Jerry remembered of a time prior the catholic church experience. He said he was around 12 or 13. I made Jerry get a notebook and requested that he use for notes in between interviews. I was glad he did as tons of past experiences are being recorded daily now. The only problem is there not coming in chronological order. That's okay. I bring it to the blog as I get it--raw and out of order.
So Jerry and three other foster boys went to live with a foster parent that lived in Crestline California. This was in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead. The foster parent was a man probably in his mid 40s. The events are foggy. But Jerry remembers this man was constantly requesting the boys sleep with him in his bed. Jerry remembers crying and pleading with the man to not make him sleep in the same bed. He just wanted to be in his own room. Jerry didn't stay there long. When asked how he was able to avoid the foster parent's advances, Jerry said that there was one foster brother that did not resist and slept in with the foster parent. He knew that the foster parent was inappropriate with the boy and maybe that kept the man at bay. Who knows. Jerry didn't stick around to assess it.
At a certain point, Jerry had a cycle/pattern of going in and out custody. He would run and stay out as long as he could stand it. He told me of one time when he was having a particularly hard time with the elements. It was cold primarily. He speculated that he was around 14 (give or take a year). He found himself in front of a doughnut shop. He saw a brick near by. Most of the time all he would have to do is walk down some streets at 3 am. A cop would see him, run his name and then take him in because he had a warrant. This time it wasn't happening as fast as he needed it to happen. Jerry picked up that brick and threw it through the doughnut store window. "I didn't even get a doughnut", he said. "I just sat and waited while an alarm made me deaf." Jerry was back in Juvenile Hall with in an hour. Jerry's ability to take care of himself was amazing. I told him that his ability to adapt was considerably more that just being considered a resilient kid. When asked what he thought of his own survival tactics, Jerry was very modest. He didn't want to boast of his cunning use of what was available--even it was illegal. He did offer some insight though. Jerry was quick to learn and live by the code "Never trust anyone". Jerry learned very early that he had to take care of himself first and only. If others were brought in on any crime or scam/hussle, it always meant problems. All through out Jerry's time in custody he said he would hear story after story of how partner's on the street would eventually turn on each other. This included those in the gangs. Jerry instinctively knew that going it alone was safer and would increase his odds of surviving. Growing up in the system, Jerry would learn of many many brothers and sisters in the system that were found dead. Drugs, gangs what ever. Jerry often wondered who would be next. It was truly a game of survival. Looking back, Jerry says he made himself invisible. Inside everyone knew Jerry. He wasn't a rat but he kept to himself. We'll get more into this aspect in his adult incarceration years.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Brilliant survivor.
I met with Jerry again yesterday. It can be very exhausting drudging up all this stuff. About an hour 1/2 into it, Jerry turns to me and says, "My body is telling me to go to sleep now". I took that as an opportunity to re-admonish Jerry as to the dangers of revisiting the past. I have heard stories of folks going a little nuts after a revisiting of the past--especially when it's as sordid as Jerry's. It can suck the life out of you.
I asked Jerry if there was anything he wanted to add to the adolescent years of his story. He wanted to emphasize the part when his mother left him and his sister alone at night while she went out and worked or partied. There was a point in her their lives when she had a job as a cocktail waitress in the evening. She would leave Jerry in charge (at age 8 or 9). Jerry was very casual at mentioning that he used to take his anger out on his younger sister by giving her regular beatings during this time. And of course he would get beat in return by his mother for that and all the other problems he was causing. Jerry's mother was so distraught at attempting to control him that she resorted to forcing one (then two) shot glasses of Nyquil down his throat before she left for work. She did this with his younger sister as well. Of course her goal was to knock them out so they would stay in bed and out of trouble. She did this for years Jerry told me. Later in life, Jerry's prison psychiatrists postulated that these forced sedation sessions were the impetus for his addiction to controlling substances.
