.

 

MANZANO (INTERVIEW): My charges first were kidnapping, like kidnapping and then they got reduced to, like, domestic violence or something. Well my girlfriend, she’s like my best friend, my wife, my partner in crime. Like sometimes we get mad and stuff, and shit happens, but like she’s perfect, to me she’s perfect. I love everything about her.

 

AMY (INTERVIEW): He has a restraining order with girlfriend, so they’re not allowed to communicate with mail or phonecalls.

 

TEXT: Amy Rebeterano

Counselor

 

[35:04]

 

INTERTITLE: Manzano tried to escape from the Ranch twice.

 

MANZANO: Well the past couple of weeks I wanna go home.

 

INTERTITLE: To reduce the risk of running, he is now only allowed to wear sandals.

 

MANZANO: Just finished with my program, not wasting more time.

 

DENNIS: Okay.

 

AMY: We were his third program.

 

DENNIS: And we set out special rules for him.

 

AMY: It was a team meeting held where they were like “we’re gonna have special rules to help him succeed.” So to have like more bottling, more better supervision, it was always extra staff with him when he went outside for activity.

 

DENNIS: Everyone expected you to try to run. Everything we do, they’re watching. Eyes are always on us. That’s put added pressure on us. But you’re not just this kid that escaped the Ranch a couple of times. You’re not just this criminal or this punk that a lot of people might think. You actually now have something to offer here and we’re all hoping you succeed. Okay?

 

MANZANO: Yes sir.

 

[35:57]

 

TEXT: Sheltering Arms

 

TEXT: Kimara “Papa” Dawson

Shift Supervisor

 

KIMARA: So what I wanna do today is talk about perception. These are what some would call optical illusions. Go to the last picture, take a minute to look at it. By a show of hands, who sees a frog? Who sees a horse? If you turn your paper sideways…

 

[girls laughing]

 

GIRL 1: Papa that’s crazy, right?

 

GIRL 2: You just scared me, Papa!

 

KIMARA: You girls thought I was playin’ with your mind, right? You thought I did something to you. Perception equals reality. The way I see something, makes it real for me. How people see you – and how you see things – is really based on what you’ve learned, what you know. When people see y’all they think “convict,” “failure,” “hopeless,” “you gonna die early,” “you’ll never be nothin’.” These are all things that people will say about you. And guess what.

 

GIRL 3: They’re wrong.

 

KIMARA: Well, that’s their reality. You’ve gotta make it wrong. Cuz I’ll be honest with you, a lot of you guys, when it’s quiet, and you by yourself, you feel the same way about yourself. When you change the way you look at things…

 

GIRL 4: Things change.

 

KIMARA: …the things you look at change. The minute you start changing what you see about yourself, guess what’s gonna happen.

 

GIRL 5: It gonna be true.

 

KIMARA: You gonna change. Y’all are living, breathing examples of this. We get you all here, we see exactly who you are. Y’all don’t have to pretend, we really get to see y’all at your full capacity. We see that you smart, you beautiful, humble, you supportive, and we start building those things in you. You changin’, and some of us are fightin’ the change. You know why? Anybody know why people fight the change?

 

PHOEBE: They’re scared to do something different.

 

GIRL 6: Or they don’t wanna be left out when they go home, or you know what I mean, like they only wanna do her good.

 

KIMARA: Maddy?

 

MADDY: It’s un- normal.

 

KIMARA: It’s not normal.

 

MADDY: It’s something you’re not used to.

 

KIMARA: It’s not part of your what?

 

GIRLS: Reality

 

KIMARA: Maddy how did you change? Because somebody told me today “you know that kid is changin’.”

 

MADDY: Remember how I use to  turn up all the time, Papa.

 

GIRL: We all do.

 

GIRLS: [laughter]

 

PHOEBE: I haven’t heard you use any profanity and when you first came here, what was some of the things she was sayin’? She was saying “what’s wrong with that girl?” Yeah you was like, you was just spittin’ out some real curse words!

 

MADDY: I dunno, I just like, my whole family like, they always get locked up. Like my mom who’s locked up, my brother was locked up. Everybody gets locked up in my family, like. And my grandma always talkin’ mad stuff about me and ’bout my mom, that all her kids all turned out like her, cuz she’s a drug addict, whatever. But she was… I guess… so… she umm, I just wanna go home. That it.

 

KIMARA: You know why you changin’, Maddy? I’m gonna put the credit where it deserves. You changin’ cuz you wanna change. You changin’ cuz you wanna change.

 

MADDY: Thank you. A lot of people think that they’re helpin’ me but they’re not.

 

PHOEBE: Everybody’s-

 

KIMARA: Baby girl you are gettin’ help. But you know what-

 

PHOEBE: But you the one doin’ the work.

 

KIMARA: Exactly.

 

MADDY: Nah, I just felt like I just wanna change cuz I, well I feel like breakin’ the cycle. Like my brother he’s still gettin’ high and he’s still like gettin’ in with the bros, runnin’ around in cars that he [inaudible] stuff, like he’s doin’ wild stupid stuff, like. And I don’t wanna be like that. I wanna take care of my family, I wanna live with my brother, take care of my brother, and my niece and stuff. And like I wanna take care of my mom, cuz, for me…

 

[applause]

 

PHOEBE: That’s beautiful to want that.

 

[40:42]

 

LEBEUF: Oh my, oh it’s beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

 

[child singing]

 

LEBEUF: Why you fightin’ me?

 

TEXT: LeBeuf’s Daughter and Niece

 

LEBEUF: Now you supposed to be my cheerleader and you wanna fight me now?

 

NIECE: Baaaaaah!

 

LEBEUF: Huh? Lord have mercy.

 

NIECE: This is the bell.

 

LEBEUF: I just wanna know one thing. I wanna know when this room gonna get cleaned up. This is a lot of stuff over here. I can’t walk. Really I can’t walk [inaudible]! I don’t know what I’m steppin’ on, I know I paid for it.

 

NIECE: My room is a jungle!

 

LEBEUF: I know it is – it ain’t gonna be a jungle for long. Cuz you know why? Tarzan is here. Tarzan is here and you know what I do.

 

NIECE: What?

 

[LeBeuf roars]

 

[girls scream]

 

LEBEUF: Exactly. Exactly. Get this stuff up!

 

GIRLS: Okay!

 

LEBEUF: Get it up! Get it up! [roars] I get, I get… I get- [roars]

 

[more screaming]

 

LEBEUF: Alright, get it up then, get it up, clean it up, clean it up then.

 

NIECE: Please!

