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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2016)
Street Roots • May 6-12, 2016 News Page 8 Street Roots • May 6-12, 2016 News TAKING TIME OUT INTERVENTION ■ tiave never met my co-defendants.’ arry Bradshaw, of the Oregon Youth Authority: We asked the youths what interventions in their lives might have put them on a more productive path and what, they think the Portland community can do to help prevent at-risk youths from committing violent acts. LUIS “A big thing would be the schools, the prison pipeline. A lot of schools are zero tolerance for everything, and I think they need to look into that because usually kids in middle school - that’s where they start. It’s they're the most engaging youth obviously not going to be 100 percent effective, but if they create a strong program break them from that, there's still that has people who are in this situation go speak to them, that would really help. Obviously, you have to do more than just listening to someone; you have to do more engagement-type things. YOUTHS, from page 7 “I just want them to change that Measure “In my mind I was like, this is one of the ( 11 (mandatory minimum sentencing law). ultimate levels of disrespect that you can give । There are a lot of first-time offenders in here. any gang member. He just gave it to me, so j I know people in here - took a cellphone, got like five to 10 (years). It’s not worth six years you have one choice to make. You re either of your life for taking a cellphone. going to do it or you’re not going to do it. “They don’t realize it’s really affecting a lot “I thought about getting caught, and I thought about the glamor of getting caught, | of people’s lives, and hot just them as an and I thought about the praise I would get j individual, but their family. A lot of people got kids, a lot of people are that support My goal was to get away with this, but if I1 did get caught all right, well, I’m going be shining J system for their family, so losing them just for a while. I makes things crumble. “If they don’t hurt someone, they don’t “I didn’t know that he had died. deserve Measure 11 charges, There’s other “My whole thing was, 1 don’t want to hurt ways out. anybody that hasn’t physically done any harm “There has to be something designed to to me, so when I found that out he was dead, help youth. When I was on house arrest, they I was like, I just went against everything that I made me go to AA groups and stuff like that said. At the end, I shot the gun. I know what - just being engaged in positive things; They bullets do - they kill people. moved me out of Portland to Beaverton with Marsel said it was all about respect, but my great-grandma.” looking back, he sees it differently. ent there, if they could switch that from the negative stuff and into a positive side of fife, they could be “I measured myself on a scale that doesn’t even matter. None of that matters.” Qradshaw said some policies at schools, Dsuch as suspensions and expulsions, ’ indirectly contribute to a youth’s decision to become gang involved. 'Having a kid who's already behind on his education and is high-risk for gang involvement and then gets expelled horn school or suspended, ' he said, "it i eally only pushes them turthe^ into that direction. significant gang involvement. He but this kid's come a long way and is really trying to make it. The worst thing you could do is gets me. I don’t know how to explain it “I don’t think it should take this long, for me to get to this point of my life, before I found a male role model. “If there was like a group in the community that sincerely cared about the younger generations, and they would try harder, at the end of the day that s what it really is - for them to try harder. And that the folks that we do look up to growing up - that they wouldn’t take advantage of the young minded. Making us into the folks that we are today.” “If there was like a group of folks that truly cared about the younger generation, they would actually try to reach out, and take these kids up under their wings, because it doesn’t start in middle school. By the time they get to middle school, they already gone. It’s really elementary school - fifth grade summer, going into sixth grade; that’s where it all really starts. I promise you. “You gotta get that voice in the community - reach out, go to the school, send out fliers. I promise you, if I’m in fifth grade and I see a flier for community basketball - oh God, I’m there! That s all it ■ Page 9 hnstina Puentes, who’s been working with Oregon’s incarcerated gang- involved youths for 17 years, said many community programs miss the mark by focusing on gang suppression - telling kids they can’t wear certain colors or hang out in certain areas. rúenles they walk out of here, my hope for them is that they change their behavior when they leave. Me asking them to totally leave that affiliation, though, is almost a setup because that's been a part of who they are for so long* isarsel “I just wanted to get my message started If y0U do have some type of problem th school or whatever, just seek out help. There are different programs that can help with school. Stay in sports if you are in my sports or any other activities. “I think it’s really beneficial when there’s somebody that’s either lived it or that knows somebody close that has. I heard a lot of eople say, ‘Oh I’ve done this, oh I know how vou’re feeling,’ but it’s like, you had bad Lades in high school and now you’re a .millionaire. But somebody that actually ¡messed up, and that’s all they do is help others, they’re not getting anything from it ¡because the other ones, they’re like getting Laid all this money to be like a