So back to Jerry in the system. From Age 12 to age 18 Jerry's life was relatively predictably unpredictable. He would be housed in a foster home, Juvenile Hall or Probation placement home. He would get bored or sick of the staff or other kids so he would split to the streets. He would last anywhere from a day to a few months, but he would always get picked up by the police with a new charge--Escaping an institution. This charge usually got him another 6 months. Now Jerry was no dumb kid. He was a brilliant survivor. He didn't know it, but he was making the system work for him. There was no Juvenile institution that could hold Jerry. He ran from them all in Orange County: Los Pinos, Joplin, Rancho Potrero, the Youth Guidance Center (YGC) and even Juvenile Hall. Juvenile Hall was a litte harder but not impossible. Jerry said his goal all along was to get to Juvenile Hall. He said he loved it there. Even though he ran, this "love" was in comparison to the harsh environment on the streets of course. They had isolated cells where he could have a one roommate. It was better to have a roommate to pass time with playing cards etc. Also, this was vastly better than the larger rooms where there would be just rows of bunk beds. At Juvenile Hall, staff were a littler more laid back and the kids knew the routine better. When asked about the gangs and fights inside, Jerry very casually mentioned the necessity for the pecking order that existed in Juvenile Hall. "Everyone wanted to be the big dog" he says. "You had to fight to maintain your basic right to exist in there." Jerry described the fights lasting only a few seconds before there would be a dog pile of staff on you breaking it up. It only took Jerry a couple of years to figure out how never to be to far from his home--Juvenile Hall. He would escape right before he was let out or sent back to a placement home. When he was on the streets, he slept where he could: on store roofs, in abandoned cars and garages. He continued to perfect his craft of theft. He was getting quite good at it. His big ticket items were tools. He would frequent the hardware stores and fill his pants with all kinds of tools. He knew he could get some decent cash for them and they were always in demand. When asked about drug use during those days, Jerry was quick to say he started early with Methadren. He says it was better than coke and there was a hallucinogenic aspect. I couldn't find out to much about this drug on the internet. But it did exist. Jerry said he quickly learned to "slam it", or shoot in to his arm with a syringe. Jerry's routine was to steal the tools, sell them to whomever and then bring the money to a lesbian couple he knew in the city of Stanton. Jerry had to buy this couple some drugs as they were without money. But it worked out because they had all the connections for the good drugs.
With little affect, Jerry told me of a time right around when he was 15 or 16. He remembers staggering around a neighborhood completely inebriated on some sort of hard alcohol. He remembered walking up to a random house where he asked an elderly lady to use her restroom. She agreed and Jerry promptly went into her bathroom and proceeded to consume every prescription bottle he could find. He was not aware of any thoughts of suicide just the desire for obliteration. He walked out of the house and remembers collapsing and hitting the pavement hard. The elderly lady had discovered the empty bottles and called an ambulance. Jerry was treated at the scene then transported to a hospital where he had his stomach pumped. Jerry was released to the elderly lady after about a day. When asked how he avoided getting re-arrested at the hospital, Jerry explained how different it was back then. He just never gave his last name and there was nothing hospital staff could do at the time. The elderly lady vouched for him and took him home from the hospital. It was soon after they arrived home that the elderly lady decided to bring Jerry over to her friend's church nearby. Jerry didn't object as he knew he needed and wanted to sleep. Jerry then met a catholic priest who showed him to a bed in a room in the back of the church. Jerry remembers it was a weekend because no one was there. Jerry jumped in the bed and quickly passed out. The next thing Jerry said he remembered was waking up to this same man performing oral sex on his penis. Jerry tells it a little more explicitly. He immediately yelled at the man to "stop" and that he didn't want this to happen. The priest pulled away and respected Jerry's request. Jerry was left alone for a time only to be interrupted by the priest again. This time he was asking Jerry to shower. He told Jerry he was dirty from being on the streets and for his own health he needed to take a shower. Jerry was reassured that were no alterior motives. Jerry agreed and entered in the "very large shower" as he described it. Jerry showered juvenile hall style--quickly. But Jerry was had not got a chance to finish when he turned around and saw the priest was getting in with him. Jerry jumped out and was again disgusted at what happened. He doesn't remember what was said but he does remember that his clothes were gone. For the next 10 minutes or so Jerry was forced to stand there naked begging the priest for his cloths. The priest was silent but was content with letting Jerry stand there wet and naked. The priest finally finally finished his shower and pointed to where he hid Jerry's clothes. It was then next day now so Jerry got dressed and left. Jerry did share with me that he remembered a refrigerator full of beer in that back room. When he asked the priest why it was there, the priest stated that it was left over from wedding receptions. So Jerry left but came back that night. When asked why he came back, Jerry said he didn't have anywhere to go and he felt he could handle the priest. Jerry knew he was being wildly inappropriate by attempting to take advantage of Jerry. But he did back off when Jerry forced the issue. In retrospect, Jerry felt it was more about the lure of the refrigerator of beer. Jerry was growing quite fond of the effects of alcohol by this time. So Jerry came back this time with a girl friend. They both were allowed to spend the night. Jerry was under the influence as usual but was seeking a bed with a roof. The priest obliged. Jerry didn't recall how long he was asleep but he did remember being awaked by the priest's mouth on his penis. Jerry pulled back in horror agin for the second time. He told the priest to stop and that he was into that. He didn't remember if the priest said anything but he did pull back and leave the room. It must have been the morning because Jerry and his friend left. Again Jerry was only 17 at the time.
