Back to Prison on a Mission
Six former wards came back to the California Youth Authority (CYA) earlier
this month. This time they volunteered to return. They were on a mission to
deliver a message to the wards at N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional
Facility, which houses California’s most violent youth offenders ages 18-24.
The diverse panel of ex-convicts purposefully stepped through the fences of
Chaderjian as law-abiding citizens. They each wore visitor’s passes clipped
on their shirts and security alarms attached to their belts for their safety
in the event that a riot “kicked off”.
Once inside the razor wired fence, I observed the former wards, some who
were once rival gang enemies, hugging, exchanging phone numbers and sharing
personal family photos with each other. Meanwhile, a large group of heavily
guarded and structured wards were being escorted on to the dim, sky lit,
concrete gym floor. The CYA alumni’s immediately began greeting the wards
with warm smiles and hand shakes. Once seated, Chaplain Carlton McAllister,
a CYA alumnus, introduced the panel and offered a faith filled prayer and a
joyful song of praise. As I scanned the audience, I observed many of the
wards staring at the panel speakers during the song, appearing to wonder
what the panel members were about and what they had come to say.
“You need to stop being punks, anyone can run behind a gang, but it takes a
real man to live for Christ and to stand alone.” A quiet hush fell over the
gymnasium. You could have heard a prison-made cuff-key drop, as Levon Davis,
now also known as Dr. Levon Davis shot these words toward wards with a force
that captured their attention. Dr. Davis, a once hardened criminal convicted
for a double murder stood before the audience of offenders a transformed man
who presented a bold, thought provoking, and inspirational message. “If it
comes down to you and your friends, your friends are going to snitch you
off. They ain’t going to take the blame for you,” Davis said confidently and
boldly. Some of the audience members snickered, while others nodded their
heads in agreement. “Why hold loyalty to someone who is not going to be
loyal to you? When it comes down to it, the only thing that is really
stable, that will get behind you, is God. Christ is the Answer.” Davis spoke
these words with conviction and from experience.
Davis has had experiences that have now distinguished him from his past life
style and previous mistakes. He has excelled since his release almost 10
years ago from the CYA and is a rehabilitated man, a scholar in his own
right. Davis earned his PhD in counseling, is president and founder of
Blessed Faith Bible College, which is accredited to the doctorate degree, he
owns and operates a Christian music production company, and if that isn’t
enough, he is a devoted husband and pastor of Blesses Faith church in
Sacramento, California. He has come a long way from the cellblocks he was
confined to over 10 years ago and the reality of his life is that his new
beginning was initiated behind the bars of the CYA. Davis told the audience
that he took advantage of every vocational program offered to him at the CYA
and in addition, he enrolled in a correspondence college while serving his
sentence. Davis credits the CYA and his strong faith in God for his
successful transition into society. The CYA provided him with the resources
and opportunities to succeed, and it took his initiative and commitment to
turn those opportunities into reality.
Another success story and former guest of the CYA was Noel Patillo, son of
celebrity gospel artist, Leon Patillo. This former ward also had a word for
the wards, which he communicated, in part, through rap. His artistic flavor
and talent got the spirit moving throughout the gymnasium, and the audience
was tapping their feet and bobbing their heads. His words were profound and
chillingly descriptive. “My parents were separated, my dad was always on the
road, and mom was a dope dealer. I grew up in a dope house, said Patillo.
In a private interview he told me that his dad always told him that he
needed to “get it right because God had something for him.
Patillo, a former Bay Area gang member who was incarcerated for attempted
murder believed his path on the straight and narrow came in a round about
way. “God kind of tricked me in to getting saved, said Patillo. He
confessed that initially his interest in going to church was more so an
interest in the opportunity to see the women who would occasionally
volunteer in the institutional chapel service rather than an interest in
God. This passionate interest eventually led to Patillo’s exposure to a man
from an outreach ministry who began to speak the Word into his life. Patillo
stated that the man ministered the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him for three
consecutive days, and on the third day, the man said the sinner’s prayer
with him. “I felt a change at that moment. I no longer wanted to fight,
because I was always mad. I was angry, because I was locked up, because I
took a rap for my cousin. Even though I accepted Christ in my heart, I was
still riding with the Bay Area, but my heart wasn’t in it. I finally got
some courage, and I just told them I wasn’t ridin’ no more. I was going to
do my program and take care of my kids.