 

LEBEUF: That’s all daddy wants. Put that – look what this is!

 

LEBEUF (INTERVIEW): These are my other two sisters and my ma, and of course that’s my niece, she’s grown as you can see now. This is my cousin, two of her kids died. That’s one of the boys. He was part of a gang, but this other brother was just in the wrong place wrong time, and I think, and they blew’d his brains out. My cousin he got killed also, he got killed on his birthday. Shoot, I was like a brother. Yeah it was hard, both cuz he was just in the wrong, wrong spot, literally, wrong spot. Oh boy. I’ve been on my own since 16. Since 16.

 

LEBEUF: So you know not to go that far.

 

LEBEUF (INTERVIEW): My mom, you know we always wasn’t up in a good place. She was a single mother then, so I felt like you know “okay I’m the man of the house, I’m helpin’ you pay the bills, now.” So she thought I got bigheaded or something. Yeah this the place right here. For the last final two years of high school I was group home, transitional living program. Yeah… this would be right where my bed used to sit right here. And we had a bed over here and we the long lockers. Long long long way from home. This is great because this is what the kids go to, you know? Like I tell them I was involved then in… you can now witness this is where I came from. So if I can be a success, anybody can be a success. That’s what I tell anybody. That’s a piece of the pie, there, you know? And it’s good to see these places where I come from still goin’. That’s the only thing. I pray for my kids, always have a safe environment. I don’t ever wanna have to go to a point where, you know, I have to bury my kids early or anything, I don’t wanna be in no bad situation.

 

[44:12]

 

SAL: I need Frias please.

 

RADIO: Copy he’s actually in classroom 4 now, sir.

 

SAL: Copy that.

 

INTERTITLE: After reaching a certain level in their program, kids earn home passes or “OTs” (out time).

 

INTERTITLE: Frias went home on a weekend OT, but did not return.

 

INTERTITLE: After four months on the run, he was picked up and sent back to the Ranch to restar his program.

 

SAL (INTERVIEW): I kinda had a feeling he was not even coming back. He had things going on out there that he felt responsible for. He had taken on that role of being the provider at the house, especially knowing how his mom struggled. So he had that goin’ on, he had the hood goin’ on, I think it was getting out that he was integrating here with, you know, the opposite, you know, rivals. That he was, you know, doing the program. So it started to get out that, you know, he was kinda like not being loyal to the hood. So I think he wanted to go out there and prove that “Hey, I’m down, I is gotta do what I gotta do inside.” He took care of whatever he needed to take care of.

 

SAL: Did you get a bigger sweatshirt?

 

FRIAS: No, why?

 

SAL: Looks big.

 

FRIAS: Nah it’s not big.

 

SAL: It almost looks like my-size big.

 

FRIAS: Nah it’s not.

 

SAL: You got bigger things to keep you going straight this time, huh?

 

FRIAS: Yeah, I got my daughter.

 

SAL: Mmhmm. How many times have you seen her?

 

FRIAS: Like two times or three times.

 

SAL: Aquí?

 

FRIAS: Yeah. She came to visit me here.

 

SAL: That’s right. How was it?

 

FRIAS: It was cool. Feel kinda weird cuz I couldn’t believe it was mine but… it’s mine. I’m just thinking that I never had a father with me, so… I don’t wanna be like that with my daughter.

 

SAL: What’s the difference between your daughter and your son?

 

FRIAS: I never had my son around me.

 

SAL: Okay. Cuz we never had these talks about your son before.

 

FRIAS: I dunno I never spent time with him, [inaudible] took him away from me.

 

SAL: Mmhmm.

 

FRIAS: Cuz of my- I chose my gang life instead of him.

 

SAL: Mmhmm.

 

FRIAS: Kinda selfish on my part, but I was just young.

 

SAL: Umm, this time I think, I think there’s a more mature Frias going out on the OTs. Somebody calls you up and says “Hey something went down,” and you got your daughter in your hands, you know you’re holding her, what are you gonna do?

 

FRIAS: Shit, I dunno, that’s, I dunno that’s difficult. It’s either her or them, but I mean… I dunno. They’ve been there hella with me too, they’re like my family, so…

 

SAL: Yeah I know. I understand they’re your family. But now you have a different family.

 

FRIAS: True.

 

SAL: Again. You know, again.

 

FRIAS: I dunno, sir.

 

SAL: I don’t want you to make the same mistake about not coming back, and then we start all over again. And then by then your daughter is six, eight, nine months and you’re here locked up. Then before you know it kindergarten comes around and you’re not there for her on her first day of kindergarten. You remember your first day of school?

 

FRIAS: Yeah.

 

SAL: Who was there for you?

 

FRIAS: My mom.

 

SAL: What do you remember?

 

FRIAS: I was shy that- I don’t wanna stay. I was scared. Then I started cryin’. Told mom not to leave me there.

 

SAL: Was your dad already locked up?

 

FRIAS: Yeah, he in and out, though.

 

SAL: Hmmm.

 

FRIAS: He wasn’t put away, he was just in and out.

 

SAL: Okay.

 

FRIAS: But he didn’t care. He wasn’t there, like. He wouldn’t take me to no school or nothing. He was too busy. So, whatevers.

 

SAL (INTERVIEW): And with Frias, he asked me “Sir, what is it like to tell your kid you like ’em, you love ’em, you know you’re proud of ’em? Ummm, so what is that for you as a dad?” I said, well, I try to explain to him my side, I said I just can’t compare it. It’s just the most amazing feeling in the world. There’s a connection there that nobody can break. And he just kinda like paused and said “So, is that love?” And I said “I think that’s love.” And he says “Okay, I don’t know that yet.”

 

[48:12]

 

TEXT: San Jose, California

 

EVELYN: He’s sleeping.

 

TEXT: Evelyn & Matthew

6 months post-release

 

MAGGIE: Aaaaaah.

 

EVELYN: He just fell asleep for now cuz he woke up early and he wanted to go- he was playing with his toys.

 

TEXT: Maggie Clifford

Counselor

 

INTERTITLE: Evelyn was granted an early release three days before giving birth.

 

MAGGIE: You got him?

 

EVELYN: Yeah.

 

MAGGIE: Okay. One step at a time.

 

INTERTITLE: Evelyn is off probation and done with the standard 10 weeks of aftercare services that kids receive when they leave the Ranch.

 

MAGGIE: No hurry. Especially cuz it’s a long fall.

 

EVELYN: I still have like a year of high school.

 

MAGGIE: Okay.

 

EVELYN: And I’m trying to look for a job but it’s so hard.