It's difficult to describe Jerry's affect as he describes these events. It seems to flow in a "matter of fact" manner. I have no expectations of any necessary emotions but its as he is describing the events of someone else's life.
Being the street wise kid that he is, Jerry immediately figured out how to exploit this situation to his advantage. For the next two years Jerry was able visit the priest for regular weekly extortion pay offs. One week he would receive $40. The next he would receive equal or greater value in Alpha Beta food vouchers or similar vouchers. It was never acknowledged as "hush" money but they both knew. At the two year mark or so, Jerry learned that they had moved the priest to a different location. Jerry was able to track him down at a different church location. Jerry speculated that he was under some heat for similar activities. So Jerry was able to get a few more "gifts" from the priest until he was gone all together. On his usual day to pick up his pay off, Jerry learned from another church employee that his priest friend had been transferred again. This time they would not tell Jerry where.
I asked Jerry if there was anything he wanted to add to the adolescent years of his story. He wanted to emphasize the part when his mother left him and his sister alone at night while she went out and worked or partied. There was a point in her their lives when she had a job as a cocktail waitress in the evening. She would leave Jerry in charge (at age 8 or 9). Jerry was very casual at mentioning that he used to take his anger out on his younger sister by giving her regular beatings during this time. And of course he would get beat in return by his mother for that and all the other problems he was causing. Jerry's mother was so distraught at attempting to control him that she resorted to forcing one (then two) shot glasses of Nyquil down his throat before she left for work. She did this with his younger sister as well. Of course her goal was to knock them out so they would stay in bed and out of trouble. She did this for years Jerry told me. Later in life, Jerry's prison psychiatrists postulated that these forced sedation sessions were the impetus for his addiction to controlling substances.
So back to Jerry in the system. From Age 12 to age 18 Jerry's life was relatively predictably unpredictable. He would be housed in a foster home, Juvenile Hall or Probation placement home. He would get bored or sick of the staff or other kids so he would split to the streets. He would last anywhere from a day to a few months, but he would always get picked up by the police with a new charge--Escaping an institution. This charge usually got him another 6 months. Now Jerry was no dumb kid. He was a brilliant survivor. He didn't know it, but he was making the system work for him. There was no Juvenile institution that could hold Jerry. He ran from them all in Orange County: Los Pinos, Joplin, Rancho Potrero, the Youth Guidance Center (YGC) and even Juvenile Hall. Juvenile Hall was a litte harder but not impossible. Jerry said his goal all along was to get to Juvenile Hall. He said he loved it there. Even though he ran, this "love" was in comparison to the harsh environment on the streets of course. They had isolated cells where he could have a one roommate. It was better to have a roommate to pass time with playing cards etc. Also, this was vastly better than the larger rooms where there would be just rows of bunk beds. At Juvenile Hall, staff were a littler more laid back and the kids knew the routine better. When asked about the gangs and fights inside, Jerry very casually mentioned the necessity for the pecking order that existed in Juvenile Hall. "Everyone wanted to be the big dog" he says. "You had to fight to maintain your basic right to exist in there." Jerry described the fights lasting only a few seconds before there would be a dog pile of staff on you breaking it up. It only took Jerry a couple of years to figure out how never to be to far from his home--Juvenile Hall. He would escape right before he was let out or sent back to a placement home. When he was on the streets, he slept where he could: on store roofs, in abandoned cars and garages. He continued to perfect his craft of theft. He was getting quite good at it. His big ticket items were tools. He would frequent the hardware stores and fill his pants with all kinds of tools. He knew he could get some decent cash for them and they were always in demand. When asked about drug use during those days, Jerry was quick to say he started early with Methadren. He says it was better than coke and there was a hallucinogenic aspect. I couldn't find out to much about this drug on the internet. But it did exist. Jerry said he quickly learned to "slam it", or shoot in to his arm with a syringe. Jerry's routine was to steal the tools, sell them to whomever and then bring the money to a lesbian couple he knew in the city of Stanton. Jerry had to buy this couple some drugs as they were without money. But it worked out because they had all the connections for the good drugs.