After his amazing transformation, another miracle took place in Patillo’s
life, the miracle of his mother receiving Christ and him being the person to
lead her through the prayer of salvation. “She was up visiting and God had
been talking to me for a couple of months about this new life he gave me,
and I said okay. That week she came up there, I brought my Bible with me,
and I took her to Romans 10:9 – If you confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead you will
be saved. This was someone who taught me the ways of the street, and here I
was talking to her about Jesus. Then she just opened up her heart and
started crying. I said the sinner’s prayer with her, and she accepted
Christ. She started going to church after that. Behind bars Patillo had
received freedom from his physical and mental shackles and now he shared the
gift of freedom through Christ with his mother.
After his release in May of 1995, Patillo earned his Associate of Arts
Degree in Computer Technology. He is currently working toward his Bachelor
of Arts Degree in Computer Technology. He is a youth pastor at True Vine
Ministries in West Oakland, and he operates and owns a legal broker
business. He has accomplished much despite his shaded past, and the CYA was
where his miraculous transformation began.
Vanna In of Cambodia appeared before the wards looking like a preppy college
student; however, his former lifestyle was anything but that of a college
student. “I had no problem going to make a name for myself, or putting a gun
to somebody’s head to rob them, said In. He told me that he wanted to join
the largest and worst gang. “If I was going to join a gang, I wanted to do
it right. I wanted to join the most ruthless one. In a private interview he
disclosed that he came from a verbally and physically abusive home and that
he was driven by his anger and the need to feel accepted at any cost, and at
anyone else’s cost. He went on to tell me about his amazing conversion while
awaiting trial for a gang related murder.
“When I was in jail in ‘94, I started reading books by Chaplain Ray, who had
all these books of inmates whom had given their lives to God. I was more
interested in the stories than what God had done in their lives. I was
reading the books just to kill the time. Then I was reading this one book
called “Al Capone the Devils Driver and in that book before each chapter
there was a verse, and the verse that captured my heart was John 15:16 – For
you did not choose me, but I chose you; I said what? Why would God call me
after all the things I have done. I heard a soft voice that said, “Give your
life to God and as soon as I heard that, I closed the book. Then I started
reading the book again, the voice said the same thing again, “Give your life
to God, but this time I said, okay. God you must be real, because you came
to me a second time. So I woke up one of the brothers that use to witness to
me and asked him to pray for me. It was about 2:30 in the morning. I use to
worship a statue. Buddha never taught that we can be loved and forgiven and
that God wanted to have a relationship with us. God gave me hope. When you
have hope in God, no matter what you go through, you know your going to make
it.
After In’s spiritual awakening, he stated that he began reading the Bible
daily and while incarcerated at the CYA he came across a young preacher
named Levon Davis. “In January of 1995, I went to a Chapel service, I said
wow! Look at this guy preach, and he’s an inmate, so I said, if God can use
him, God can use me. What a realization for this young man that God could
use him for good. This revolutionary thought transformed his mind and
ultimately his life.
I asked In what advice he would give to inmates to help them avoid the
pitfalls of the streets once released? In said, “Separate yourself from the
negative influences. What I learned from Y.A. was very good. I learned that
insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. In’s
achievements are commendable and the lessons he learned at the CYA were
instrumental in helping him to break the vicious cycle of negative behavior
in his life. The CYA provided the resources and the opportunity for positive
change, and the hope he discovered in God gave him the will power and
determination to follow through.
Joshua Ortega repeatedly stated in his high-powered message, “God is good!
He said, “I read the stories in the Bible and it seemed like Jesus was a
pretty good guy, as he gave a joyful chuckle. Ortega gave his life to
Christ after picking up a Bible while incarcerated. He stated that he
experienced joy at the CYA although his sentence was 35 years to life. He
stated that the joy he experienced upon giving his life to Christ was
equivalent to the joy that he now experiences after having his sentence
miraculously modified by the court. He is now enjoying his freedom in
society, has a great job, and is an active member in his church. Ortega
commanded the floor with his presentation.
Richard Chandler took the floor and reminded his captive audience to look at
the big picture. Chandler, a former gang member, spent 12 years of his life
in the CYA and State Prison. He stressed the importance of family and
considering how a person’s actions affect their loved ones and everyone
around them. It was a message that emphasized a principle that many CYA
counselors work to teach wards on a daily basis, accountability.
Shakir Villalobos, a former gang member from East Los Angeles, spent seven
years in the CYA for a gang related murder. At age 12 Villalobos was jumped
in to his neighborhood gang. “I was looking to find my identity, I was doing
anything for their approval, stated Villalobos. “If there is something on
the outside that you’re not on the inside, then you’re on no one’s side.