 

MAGGIE: Yeah. So have you applied to like all of these places?

 

EVELYN: Ummm, no, cuz…

 

MAGGIE: Marshalls?

 

EVELYN: In the Great Mall they have, umm, jobs for like 16 year olds…

 

MAGGIE: Oh cuz you’re young.

 

EVELYN: And here they’re like 18…

 

MAGGIE: Okay. What about the clothing color?

 

EVELYN: Why? Cuz they’re red?

 

MAGGIE: Yes. It’s like bright red.

 

EVELYN: My mother-in-law buys them for him and then it’s like red, you know?

 

MAGGIE: Yeah. So do you ever think about that? Like, maybe we just put those in the back of the closet. Just with, you know, the past or the history.

 

EVELYN: Yeah… Ever since I met Victor’s family that’s when I went all out, I was just [inaudible] to come home anymore.

 

INTERTITLE: Evelyn’s boyfriend is currently incarcerated at Juvenile Hall.

 

MAGGIE: Yeah? Victor’s family is heavily involved in gangs. How do people pull away from that? Because that’s what you’re on the precipice of doing.

 

EVELYN: I just need to tell him what we went through, or what he been through, so he won’t, like, try to like, be like us. Cuz the kids always look up to their parents. I’m not, I’m gonna [inaudible]

 

[Matthew cries]

 

MAGGIE: Oooh! What happened?

 

EVELYN: Your dad.

 

MAGGIE: Are we talkin’ about your daddy?

 

EVELYN: He looks a bit like daddy.

 

MAGGIE: Do you think you could find a different set of friends?

 

EVELYN: I dunno. Like if I had particular friends that they’re not, like, gangster, like hood, I’d just feel weird.

 

MAGGIE: Why?!

 

EVELYN: I dunno. I feel like I wouldn’t fit in.

 

MAGGIE: I think you would fit in more than you know.

 

EVELYN: Yeah?

 

MAGGIE: Yeah.

 

MAGGIE (INTERVIEW): This is the first time that I really had contact with a kid after they’ve left here. She’s figuring it out slowly and it, it reminds me that this isn’t a quick fix, we’re not gonna fix all of their home problems and all of their life problems in six to eight months here.

 

MAGGIE: Get him some sunglasses.

 

MAGGIE (INTERVIEW): It helps put in perspective for me, too.

 

[51:10]

 

MANZANO: You guys playin’?

 

TEXT: Manzano

 

WOMAN OFF-CAMERA: Go Manzano!

 

MANZANO: Where you at, Buzio?

 

AMY: Any time I ask him about grading I have to change the subject, cuz he can’t handle it.

 

ART: Right. Yeah.

 

AMY: And then he also went off on Ms. Foster, and told her to shut the F up, called her a B.

 

ART: Oh.

 

AMY: He had to call sup. (supervisor)

 

DENNIS: And when we asked Manzano how are things yesterday his standard answer is “Oh, everything was good.”

 

TEXT: Art Testani

Counselor

 

DENNIS: He had a good day.

 

AMY: He doesn’t think he did anything wrong.

 

ART: That’s what I was going to say -that’s my number one thing, he doesn’t think he does anything wrong, so I told him “you gotta start taking accountability.”

 

AMY: I don’t think he’s been taking his meds either. Cuz I asked him yesterday and then he took ’em yesterday cuz he’s like “well grading’s tomorrow, I’d better take ’em so she’ll write me up.” So he’s like…

 

DENNIS: His behavior…

 

AMY: Up and down.

 

DENNIS: …changes quite a bit.

 

ART: Yeah.

 

DENNIS: He gets a little bit more aggressive in how he’s talkin’ to us.

 

AMY: Different personalities every day.

 

ART: Wow.

 

[52:39]

 

TEXT: Manzano’s Mother

 

DENNIS: He’s been asking every day to call you. He’s been feeling very depressed, so I’m glad you showed up. Thank you.

 

TRINA: Let’s talk about our conversations that we had last week.

 

TEXT: Trina Gauthier

Treatment Supervisor

 

TRINA: We’re talking about your program overall, and the possibility of you receiving some OTs in the future. Right? However there’s concerns, you know? There’s, there’s concerns. You know we want you to spend time at home with your family, we just wanna make sure that it’s the right timing and that you’re prepared for that, cuz it’s a huge next step.

 

MANZANO: Yeah.

 

TRINA: You know?

 

AMY: She’s not saying no, we’re saying let’s help you get there.

 

MANZANO: I’m just  trippin’ m’am. I ‘m just crazy, you know.

 

AMY: You’re not, you just wanna go home.

 

TRINA: Yeah.

 

AMY: You have a lot of anxiety about that.

 

TRINA: But then when it’s not on your time frame you throw in the towel too fast.

 

AMY: It’s no problem.

 

MANZANO: I haven’t cried in so long. This shit I feel like I need to let it out. I feel so  so much how I feel.  Crying just makes me feel better.

 

TRINA: Yeah. Seems like a road that doesn’t have an end, right? But there is going to be an end to all of this. We talked about, we want you to start your classes, you know. Your domestic violence classes.

 

MANZANO: Mmhmm.

 

TRINA: Now it is court-ordered, and it’s for how many weeks?

 

KEVIN: Uh, it’s a minimum of 26 weeks.

 

TEXT: Kevin Cho

Probation Officer

 

TRINA: It’s a long intensive program. I’d like for you to start your classes and then for us to get evaluation from them, and see.

 

MANZANO: I don’t care if I don’t go home. I’ll get released.

 

DENNIS: Is there still room for improvement in you, or is this where you stop, you’re done? This is the best…

 

MANZANO: I don’t know, sir.

 

DENNIS: Cuz we all see that there is more.

 

MANZANO: Yeah, but they don’t even know me like you do.

 

DENNIS: Yeah! Have I ever given up on you? Do I push you to go further? I don’t?

 

MANZANO: Yeah you do, sir.

 

DENNIS: I believe you can get there. And so what they’re all doing is trying to help you get there. This is all for you.

 

AMY: It may seem like a punishment, but it is really to help you.

 

MANZANO: This is my fault, maam. You feel me? I put this shit on mysef, so, I have to handle it. You feel me?

 

KEVIN: What are your feelings about, specifically, with the protective order? Like, it not being modified?

 

MANZANO: To be honest?

 

KEVIN: Yeah, absolutely, I’m honest all the time.

 

MANZANO: Then I don’t care if I get in trouble, I- I don’t give a fuck about no restraining order. I don’t give a fuck about the judge, or law, I don’t give a fuck about you, I don’t give a fuck about what – I love her, and I’m gonna be with with her and I don’t give a fuck. Straight up, sir.