With little affect, Jerry told me of a time right around when he was 15 or 16. He remembers staggering around a neighborhood completely inebriated on some sort of hard alcohol. He remembered walking up to a random house where he asked an elderly lady to use her restroom. She agreed and Jerry promptly went into her bathroom and proceeded to consume every prescription bottle he could find. He was not aware of any thoughts of suicide just the desire for obliteration. He walked out of the house and remembers collapsing and hitting the pavement hard. The elderly lady had discovered the empty bottles and called an ambulance. Jerry was treated at the scene then transported to a hospital where he had his stomach pumped. Jerry was released to the elderly lady after about a day. When asked how he avoided getting re-arrested at the hospital, Jerry explained how different it was back then. He just never gave his last name and there was nothing hospital staff could do at the time. The elderly lady vouched for him and took him home from the hospital. It was soon after they arrived home that the elderly lady decided to bring Jerry over to her friend's church nearby. Jerry didn't object as he knew he needed and wanted to sleep. Jerry then met a catholic priest who showed him to a bed in a room in the back of the church. Jerry remembers it was a weekend because no one was there. Jerry jumped in the bed and quickly passed out. The next thing Jerry said he remembered was waking up to this same man performing oral sex on his penis. Jerry tells it a little more explicitly. He immediately yelled at the man to "stop" and that he didn't want this to happen. The priest pulled away and respected Jerry's request. Jerry was left alone for a time only to be interrupted by the priest again. This time he was asking Jerry to shower. He told Jerry he was dirty from being on the streets and for his own health he needed to take a shower. Jerry was reassured that were no alterior motives. Jerry agreed and entered in the "very large shower" as he described it. Jerry showered juvenile hall style--quickly. But Jerry was had not got a chance to finish when he turned around and saw the priest was getting in with him. Jerry jumped out and was again disgusted at what happened. He doesn't remember what was said but he does remember that his clothes were gone. For the next 10 minutes or so Jerry was forced to stand there naked begging the priest for his cloths. The priest was silent but was content with letting Jerry stand there wet and naked. The priest finally finally finished his shower and pointed to where he hid Jerry's clothes. It was then next day now so Jerry got dressed and left. Jerry did share with me that he remembered a refrigerator full of beer in that back room. When he asked the priest why it was there, the priest stated that it was left over from wedding receptions. So Jerry left but came back that night. When asked why he came back, Jerry said he didn't have anywhere to go and he felt he could handle the priest. Jerry knew he was being wildly inappropriate by attempting to take advantage of Jerry. But he did back off when Jerry forced the issue. In retrospect, Jerry felt it was more about the lure of the refrigerator of beer. Jerry was growing quite fond of the effects of alcohol by this time. So Jerry came back this time with a girl friend. They both were allowed to spend the night. Jerry was under the influence as usual but was seeking a bed with a roof. The priest obliged. Jerry didn't recall how long he was asleep but he did remember being awaked by the priest's mouth on his penis. Jerry pulled back in horror agin for the second time. He told the priest to stop and that he was into that. He didn't remember if the priest said anything but he did pull back and leave the room. It must have been the morning because Jerry and his friend left. Again Jerry was only 17 at the time.
It's difficult to describe Jerry's affect as he describes these events. It seems to flow in a "matter of fact" manner. I have no expectations of any necessary emotions but its as he is describing the events of someone else's life.