motivational r (speaker. I “People who actually did it, and they just (want to help, that’s really what I think is ■beneficial, and that is something that I would LUIS The topic shifted to the soccer program Luis started at MacLaren, and for the first time during our interview, his eyes lit up and he smiled, telling us about MacLaren’s victory over a team from Portland Community College. When I get out, I want to start my own little soccer club for fifth grade to high school. Fil gain experience throughout that. I m passionate about soccer. My plan is to do it for kids who are young, who grow up around this type of lifestyle like I did, and give them the opportunity and choice to be involved in this, to help prevent. Give my type of guidance, whatever I can. “This place taught me a lot I kinda don’t regret coming here. This is my downtime, from society, to get myself together. A letter submitted to a Multnomah County judge on Luis’ behalf, three years into his sentence, stated that he “played a pivotal role” in saving the life of a correctional facility employee who had a medical emergency while guarding his living unit. Luis will be released in 2017. uentes said the youth who will be ■ transferred to adult prison when they turn 24 are difficult cases. She said knowing they’re going upstate gives them reason to hang on to their gang identity longer. kind of like they carry an invisible she said. "They're going to have to answer for that when they get negative behavior, and sometimes “I just want to walk on. a sidewalk and go get some McDonald’s. From there on, a couple years down the road, if I have a college degree - I want to do everything. I don’t have my heart set on a certain type of career. Everything is interesting to me. Wherever I end up, in any type of job, that’s just fine with me.” Josefina has 101/2 years left on her sentence. MARSEL Ì I “The reality set in when I was here. And then I started missing out on certain things, like playing basketball - guys my age playing high school basketball - a dream that I had. Playing for Jefferson High School, winning state titles. At 6-foot-3, Marsel looks like he’d easily dominate a high-school basketball court. “Then my girlfriend going to prom - I couldn’t go to prom with her. And then my it’s important that they have a witness present graduation came up. My grade-point average when they talk to authority figures, or in this was terrible, so I didn’t have credits to case, to the media. They want someone to vouch graduate that year, but I was in here while my "Until you really get in there and ■like to do. that they didn’t say anything they weren’t I “I plan to volunteer at SEI, Self friends were graduating, and then my supposed to, she said. ■ girlfriend graduated, and now my girlfriend I Enhancement Incorporated, that’s where I they think that way, and really start “I don’t know if I can (walk away from his TREI goes to college and I’m still in here. pushing thariribattons in a therapen- ■basically was at my whole middle school really takes.” gang), but as far as being in that environment Ivears, and I want to go to Texas. My auntie “Right now I’m just hanging out. I plan to “I was taking college, my first term I took all the time, that can definitely change. get back into school this term. I got my . |o\ws a nonprofit organization, the Amadi 12 credits, and then the next term I took 23 “I would never be around the homies unless barber’s license. I got my high school JOSEFINA ■Guess Foundation. She wants me to talk and credits, and aced all of them, but then I got they’re trying to better themselves. I am a diploma. I’m mentoring a little bit.” “I wish I was taken out of where I lived, kicked out of college for gang violence. I ■tell my story. changed man. 1 have strong beliefs about it - from my family. It wasn’t so much my mom Marsel has his own room in the mental enrolled back in this term, but then I got in not so much the negative things, but the He said he wants to tell at-risk youths: health unit, where he mentors younger inmates. or my sister, but it was my brothers. I try this fight, so I don’t know how that’s going to positive things - the barbecues, the extra pair It’s an option available to youths who have not to hate them, but I can’t help myself if I I ‘Everybody has choices, and every choice roll out. I think it will be all right if I get back of shoes, ‘Here’s a new outfit for you,’ ‘Here remember telling her I needed help, the - earned their way up OTA’s “tagsystem, in hate them. I’m not blaming it on them, into it - but that’s the life of being in prison. ya go, “ a lady. ” ’ They ’ ve done a lot of good ■nil lead you down a certain path. It ’ s very which a youth’s privileges are based on the whole time I was in DHS custody; which was b because everything that I did was my fault, “I believe that there should always be a things for me. I would never leave it, but I length of time they’ve behaved. Marsel said he like six months, I was still doing drugs, I was.; Important to really think about what you’re but they made me a little bit of who I was. chance for you to redeem yourself, and show would not surround myself with the negative. especially likes to mentor gang-affiliated youths. still drinking. I needed help, and like at that« doing. On my side, I really did think about “A big thing is for people to listen, and like that you have made progress and have a “I look at it like a badge of honor, you know, that whole day. Everything I did was point - I think it’s because they were so “Regardless if you’re a Crip, you’re a Blood, try to understand, even if they don’t. I second look. I think it falls along the lines of this is what I’ve been through in my life. I strategic. I signed up for it, so