 

KEVIN: Yeah I know.

MANZANO: And that’s what I feel, fuck anyone that wants to get in our way. And fuck the whole world because it’s just me and her and I’m pretty sure she wants to be with me.

 

KEVIN: Regardless of OTs, yes, no, he’s gonna get out of here, so when he does go home and he has that kind of mindset of “I don’t care what the court says, probation, law enforcement, I don’t care I’m gonna be with her…”

 

MANZANO: Then you’ll make you decision then and send me to county, sir.

 

KEVIN: And, excuse me, I’m speaking. Thank you.

 

MANZANO: then you can send me to county.

 

AMY: Sshhhhh.

 

DENNIS: Hey.

 

UNCERTAIN: [inaudible]

 

MANZANO: Sir because I never fucking express myself, sir! Like I fuckin’ feel it, [inaubile]

 

DENNIS: It’s about respect.

 

MANZANO: You don’t fuckin’ know me.

 

DENNIS: It’s still about respect.

 

MANZANO: I don’t give a fuck, sir. You don’t respect me I don’t fucking respect-

 

KEVIN: We’re talking this whole time here, we’ve been talking this whole time Aldair

 

MANZANO: I don’t give a fuck, sir. Fuck him, sir. Fuck you sir!

 

DENNIS: Hey! Just settle down.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: [inaudible]

 

MANZANO: I don’t give a fuck.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: [inaudible]

 

DENNIS: Settle down.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: [inaudible]

 

TRINA: Remember we talked…

 

[Manzano punches table]

 

TRINA: Relax.

 

DENNIS: Calm down.

 

MANZANO: You don’t fuckin’ know me, sir.

 

DENNIS: [inaudible]

 

MANZANO: [groans]

 

KEVIN: Alright, I’m gonna remove myself, cuz he’s upset, with me, I’ll talk to him later. M’am can I have a word with you outside?

 

MANZANO: Who cares, sir? Fuck that fool. Fuck him, beat his ass.

 

TRINA: Come on Aldair

 

MANZANO: Don’t give a fuck.

 

TRINA: Aldair.

 

MANZANO: You don’tknow me like this.

 

TRINA: Aldair don’t talk ridiculous.

 

MANZANO: I’m serious, maam. You don’t know me like this, maam. You don’t know me.

 

TRINA: Listen. Listen.

 

MANZANO: You don’t know what I’m capable of doing, maam, so don’t tell me to.

 

TRINA: Okay, I understand what you’re saying.

 

DENNIS: Calm down. Calm down. Okay?

 

MANZANO: Mmhmm.

 

AMY: Do you need these?

 

MANZANO: Nah, I don’t need that shit.

 

AMY: Yes you do.

 

MANZANO: No I don’t.

 

DENNIS: Just use it.

 

MANZANO: No, not that.

 

TRINA: You get upset with anyone that reminds you of the limitations

 

MANZANO: I just don’t want…

 

TRINA: And that’s really…

 

MANZANO: And he knows I know what’s up. So why the fuck asking if you’re so worried about that, then fucking ask me when I’m out, or something. Fuck this, I’m doing my program and shit, fuck it.

 

TRINA: All this is to help you kinda work towards developing yourself and making yourself stronger, which in the end, if that means you and Ashley being together, then this is what you do.

 

MANZANO: [inaudible]

 

TRINA: This is all baby steps, though, leading up to…

 

MANZANO: You don’t know how I feel about her, maam. It’s cuz you…

 

TRINA: I get it.

 

MANZANO: You don’t know! No matter what I do I can’t be with her, it’s like everyone fucking..I fucked up , oh m’am you don’t know. You don’t know. And it’s too much. You don’t know. It’s not… it hurts.

 

TRINA: Yeah.

 

MANZANO: I fucked up. I… I fucked up, ma’am.

 

TRINA: Yeah.

 

[58:25]

 

PHOEBE: Just got a whole new group of people.

 

KIMARA: You know who be strugglin’ with that right now? I know you already know, it’s Maddy. Maddy is fightin’ for that dominance, like, “I don’t wanna get lost with these news people here.”

 

PHOEBE: This is probably the most positive attention that Maddy’s ever gotten. So…

 

KIMARA: I agree.

 

PHOEBE: You get them so far and  now they need to self-regulate.

 

KIMARA: Mmhmm.

 

PHOEBE: She needs to be able to self-regulate, to catch herself before she acts out and does somethin’, and to be able to think positively about herself. Cuz she’s gonna be leaving soon, and she isn’t gonna be able to do that.

 

MADDY: Why one staff took me out yesterday for six hours! Six hours!

 

KIMARA: Madelyn.

 

MADDY: And why two staff gotta take me for two hours?

 

KIMARA: Madelyn, young lady.

 

PHOEBE: You can’t dictate!

 

KIMARA: Are you leaving, are you leaving right now with Ms. Nichols and Ms. Bishop?

 

MADDY: No.

 

KIMARA: I already told you Ms. Bishop will escort you out.

 

MADDY: Start check-in.

 

PHOEBE: She said no.

 

KIMARA: Okay.

 

INTERTITLE: Maddy is scheduled to go to an orientation for the new school she will attend after her release in one month.

 

KIMARA: Sorry for the delay, ladies. Good afternoon everybody.

 

Kids: Good afternoon.

 

KIMARA: Umm, Maddy you don’t wanna do somethin’ right now. You have an appointment to go to at your school, umm, she doesn’t want to go, because her focus is people got on her blue shirt.

 

MADDY: They gonna think I’m in a foster home or something. I’m not doin’ that, you see the shirt, the tag, everything like. They even have…

 

PHOEBE: Think they’ll remember that?

 

KIMARA: My point to you sweetheart is if they doin’ that to you…

 

MADDY: In two weeks?! You think they’re not gonna remember in two weeks?

 

KIMARA: If they doin’ that to you then they not your people.

 

MADDY: Of course they’re not my people! I’m in a new school, they don’t care!

 

PHOEBE: So why do you care?

 

UNCERTAIN: So why do you care?

 

MADDY: Because I care about what people think about me.

 

KIMARA: So you know what?

 

MADDY: So y’all wanna know cuz I’m takin’ the big van? Yeah, regular person, me, one person comin’ out the big van, guys.

 

UNCERTAIN: They gotta go in the classroom with her.

 

MADDY: Everything! Everything! Yesterday when I went, it was in the minivan, regular-looking van…

 

UNCERTAIN: Okay.