Villalobos was released from the CYA seven years ago and has been happily
married for the past 4 years. He is the father of two beautiful daughters
and is gainfully employed as a construction worker. He credits his success
to the mentoring that he received at the CYA from Darwin Benjamin, a former
Youth Correctional Counselor (YCC), and Chaplain Carlton McAllister.
Villalobos stated that he still maintains a close friendship with his two
mentors and remains accountable to them. He laughed as he told me how
Benjamin calls him from time to time to ask him how his marriage is doing.
He stated that he responds by saying, “Fine, and then Benjamin will ask to
speak with his wife.
Villalobos continued by sharing an analogy he received from Darwin that
helped him explained how he connected with Christ and how he was able to
view his relationship with Christ. “We all know how to dance for the
neighborhood. When Jesus comes up to you, he doesn’t want you to stop
dancing, he just wants you to change partners. When I heard that from
Darwin, it just clicked in my mind, there is no difference. I wanted to
switch my life to Jesus.
There was one powerful testimony after another being shared with the wards
at the CYA, and they cheered and applauded each speaker enthusiastically. At
the end of the program, they all lined up and prepared to leave the
gymnasium in an orderly fashion. I was able to witness something powerful
from the looking glass of a photojournalist, which was very different. I was
fully equipped with a duty belt as a Youth Correctional Counselor and
prepared to respond to any occurrence, but I experienced a perspective from
behind the lens of my camera that was gratifying and hopeful. I perceived
that some of the gang tension had dissipated; many of the wards were leaving
with smiles and their faces appeared to be illuminated with hope rather than
snarling or shouting obscenities at their known rivals. They stood in line
to leave the gymnasium and extended respect to the panel members by shaking
their hands. From my perspective, some mental shackles were broken and some
potential bridges were being constructed even if only within the minds of
the wards. It was good to know that the wisdom of the panel had been
imparted to these young men.
All of the panel members currently service their communities through
outreach programs within their churches. Vanna In also works as a counselor
at a non-profit organization helping high-risk youth obtain employment. “We
are looking for guys that want to change, but can’t find a job because of
their lack of skill, education, and criminal history. All the speakers left
their contact information for the wards, for guidance and assistance.
Chaplain Carlton McAllister and N.A. Chaderjian Gang Coordinators, Don
Nickerson and Bob Galano orchestrated this All-Star, successful event. They
received heartfelt accolades from some of the panel members who expressed
their appreciation for their encouragement and mentorship during their
incarcerations.
McAllister, Nickerson, Galano and a team of others whom helped host the
event, are optimistic about the future of the wards at the CYA. A large part
of this optimism can be attributed to the new administration at N.A.
Chaderjian. The institution has been plagued with gang violence since it
opened in 1991. The administration’s approval of the organizer’s request to
use former inmates as an arsenal to be deployed against the on-going
campaign against gang violence has pioneered the way for the implementation
of progressive and innovative programs at N.A. Chaderjian. The former
inmates must meet certain criteria to participate in the program, including
but not limited to being law-abiding citizens and possessing a willingness
to pour back into an institution that was instrumental in their personal
success.
Nickerson shared his thoughts about the success of the event. “Chaplain
McAllister gathered an excellent group of young men to speak to our ward
population. Their personal testimonies and the opportunity to make real
change was inspiring. I have to believe they planted seeds in the hearts of
the young men who attended the assembly. It is my hope that we can have
future events that challenge our wards to become men of character and
integrity.
It appears that the program had a positive impact, because the percentage of
incidence of gang violence in the institution has decreased as compared to
past years and many gang members are severing their gang ties.
Prayer of Salvation:
Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose
again from the dead. You redeemed me by your blood and I belong to you, and
I want to live for you. I confess all my sins-known and unknown-I’m sorry
for them all. I renounce them all. I forgive all others, as I want you to
forgive me. Forgive me now and cleanse me with your blood. I thank you for
the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses me now from all sin. And I come to
you now as my deliverer. You know my special needs-the thing that binds,
that torments, that defiles: that evil spirit, that unclean spirit-I claim
the promise of your word. “Whosoever that calleth on the name of Lord shall
be delivered. I call upon you now. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
deliver me and set me free. Satan, I renounce you and all your works. I
loose myself from you, in the name of Jesus, and I command you to leave me
right now, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
By Rayford L. Johnson
Author of “Thug Mentality Exposed”
website: http://www.thugexposed.com
(Story from 2004)
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