I can’t really done with me, because I kept running. you’re from Hoover, I don’t care where you’re remember before I got locked up, like a few what (Luis) was saying: mandatory time, you grew up this way. So if my daughter is in complain. With that, you need to think about “The year of my crime, it happened in 1 from, but if you’re a gang member, for some months, I had this person who was working know, Measure 11.1 mean man, nine years college, I can say when I was your age, I was your choices, and think about where they re November, and I remember in June I had just reason, I’m drawn to that, you know, just to with me (a counselor at school). I mean she ain’t no punk. I really wish I could have a in jail, we got up out the mud. going to lead you, before you make the TREI got off DHS custody, but I started doing talk about the positives and negatives of both review. If I did have a review, I think it would listened, but she really didn’t. She decision.” meth again. I asked to go to treatment, “I grew up around women and my cousins. understood because she was in prison totally change my perception of life and how I sides. And there’s not really too many especially like a locked-down facility where 11 JOSEFINA positives about gangs. A lot of it is just about If I had to pick a role model, it’d probably be before, but she was still pretty much involved act, because then I really got something to can’t run from. I tried to ask for help but Oregon Youth Authority’s correctional facility sports because a lot of gang members, for the streets - the older homies. with the life. She was one of them that fell strive for. But when you give somebody a nobody listened. That was a big thing for me] some reason, play sports, at some point, and “Honestly, I didn’t meet my first role mandatory time, and it’s like, ‘This is the date for girls doesn’t have the wide variety of off, like they act like they care and they because I feel like if I would have went to have love for sports. But they don’t like model until I got locked up. Robert Carson. listen, but they really don’t. ^5^. you’re getting out, and there’s nothing you can continuing education options the boys’facilities treatment, then none of this would have (Carson is an OYA employee.) I look at him school, and for some reason get close to “My outpatient person, I do to change-it,’ then why change? I have no offer to inmates. happened, and I know that because I would graduating (and get off track). And it s like, all like a father figure. He’s a good dude. He “The only thing we have is this fiberoptic good time.” right, ‘K>w can graduate. I can’t go home and “If I had that second look, it would have class, and only like six girls are allowed to be play basketball, and football, but you can.’ probably changed the outcome of where I’m at in it because there’s only like six sets of tools. “To be honest with you, I had my turning right now. I probably wouldn’t have this black They don’t really have nothing here to further point, and then I had another turning point my education.” going the opposite way. And now I’m kinda “But I feel like I’ve changed - nine years, Despite this, she said she’s studying history turning back. My first turning point, it was you got nothing but and politics to prepare for when she is able to like, I got it I know what I want to do with «time to think, and I’m take college courses later. not Changing for my life.” 'It amazes-.«---------- - , 1 myself, I’m changing either, 'You’re really good at that, oirimso “When I first got locked up, I had this Marsel said he plans to open his own Ifor my kid. That’s one proud oi you that you did this,' they just ligh (high school) teacher. Her name jvas Kristin, barbershop when he gets out - anywhere but [thing I really want to up. Because oftentimes, they haven t heard and she was my history teacher, and Portland, maybe in Eugene or Corvallis. I do is just be the best that before," Puentes said. She «J«»“®*®® memorizing the dates of like World War I and [father that I can be. I “But then time starts going by, arid it’s like, World War II, she was like, ‘Oh my God, good well I’m still here because of the choices that |dori’t want my job!’ And that’s kind of what boosted me up. I made. I’m gonna keep going back and forth. [ daughter growing up heavily involved in gangs. She asked him And I started reading more into, like, history, Might as well go back now. And then I was ilike me. and it became my favorite subject. like, ‘Hold on! I don’t want this for myself. I But can Trei walk Josefina said it was the first time a teacher Now I’m coming back around.” said. "Before too long, I noticed he was ’ [ I away from gang life? had told her she was good at something, and I Before giving his Marsel has three years left in OYA custody, He said nobody had ever, in his . simply hearing that motivated her to pursue the. wm . rivtm. a possibility. He ended up fresponse, he looked then he’ll be transferred to adult prison, where subject. going to college. He sslin oat in the «mmun.ly, l ucwss the room to he’ll serve the remaining eight years of his When she turns 24, she’ll be transferred to I Luis. Luis and Trei sentence. Coffee Creek, an adult facility. Sometimes, she were the only youths said, the idea scares her. emily@streetroots. org interviewed together. So what’s the first thing she’ll do when she Christina Puentes, the gangrelated conflict gets out? i mordinator at Oregon Youth ^HOTO^Y EMILY GREEN Authority, said for many gang-involved youths, Marsel is serving a 19year sentence for a murder he committed at 16. He is housed at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility in Salem, pictured here. In tt o years he’ll be transferred to an adult prison.