 

MADDY: Removed the paper from it, so we won’t look weird or whatever, regular-looking van. Regular-looking staff! Mr. Bradley. Regular shirt on. And this boy I know, he asked me “Who’s that?” “My Uncle Bradley!” Now let’s see today, I walk inside with Ms. Bishop, “Sheltering Arms children and family services.” The tag!

 

COUNSELOR: Orientation is part of school, you have to go.

 

MADDY: You do not have to go to freshman orientation! Like who went to their freshman orientation when they in school? Please tell me. I’m not even gonna argue,  – why I’m  arguin’ with ya, I said I’m not goin’ and that’s it.

 

COUNSELOR: It’s not an argument

 

MADDY: That’s it. I said I’m not goin’ and that’s it.

 

KIMARA: “Anything to get me home,” and if this is part of gettin’ home, oh yeah let’s get in that big van. Let’s get the double-decker big van! Whatever we gotta do.

 

KID 1: If you felt like “yeah when I go, when I get out into the real world,” that it’s gonna brought again, like “oh you was in, you was in some program, your parents don’t care about you,” it does go like that, that’s the honest truth. And I need staff and residents to understand that, that this is still embarrassing. You don’t understand? But I get what you all sayin’, like you know if it’s getting me closer to goin’, Maddy, then I’m sayin’ this to you, cuz we conversate, just go. Cuz I really don’t wanna see you here longer, that’s gonna make you bug out even more that you can’t stay here longer than the time that you gotta be in here, Maddy.

 

MADDY: And it’s gonna send me right back when somebody say that my parents don’t care about me and I punch them dead in they mouth. And then I get locked up in the school, and then when I come back then there’s people “oh Maddy, what you did?!” [inaudible]

 

KID 2: If it’s gonna get you home faster I’m gonna do whatever you say, like. This is the last time you gonna see these people, cuz you gonna be in school, rockin’ out, startin’ and doin’ what you gotta do. You’re not gonna have your own staff there with you, you feel me? It’s gonna be one time when you gonna be out the door if you think about it like that.

 

KID 1: I know for a fact that the way you gonna step up in school you gonna make sure that you look like everything to go to school. And guess what, your school record’s gonna get done, so if it was like “yeah, uh huh, I was in a program. Yeah, uh huh, I had to work with staff, but guess what, you’re not doin’ your work, your work is always incomplete, you never do homework, and you come to school lookin’ dirty.

 

[laughter]

 

KIMARA: We are sensitive to the situation, we get it! But it still don’t stop nothin’. So I appreciate everybody, I love to see y’all say the truth to each other, whether it’s what a person wanna hear or not.

 

MADDY: Thank y’all for tryin’ to make me go.

 

KID: You’re welcome.

 

PHOEBE: What if they go and they put something over their chest and not show it and put the tag inside?

 

MADDY: Then I’m gonna go! I told them that already!

 

PHOEBE: Maddy? Maddy? They appreciate that, they’re gonna be able to do that. So come on. Maddy pay attention to what they’re saying.

 

KIMARA: Okay –appreciate that

 

PHOEBE: Close mouth, open ears.

 

KIMARA: Nichols hit me when you get there.

 

COUNSELOR: Y’all look like you’re sending your kids to the first day of school!

 

PHOEBE: I know don’t we! Closed mouth, open ears!

 

[laughter]

 

[01:03:17]

 

INTERTITLE: LeBeuf has decided to resign from Bridge City.

 

INTERTITLE: The long hours and commute are taking too much time away from his own children.

 

LEBEUF: Lotta transition goin’ upon the youngin. What we gonna do, we gonna go around and see how you feel towards me movin’ forward. I it effect you, Devon.

 

DEVON: I’m gonna miss you, but like, you can’t never get too comfortable when you go places, so anything turns like that you go to your next job. So I’m happy. Know what I’m sayin’, so it just be cool. And just like… be cool.

 

LEBEUF: What’s your outlook on everything, Kade?

 

KADE: Gotta do what you gotta do. Make more money.

 

LEBEUF: [laughs] Imma just be honest with you, it’s not about money. It’s more about family, you know, being close to family. Gotta be a man. So I expect y’all, you know, carry your business. You know, you ’posed to be a man, not just for the money, and not just for, you know, to have fun. But you have responsibilities.

How you really feel about me leavin’, man.

 

KID: I don’t want you to leave.

 

LEBEUF: Why?

 

KID: Dunno.

 

LEBEUF: Why?!

 

KID: Like a bond, you know. I got a bond with you now, bro. Havin’ to start over, gonna be real hard, bro. Not hearin’ your voice, not seein’ you no more. Gonna be hard, bro,

 

LEBEUF: This is hard for me really, though. I ain’t like- cos it ain’t even the same.

 

KID: Ain’t gona never be the same.

 

LEBEUF: Ain’t gonna be the same but is life, you know?

 

KADE: The dorm won’t e the samehe same.

 

LEBEUF: Hmmm?

 

KADE: The dorm won’t be the same.

 

LEBEUF: Whatchu mean?

 

KADE: The dorm won’t be the same. Soon as you leave, we probably gonna get another bad dorm leader, like we had before. And dorm will be wild, people be losin’ stuff.

 

LEBEUF: Man you good though. We did some work, brah. We did some work.

 

KADE: A lot work. Got me talkin’ to my dad, now.

 

LEBEUF: Yeah. That’s bein’ a man. Come on, don’t cry bro. Don’t cry, we good. Don’t think just cus Beuf, oh he leavin’, things ain’t gonna be the same.

 

KADE: They ain’t. This is a lot to take in. Come off of furlough, ’spect everything to be good, come back, and you’re done, the bestdorm leader is about to be gone.

 

LEBEUF: Yeah, I know. It’s hard for me, man, but I feel good, brah. You know why I feel good? Cuz you where you need to be.

 

KADE: Yeah.

 

LEBEUF: I don’t see you being back, I don’t see you goin’ down the wrong path, because you know why? I know what’s in you. It been in you.

 

KADE: Yeah? Just wish I’d found it somewhere than here.

 

LEBEUF: You know what? Bein’ able to find somethin’ in our lifetime, is better than findin’ nothin’. You got what I’m sayin’, son? Only person who can stop someone is who?

 

KADE: Me, myself.

 

LEBEUF: Only one who can improve is who?

 

KADE: Myself.

 

LEBEUF: That’s right! Don’t ever let one person stop your show. But again it goes back to my favorite sayin’ – and what’s what, Kade?

 

KADE: I dunno you got a lot of sayings.