Being the street wise kid that he is, Jerry immediately figured out how to exploit this situation to his advantage. For the next two years Jerry was able visit the priest for regular weekly extortion pay offs. One week he would receive $40. The next he would receive equal or greater value in Alpha Beta food vouchers or similar vouchers. It was never acknowledged as "hush" money but they both knew. At the two year mark or so, Jerry learned that they had moved the priest to a different location. Jerry was able to track him down at a different church location. Jerry speculated that he was under some heat for similar activities. So Jerry was able to get a few more "gifts" from the priest until he was gone all together. On his usual day to pick up his pay off, Jerry learned from another church employee that his priest friend had been transferred again. This time they would not tell Jerry where.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Introduction to the system
2/5/14
Here's a few statistics on foster care youth that Jerry would now be a part of.
Jerry had been in trouble with the law before many many times. But now he was a foster child. With in the California (WIC) Welfare and Institutions code, he fell under section/code 300: (Any child who comes within any of the following descriptions is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court which may adjudge that person to be a dependent child of the court) Jerry fit pretty much all of the criteria. The biggest being that his mother just plain gave up on him. This just happen to be during pivotal adolescence stage when parental guidance is most needed. Jerry was housed at the Albert Sitton home in Orange County California. In the early eighties the facility came to be known as Orangewood children's home. Back then Juvenile hall and the Albert Sitton home were right next to each other. Juvenile Hall would house some of the WIC 300 kids at the time. Jerry quickly became one of those kids that floated from Juvenile Hall to Albert Sitton home to placement homes (Foster care). He was known as a "runner". If he wasn't locked down, he ran. He ran from all the facilities as often as he could. He wasn't alone too. There were many kids in his situation in Orange County and they all knew each other and considered each other family to an extent. Jerry struggles to remember specific events and names but he did remember when a Juvenile camp staff broke his forearm. He was being housed at Rancho Potrero (now called Joplin I believe). He doesn't remember the crime but it was usually due to the fact he kept running from his placement homes. Staff had brought him to a private room to tell him that his father had died due to liver failure. Jerry hadn't had any contact with his father in some time so didn't remember being devastated. However, he did think it was a good time to give the staff a hard time by "going off" as they called it. This meant basically that he refused to follow directions, walked around the room and used expletives. To make a long story short, the staff snapped Jerry's wrist in an effort to restrain him. As he tells the story today, he wishes he would have known a lawyer. He might have been rich.
Here's a few statistics on foster care youth that Jerry would now be a part of.
What happens to foster youth who emancipate (age-out, turn 18) from the system?
Over 70% of all California State Penitentiary inmates have spent time in the foster care system.
65% emancipate without a place to live
Less than 3% go to college
51% are unemployed
Emancipated females are 4 times more likely to receive public assistance than the general population
In any given year, foster children compromise less than 0.3% of the state's population, and yet 40% of persons living in homeless shelters are former foster children.
A similarly disproportionate percentage of the nation's prison population is comprised of former foster youth.
By the age of 19, only 57% of emancipated foster youth have received high school diplomas or GEDs
Less than 5% of former foster youth graduate college
Employers are less likely to hire a former foster youth who have the similar qualifications than a non-foster youth.
Less than 50% of former foster youth are employed 2½ - 4 years after leaving foster care, and only 38% have maintained employment for over one year.
In California, 65% of youth leaving foster care do so without a place to live.
Only 40% of eligible emancipated foster youth receive independent living services.
Nearly 40% of transitioning youth will be homeless within eighteen months of discharge.
56% of youth leaving foster care reported using hard drugs.
Nearly 50% of foster children suffer from chronic health conditions such as asthma, visual and auditory problems, dental decay, and malnutrition.
Former foster youth experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at twice the rate of US war veterans.
More than half of children in foster care have moderate to severe mental health problems.
Former foster youth were significantly less likely to have attended any sort of religious services.
Foster youth are more likely than their peers to have marital problems, and are more likely to raise a child outside of marriage.
Foster youth tend to be more socially isolated and have a harder time forming long term relationships.
