Just Another Day In Juvie

 Every day after work as I walk down the corridor under the walkway awnings, I decompress and breathe deeply knowing I'm close to getting in my car. Within minutes I'll be sitting in my Toyota Prius, wondering what the fuck just happened at work. It's never boring working at a juvenile hall.

I haven't gone into detail about the day ins and outs of working where I do, but it's insane. I tell the kids all the time how I want to be bored. 

When I used to teach English at LACHSA, we read Catch 22 together as a class. There's only one part I actually remember from the book and it was where a character who had been in the "shit" of war told another soldier he missed being bored. He said that being bored was a luxury and he dreamt of the day that he could be "bored" again. 

25 years ago, I still had moments of boredom, but then Ramone came into my life and I do not think I have been bored ever since. In jail, yes it's jail, I think of this over and over again. I wish the kids would just let me have a moment of boredom but they don't.

Today, in fact, there was little time to reflect. My new elective teacher who was hired to give me a 2 hour prep and meeting block 2 times a week showed up for his second time. The first time he showed up, I introduced him to my students who were in the day room. (After I left him alone the kids ran him out within 5 minutes and he was escorted out of the compound) 

If we are in the day room, (the middle section/eating/ rec area of their living quarters with cells around the perimeter) it means it's not safe to be in the classroom. Well, being in the day room is not much safer, but because our classroom door lock has been compromised for over a month, it's not suitable for us to be in there because students from the unit next door breach their probation staff then kick our door open sometimes. It can result in fights, or just the kids coming into my room to graffiti, steal what they can, or throw my shit on the floor. Never super fun, but it happens. Where is the staff who is supposed to regulate these kids you ask? They are around. I like them all, but many are not regular staff who know the kids - but the intricacies of how probation manages Los Padrinos is a book in itself, and this is just a baby blog. 

So, the only time we have been going in the classroom is when we have a regular probation staff who knows how to keep the pepper spray close at hand and the door from being opened by the other students. Two days ago, the staff stepped outside to run some kids back to their unit, but my students thought it would be funny to hold the door and lock him out. While I tried to let him in, the other kids piled tables near me while they laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation. "Sara, aren't you scared when these things happen?", asks everyone I talk to. Stupidly, no. Never. I'm never scared. I laughed at their laughter even though I thought no one else would think it was funny, but I knew I was ok. When God tells me I'm in danger, I don't go to work. But each day, I ask for angelic protection and in faith and confidence I go in and do my best to be the teacher I'm supposed to be for them. 

This morning, as that elective teacher entered the unit, my students immediately started talking shit to him. "So, you decided to show up again? Is that right? Well, get the fuck outta here or we gonna terrorize your ass". "Ha ha ha", I said. "Settle down boys. All you have to do for credit this morning is be respectful and let him teach what he is here to share with you." "Fuck you Ms. Sara, no one was talking to you". We walked past the silly boys and went into the classroom. "I'm glad we can be in the class today. I think here they will be able to respect your boundaries and actually pay attention. Let me grab my computer charger". I walked over to the side of the room where the entire wall is lined with locked cabinets and drawers. The day before, around 3:20 I locked my charger and HDMI cable in a bottom drawer and went home. As I took out my key and started to put it in the keyhole, the face of the cabinet fell over. "Whoops", I thought. 

Then I looked over and noticed that 3 other cabinet doors were wonky and they had all been broken into. I freaked out for just a second because I thought they had stolen my paint brushes, but no. The art supplies were not in high demand, but my cables and chargers were gone. A probation officer and I carried the cabinet doors into the probation office and we assessed the situation. No one seemed to care who did it or when it happened. It really is just another day in juvie. But the teacher knew he couldn't go back into the day room with the kids, so I told him he may as well just call it a day. I started gathering work to take to the kids in the day room, but I knew I had to put in a request for yet another work order that will never get taken care of in my classroom. 

The reason we can't have the kids (mind you these kids are between 15-20 years old and many of them are over 6 feet tall) in the classroom as the metal rods on the drawer glides can be easily removed. Kids used them in one of the riots they had last year. I've seen them removed before and hidden in someone's sweat pants. These silly kids. I mean, I'm never bored, but apparently they are VERY bored. Besides the exposed metal parts, broken wood, and broken door, the walls are lined with ugly penciled and Expo marker graffiti and multiple live outlets have exposed wire and are broken. It's just not safe.

The kids were pissed. "Miss! Why did you have to report that shit! Now we can't be in the classroom! Why you gotta be so bunk!". Well, my hands feel tied. I want them to be in there, and I totally trust them. I totally trust them to further destroy the broken cabinets and rip out the metal. I trust them to make bad choices. I also know they CAN make better choices and I always give them a chance to TRY to, but it doesn't always work how I desire. God knows what he's doing. I don't always know. 

Anyhow. We had day room school just as we have had for many days recently. I'm tired, and have to plan lessons for another day room session tomorrow. After work around 3:30 I drove to pick up Ramone. Got to him after a trip to Home Depot at 5pm. Took him to pick up his iPad by 5:30 at his friend's house. Got to my house at 5:45 and got him to jujitsu at 6. Slither needed crickets so I got to the cricket factory (Tropical imports pet store) at 6:20. Bought Chinese food at 6:40. Picked up Ramone at 7. Picked up his friend at 7:15. Got home at 7:30. Fed the kids by 8. Watched them attempt homework until 9. Listened to these early teenagers scream at screens and friends till 9:45. And guess what. That's not it! It's 11:20 and after dishes (yes the dishes still play a significant role in my life) and laundry, and asking my son to go to bed, I'm here. I want to sleep, but the details are still fresh in my mind. 

Here is what I did not write about:

The beautiful comics my students drew today.

The lovely short conversations with my beautiful children.

The fact that today was the first cool day I've felt in a long time. The cold hurts me physically but it also was special and pretty. 

The pile of photographs I dug out from the ancient days of 1997-1999 that I shared with my students to open the discussion of photo. (Light - radiant energy) We are learning about photosynthesis (kind of sort of) and the energy (light) from the sun and how it works to allow plants to do their thing and help us breathe and make food. Anyhow. Some kids enjoyed each photo. Another grabbed my stack and I wanted to slap him, but when he saw and heard my death stare and comments, he gave them back and refused to talk to me until I had a tangerine to share with him later in the day. 

Playing piano for 3 minutes. 

Taking a 13 minute nap. 

So, I didn't write extensively about those things, but I did write about my day. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Knowing what I know, and knowing the God I know and trust, it's going to be fine. No matter what.