 

LEBEUF: Embrace your mom.

 

KADE: Yeah, embrace her.

 

LEBEUF: Kade!

 

[01:07:15]

 

FRIAS: So what’s up, sir?

 

SAL: You tell me. I have a supervisor, who calls me out, “you know you need to go talk to Frias.” And then I have a senior staff that says “hey, things are off the hook. He was off the hook yesterday.”

 

FRIAS: I wasn’t even off the hook yesterday. They ain’t gave my phone call.

 

SAL: Oh my god Frias, well you knew I was coming in this morning.

 

FRIAS: Yeaaaaah.

 

SAL: So why not be patient and wait and then have somebody who knows what’s going on?

 

FRIAS: Cuz, by my title it says that [inaudible] I should be getting my phone call on Friday.

 

SAL: Okay.

 

FRIAS: Not Saturday.

 

SAL: Supervisor says “hey look I dunno, you gotta give me an evaluation on Frias, is he gonna maintain for the day?” So I pulled you out, and then we’re talking civilized. So of course I’m gonna say “well he seems fine to me,” but the moment you go back into the pod, okay, switch comes back on.

 

FRIAS: Hehehe.

 

SAL: A ha ha ha.

 

FRIAS: Hahaha, serious this is fucked, like, they can’t even do it there, they think they’re all the sh- the stuff, and like…

 

SAL: What do you gain from it?

 

FRIAS: Cuz I get ’em mad.

 

SAL: But what do you gain?

 

FRIAS: It means I got the power to get them mad.

 

SAL: Okay.

 

FRIAS: They give me their power. I’m not supposed to have that much power over them. I’m not supposed to control them, I’m not supposed to control their emotions.

 

SAL: Uuuhhhhhh…

 

FRIAS: But they givin’ it to me.

 

SAL: Okay.

 

FRIAS: So that makes me feel good, makes me feel I’m in charge.

 

SAL: To a certain point actually, you know what you’ve got people believing that you don’t really give an F about anything, but in reality you and I both know you do. So that whole thing – “I don’t give a fuck, I don’t do this” – you know, that whole thing, you know, you can tell it to somebody else. For the millionth time I think, what can you control?

 

FRIAS: Myself.

 

SAL: Exactly. It’s just a matter of if you wanna do it or not. You can go back and have a smooth morning or have a smooth afternoon, not talk back, just keep quiet, keep to yourself. You may even apologize and say “hey, look sir, my bad, let’s just try and have a good day…”

 

FRIAS: I ain’t gonna apologize for…

 

SAL: I know you’re not, I’m just sayin’, God, that would be – you know – it’d probably start raining in California.

 

FRIAS: What am I gonna get out of that?

 

SAL: It’s like this, mira, when I tell you that you’re not gonna make me look bad, by saying and assessing you and saying that you’re okay to stay…

 

FRIAS: Mmhmm.

 

SAL: And then you act out, who you making look bad?

 

FRIAS: You.

 

SAL: Okay, so you wanna do that?

 

FRIAS: No.

 

SAL: Okay.

 

FRIAS: But.

 

SAL: No. No buts!

 

FRIAS: [grumbles] Alright.

 

SAL: Okay, I’m holding you to it. Because I’m leaving early this morning, I got stuff to do.

 

FRIAS: No you’re not you’re here till 5.

 

SAL: No. Haha, I’m not. I gotta go wait for my dad, he’s getting released from the hospital.

 

FRIAS: Oh for reals?

 

SAL: Yeah.

 

FRIAS: So you’re leaving early today?

 

SAL: I’m leaving around 11.

 

FRIAS: What the?! So what happens if I go off at 12, I’m gonna get [inaudible]

 

SAL: Well, don’t go off at 12. Don’t go off ever.

 

FRIAS: What the hell?

 

SAL: Okay, so… do you wanna call your mom or no?

 

FRIAS: Yeah.

 

[01:10:20]

 

FRIAS’S MOM: Bueno.

 

FRIAS: Hello?

 

SAL: Pick it up, man.

 

FRIAS: What are you doing?... So you can come get for today and tomorrow… Oh, so you’re coming?... Alright – I don’t have to deal with your guys nonsense this weekend

 

SAL: You sound like- have the biggest little baby smile right now. Jesus.

 

FRIAS: I’m out, sir. What time is it? Oh five minutes.

 

SAL: Was that all worth it? Was that all worth it? You [inaudible] and [inaudible].

 

FRIAS: Imma go apologize right now. I’m go apologize. I’m sorry. I thought I wasn’t gonna go home so I was gonna cut off.

 

SAL: I knew that was the whole reason.

 

SAL (INTERVIEW): Look for me it’s been there done that. I know the dance, I know the steps with Frias. Staff joke with me all the time, I know they do it out of frustration. They see him walkin’ in/out of the office and they’d say “Oh you going to Daddy Heredia now?” “What the fuck, sir? What are you talking about? I’m my own man!”

 

FRIAS (INTERVIEW): I wanna finish the program. I’m actually happy cuz I’m about to graduate so it’s another thing, got my high school diploma. I made it. When I get out, I do what I gotta do. I’ll be there for my daughter too, though. Regardless, if they like it or not. She’s my daughter.

 

SAL: Okay.

 

FRIAS: Hey, Imma go get my meds.

 

SAL: Hold on, wait there. Hold on.

 

FRIAS: Cuz I refused them earlier.

 

SAL (INTERVIEW): Frias has grown tremendously. I mean right now he’s acting up, but internally you can see him struggling. There is a caring inside of him that starts to come out and he doesn’t know what to do with it. You know, and I really believe, I really believe he really wants to be there for his daughter. Um… he just doesn’t know how. And when he starts understanding how he can be, it conflicts with what he knows and what he’s done. So therefore the turmoil inside. But he’s actually battling with this process; to me that’s a success in itself.

 

INTERTITLE: Frias completed his program and aftercare.

For the past year he has been living at home and continuing to see his daughter.

He is still in his gang.

 

[01:12:47]

 

KID 1: I’m about to hoop you up with some basketball, I’m about to hoop you up with my boots…

 

MANZANO: Hey ,can we go play volleyball?

 

SHIRLEY: I’m about to hoop you up under the bed.

 

MANZANO: Ms. Childs can we go play volleyball?

 

SHIRLEY: Volleyball? Soon as you guys make up these beds.

 

KID 1: My bed’s made!

 

SHIRLEY: Especially you! Gentlemen, I can tell you guys right now that there is not gonna be any outside activities if- if this pod is not clean the way that it should be clean. And by the looks of it you’re getting ready to take a nap, right?