Parents with a history of foster care are almost twice as likely as parents with no such history to see their own children placed in foster care or become homeless.
In one study, median earnings among employed former foster youth were just 59% their peer's income.
Foster youth are several times more likely to rely on public assistance
Over 70% of all California State Penitentiary inmates have spent time in the foster care system.
65% emancipate without a place to live
Less than 3% go to college
51% are unemployed
Emancipated females are 4 times more likely to receive public assistance than the general population
In any given year, foster children compromise less than 0.3% of the state's population, and yet 40% of persons living in homeless shelters are former foster children.
A similarly disproportionate percentage of the nation's prison population is comprised of former foster youth.
By the age of 19, only 57% of emancipated foster youth have received high school diplomas or GEDs
Less than 5% of former foster youth graduate college
Employers are less likely to hire a former foster youth who have the similar qualifications than a non-foster youth.
Less than 50% of former foster youth are employed 2½ - 4 years after leaving foster care, and only 38% have maintained employment for over one year.
In California, 65% of youth leaving foster care do so without a place to live.
Only 40% of eligible emancipated foster youth receive independent living services.
Nearly 40% of transitioning youth will be homeless within eighteen months of discharge.
56% of youth leaving foster care reported using hard drugs.
Nearly 50% of foster children suffer from chronic health conditions such as asthma, visual and auditory problems, dental decay, and malnutrition.
Former foster youth experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at twice the rate of US war veterans.
More than half of children in foster care have moderate to severe mental health problems.
Former foster youth were significantly less likely to have attended any sort of religious services.
Foster youth are more likely than their peers to have marital problems, and are more likely to raise a child outside of marriage.
Foster youth tend to be more socially isolated and have a harder time forming long term relationships.
Parents with a history of foster care are almost twice as likely as parents with no such history to see their own children placed in foster care or become homeless.
In one study, median earnings among employed former foster youth were just 59% their peer's income.
Foster youth are several times more likely to rely on public assistance
Jerry had been in trouble with the law before many many times. But now he was a foster child. With in the California (WIC) Welfare and Institutions code, he fell under section/code 300: (Any child who comes within any of the following descriptions is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court which may adjudge that person to be a dependent child of the court) Jerry fit pretty much all of the criteria. The biggest being that his mother just plain gave up on him. This just happen to be during pivotal adolescence stage when parental guidance is most needed. Jerry was housed at the Albert Sitton home in Orange County California. In the early eighties the facility came to be known as Orangewood children's home. Back then Juvenile hall and the Albert Sitton home were right next to each other. Juvenile Hall would house some of the WIC 300 kids at the time. Jerry quickly became one of those kids that floated from Juvenile Hall to Albert Sitton home to placement homes (Foster care). He was known as a "runner". If he wasn't locked down, he ran. He ran from all the facilities as often as he could. He wasn't alone too. There were many kids in his situation in Orange County and they all knew each other and considered each other family to an extent. Jerry struggles to remember specific events and names but he did remember when a Juvenile camp staff broke his forearm. He was being housed at Rancho Potrero (now called Joplin I believe). He doesn't remember the crime but it was usually due to the fact he kept running from his placement homes. Staff had brought him to a private room to tell him that his father had died due to liver failure. Jerry hadn't had any contact with his father in some time so didn't remember being devastated. However, he did think it was a good time to give the staff a hard time by "going off" as they called it. This meant basically that he refused to follow directions, walked around the room and used expletives. To make a long story short, the staff snapped Jerry's wrist in an effort to restrain him. As he tells the story today, he wishes he would have known a lawyer. He might have been rich.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Background
I did meet with Jerry last Tuesday as I mentioned. I went to his apartment where he rents a room. It's not in the best area but Jerry continuously reminds me how grateful he is to have what he has--a room, food to eat, a bed and friends (sober friends). Jerry receives government assistance and is able to purchase the bare minimum to live. He's not complaining though. You see Jerry spent a great deal of his adult life living on the streets completely addicted to heroin. He has been in and out of jail and prison and he's not sure where he spent more of his life-- in or out.. He tells me it has been over a 30 year relationship with that drug that has taken him to some very dark places.