 

MANZANO: It’s Sunday, Sunday is when you get to nap.

 

SHIRLEY: We’re waiting on you, we’re waiting on you. Whatever you wanna do.

 

KID 1: Oh boy clean your mess so we can go outside!

 

MANZANO: Don’t talk to me like that.

 

SHIRLEY: Hey hey hey hey. They signed the wrong one up for this pod this morning, man. They signed Martha Stewart up this morning.

 

KID 1: You don’t look like her though.

 

SHIRLEY: I know, I’m cuter.

 

KID 1: Oh I like that comeback, that was good.

 

[01:13:42]

 

MANZANO (INTERVIEW): I get out in two months. Sometimes I think the best thing that happened to me was coming to this place, cuz I graduated high school already, I’m moving forward now to see what’s coming next.

 

MATT DILLON [ON SCREEN]: What am I gonna do now, Pony? This girl's making me shake.

 

KID: [inaudible]

 

MANZANO (INTERVIEW): My ex-girlfriend, she’s with another guy now. I wish her the best. And, um, I love her, I’m not gonna say I don’t love her, cuz you don’t stop loving a person from day to day. I was actually going to get help doing my domestic violence classes. I get to talk to people my age that have been through the same, and I open up and I actually am different. I know how to work with conflicts that come to me, stuff like that. See because when I was drunk I used to do bad things, cuz of my anger. Like I let my emotions get to me. If I could say anything to her I’d tell her sorry. I’m not the same person, and I’m sorry if I ever did any damage in your life.

 

DENNIS: Good night

 

[laughter]

 

AMY: Behave

 

[01:14:56]

 

INTERTITLE: That evening, Manzano got into a physical altercation with a non-regular pod staffer.

Two days have passed and he has not received any consequences.

 

MANZANO: He just kept coming towards me and kept holding me, sir. Fuck that! I got a [inaudible] “don’t be touching me, sir.” I told him, sir, “don’t be touching me.” I get mad, sir, like he kept- I kept backing up, he kept coming towards me and I kept backing up, he kept coming. I was like…

 

DENNIS: We all know your anger control, we all know…

 

MANZANO: Sir why is he gonna keep touching me after I tell him “get out my face, get out my face”?

 

DENNIS: A lot of times when you’re here with extra help, or non-regular, non-pod staff, your behavior changes quite a bit.

 

MANZANO: If it would’ve been hella bad, I would’ve been back to the Hall.

 

DENNIS: It sounds like you should’ve been back to the Hall after all that. He said you lost control, you got crazy, and if you kept going what else could’ve happened?

 

MANZANO: I’m mad at myself because thinking about it now I know I could’ve handled that better.

 

DENNIS: That’s good. If you did something wrong I want you to own up to it.

 

[01:15:53]

 

ART: Um, you had an incident on Thursday, with Mr. Shannon – was it Thursday? I don’t know what ended up happening but apparently, you know, there was some contact between you and him, and Mr. Hardy didn’t know anything about it, so Mr. Hardy wants to send you back as a Ranch failure. He wants to fail you, okay? And here’s the really rough part, Aldair is I’m hoping that you’ll just go peaceful, because I don’t wanna put my hands on- I really like you, and I don’t wanna be forced to go there. I think of all the times that we- we’ve been off Ranch, we went to this, we’ve- we’ve broken bread, we’ve had meals together.

 

MANZANO: So sir, are you saying I have to go to the Hall right now?

 

ART: Yeah you do. And…

 

MANZANO: Alright it’s cool sir…

 

ART: But we didn’t wanna interrupt your visit, I didn’t wanna…

 

MANZANO: Nah it’s cool sir.

 

ART: You know, stuff like that. So…

 

MANZANO: I respect all of you guys

 

AMY: [inaudible]

 

MANZANO: I respect the three of you guys, I’ll do it cool.

 

ART: I’m sorry but I don’t wanna do this.

 

MANZANO: It’s cool sir. 

 

DENNIS: I feel bad. We’ve come a long ways. Thank you.

 

MANZANO: Nah sir, don’t trip. I’m cool with the three of you, sir. Here sir put this with my shit.

 

DENNIS: Yeah. Here… I’ll take care of that.

 

AMY: You feel okay?

 

MANZANO: Yeah, we’re cool. It’s cool.

 

AMY: Wanna cry?

 

MANZANO: Nah. I’m  cool m’am, I’m chilling

 

AMY: Okay, thank you.

 

MANZANO: That’s cool sir, I respect the three of you guys, sir.

 

RADIO: [inaudible]

 

[01:17:44]

 

DENNIS: What’s that?

 

MANZANO: [on telephone in Spanish] They are going to send me back.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: Why?

 

MANZANO: Because of the fight I told you I had with the staff.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: Why did they wait until now?

 

MANZANO: Because the manager was not here.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: Okay.

 

MANZANO: He failed me from the program, so I won’t be able to go home anymore. I’m not in this program anymore. In other words, I’ve been expelled.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: [inaudible Spanish]

 

MANZANO: Okay mom, I love you.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: [inaudible Spanish]

 

MANZANO: Okay bye ma.

 

MANZANO’S MOTHER: Bye.

 

MANZANO: Why did you call security or hella people?

 

DENNIS: There was a little concern for our safety.

 

MANZANO: I wouldn’t hurt you guys, I told you. It’s like I didn’t run on you.

 

DENNIS: I never thought you would. That’s why I always said “give him his shoes, I don’t care.” I trusted you would be fine on my shift. We did want you to finish, and it was a struggle for us to, you know that? But we all saw progress.

 

MANZANO: Mmhmm.

 

DENNIS: Remember…

 

MANZANO: Sir, but at least I graduated.

 

DENNIS: Yes. That’s a major step.

 

MANZANO: Yeah

 

DENNIS: Some people want to get out of here. 

 

AMY: You go back to the Hall, where it’s easier.

 

DENNIS: Yeah.

 

MANZANO: Sir, why would I want to go back to the Hall?

 

DENNIS: You said you needed time out to get your mind straight sometimes.

 

MANZANO: I like it here better.

 

DENNIS: Huh?

 

AMY: Why?

 

MANZANO: Cuz it feels like home here.

 

AMY: Just our pod.

 

MANZANO: Just a little home here. You actually care, this goes for all of you guys. You know? Thanks for everything.

 

DENNIS: [inaudible]

 

MANZANO: Thank you.

 

DENNIS: You’ll  be okay.

 

MANZANO: We’re cool, sir. We’re cool. I dunno… I’m cool. I just wanna finish my program.

 

[01:20:06]

 

TEXT: Bronx, New York

 

TEXT: Maddy

6 weeks post-release

 

INTERTITLE: Maddy started high school and is receiving aftercare services.

 

INTERTITLE: She is living with her brother and elderly grandmother.

 

TEXT: Phoebe Dickson

 

PHOEBE: Okay somebody push the button. Yaaay! Okay. So what have you been doing since you’ve been home?

 

MADDY: Nothing, just go to school and do what I gotta do, go to Vertex and stuff like that.

 

PHOEBE: Okay, go to school I can say, I can vouch for that, that’s a check. Go to Vertex, you been goin’ to Vertex?

 

MADDY: Nah.

 

PHOEBE: Oooh…

 

INTERTITLE: Vertex is a treatment center for substance abuse.

 

MADDY: I-I-I-I’ve been goin’ like on and off though, it’s not like I just stubbed the whole thing. I changed my days and now there’s something goin’ on with my days.

 

PHOEBE: Now you lookin’ good.

 

MADDY: Thanks.

 

PHOEBE: You soundin’ like you cool, your eye’s not red. So that’s good.

 

PHOEBE (INTERVIEW): Maddy is pretty much raisin’ herself. It’s gonna be very hard, it’s gonna be very hard. I just hope she stays true to her path.

 

PHOEBE: Would you ever wanna come back and talk to some of the old girls?

 

MADDY: Yeah. I wanna visit.

 

PHOEBE: You should! Everybody would be glad to see you. You saw so much life and belief and hope and energy and you know, I remember that.

 

MADDY: I just calmed down. I won’t fight no more but somebody talk crazy at me Imma smack ’em, not playin’.

 

[laughter]

 

MADDY: And I dunno, like I think I’m just more ladylike. I was like a little boy when I first got there. I’m still the same Maddy, it’s just I just be dressin’ up different, I just present myself differently.

 

PHOEBE: People see you different, too.

 

[01:22:03]

 

TEXT: Thibodaux, Louisiana

 

TEXT: Kade

2 months post-release

 

KADE: Good to go.

 

INTERTITLE: LeBeuf arranged for Kade to get released from Bridge City the same day he left.

 

KADE (INTERVIEW): Mr. LeBeuf, he just made me like think more, said first just think about it, and then said if you’ve got any doubts that you shouldn’t be doin’ it, then you shouldn’t do it. A hard thing was tryin’ not to just hang out with the people I used to hang around with and get in trouble with. But after about a month, they just stopped callin’, and I stopped talkin’ to them. I ain’t getting in trouble no more. Nope.

 

INTERTITLE: Kade lives at home with his mother and two sisters. He graduated from high school and is training to be an air conditioning technician.

 

KADE (INTERVIEW): My dad, he was around for about a month, two months or so, but after that he just left again. He cool sometimes, stuff like that, love him, but I dunno, just sometimes he need to be here. Wake up tomorrow: fish. Sunday again: fish. Monday: sleep a little late. Probably won’t fish Monday. Tuesday might go fishing.

 

KADE: That’s peaceful.

 

[01:23:22]

 

TEXT: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

INTERTITLE: LeBeuf is working as a correctional officer at an adult prison.

 

LEBEUF (INTERVIEW): You never know where you might be, you might work up in a dorm where you the only officer there, you’re dealing with like at least 120. Or maybe you work the- the lockdown cell unit. You chain ’em in, chain ’em out. Chain ’em in, chain ’em out. You don’t comply? Okay they comin’ now, comin’ in there with a whole lot of people for you. Shut you down. Mace you down. Whatever it take you to comply. When you hit those sell blocks it’s a whole- whole different atmosphere. You don’t have that at Bridge City, we talk to you, we try to hear out your problem. Up in the prison that’s not the case. And I’d tell any one of those kids right now if I could take ’em, say “man y’all need to wake up.”

 

[01:24:27]

 

TEXT: Juvenile Hall

San Jose, California

 

MANZANO: Hey, how ya doin’, what’s up man? What’s up, sir?

 

DENNIS: Manzano. You okay?

 

MANZANO: Yeah. I’m cool.

 

DENNIS: Alright.

 

MANZANO: Cool. But like how you guys been though? Like I missed you guys for real. I miss the Ranch a little bit.

 

DENNIS: Is it easier here or at the Ranch?

 

MANZANO: Here.

 

DENNIS: It is?

 

MANZANO: Because when I get mad and stuff, I just go to my room. No one..

 

DENNIS: You have a choice now.

 

MANZANO: Yeah.

 

MANZANO (INTERVIEW): If I wanna be in my room, crying, screaming, whatever, I’m there by myself. No one’s gonna see me, you know? You just wake up, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, everything, and then just sleep… and then sleep.

 

MANZANO: Everything’s cool.

 

DENNIS: That’s good.

 

MANZANO: Just lookin’ to do my time and get out. 90 more days and I’m out.

 

INTERTITLE: Manzano finished serving his time at Juvenile Hall. Because he was 18, he was not eligible for aftercare services.

 

INTERTITLE: Two days after being released, he was arrested on a new charge as an adult.

He is serving a 16-month sentence at a California state prison.

 

[01:25:38]

 

EVELYN: This is… the dummy, the fake one, but the other one’s… um I hadn’t got a name, it’s just somewhere I lost it in here. But I graduated finally. I’m now…

 

TEXT: Evelyn & Matthew

2 ½ years post-release

 

EVELYN: Yeah Matthew?

 

TEXT: Evelyn’s mother

 

EVELYN: So I had to wake up for school at 6, I got off at 1, and by 2 I gotta be at work, and then I got off work at 10.30, so it’s like, it was so overwhelming cuz I needed both. I’m gonna go to college cuz of the scholarship they gave me. It is gonna be hard again, but Matthew’s bigger, so it’s not a big deal now.

 

INTERTITLE: Evelyn broke all ties with Matthew’s father and gang life.

She was also chosen to be a mentor in a new youth probation program.

 

EVELYN: We work with the probation, they send us kids and we talk to them. Because we’ve been through it, we know what they want. So we’re saying we need to have these programs, we gotta take them out, we gotta give them gift cards, help family, explain how this system works. All they need is support; that’s what helped me. And I just feel when I had Matthew, and when I got out of the  Ranch, it changed. It’s amazing how like I’m here now and I never thought I would be in this, like, where I am. I never thought I was gonna get a job or anything, you know? Every time I remember how I used to be, how life was before, you know, it just makes you wanna go farther than what I’m capable of. Oh wow, give me kiss, here!