First a little background about Jerry. He was born on December 27th 1960 in Long Beach California. His parents were not married but were in a relationship. Jerry had an older sister and a younger sister both born with different fathers. Jerry tells me that his father (Jerry Stevens Sr) was the original drummer for Dick Dale and the Del Tones. His mother, Marjorie Jordon, was his primary care giver up until the age of 12. It was then she singed away her parental rights letting the Orange County foster care system raise Jerry. More about that later. Jerry's father died around 1969 of cirrhosis of the liver. His mother had Jerry and his younger sister to care for during the beginning years. Jerry's older sister lived with her father. Jerry and his mother and sister floated around the city of Anaheim and Stanton for several years. He described his mother as "never around". He was often left home alone with his younger sister when his mother was either "at the bar or selling drugs". Jerry remembers that when he was old enough to leave the house, he did. He stole anything that wasn't chained up--bikes, packages, toys, anything. Jerry's mother was receiving government assistance and would often send Jerry and his sister to get their own food with the food stamps she received. Jerry remembers a lot of strange people came to visit their apartment over the years. He would wake up in the middle of the night and see a room filled with strangers. He described one early morning where he was awakened to the sound of a man urinating in the corner of his living room. He couldn't have been more than 6. While growing up, Jerry focused on his craft of thievery. For awhile, Jerry and his mother and sister lived in a low income apartment complex near some railroad tracks in the city of Stanton California. It was an area where loaded train cars would park for a time before they were off to their final destination. Jerry found way to break in to the rain cars and steal their contents. Jerry found ten speeds, carpet cleaners, toys and various other products. He would trade, sell but mostly give away most of the stuff he stole from the train cars. Due to the fact that these railroad cars would travel over multiple states, crimes associated with them fell under the jurisdiction of the F.B.I. So at the age of 9, Jerry had his first dealings with real live FBI agents. They found Jerry and caught him with the evidence. He was never prosecuted even though most of the property was never returned. It didn't stop Jerry though. He did it again and was caught again and again let off as he was still only 9. Jerry describes his part time mother as being very distraught at his antics. For the next three years Jerry avoided school and stole things. He believes that it was the time he broke into a house and stole a handgun that sent his mother over the edge. After stealing the handgun, Jerry thought a good idea to bring to school and show his friends. Someone of course told a teacher and Jerry was in trouble. Believe it or not he was not prosecuted. One could only imagine what would happen if this occurred today. So it was around here that Jerry's mother took the drastic action of giving up on Jerry. She signed her parental rights away and Jerry became a foster kid at the age of 12. I should also mention that Jerry's mother regularly beat Jerry as a way to (attempt) to control him. He tells me this not as an excuse for his criminality but rather as a factor he dealt with growing up. Jerry was quick mention that his mother did not send his sister into foster care--Just Jerry. He speculates that his sister was easier to care for as she was the "compliant one".
First a little background about Jerry. He was born on December 27th 1960 in Long Beach California. His parents were not married but were in a relationship. Jerry had an older sister and a younger sister both born with different fathers. Jerry tells me that his father (Jerry Stevens Sr) was the original drummer for Dick Dale and the Del Tones. His mother, Marjorie Jordon, was his primary care giver up until the age of 12. It was then she singed away her parental rights letting the Orange County foster care system raise Jerry. More about that later. Jerry's father died around 1969 of cirrhosis of the liver. His mother had Jerry and his younger sister to care for during the beginning years. Jerry's older sister lived with her father. Jerry and his mother and sister floated around the city of Anaheim and Stanton for several years. He described his mother as "never around". He was often left home alone with his younger sister when his mother was either "at the bar or selling drugs". Jerry remembers that when he was old enough to leave the house, he did. He stole anything that wasn't chained up--bikes, packages, toys, anything. Jerry's mother was receiving government assistance and would often send Jerry and his sister to get their own food with the food stamps she received. Jerry remembers a lot of strange people came to visit their apartment over the years. He would wake up in the middle of the night and see a room filled with strangers. He described one early morning where he was awakened to the sound of a man urinating in the corner of his living room. He couldn't have been more than 6. While growing up, Jerry focused on his craft of thievery. For awhile, Jerry and his mother and sister lived in a low income apartment complex near some railroad tracks in the city of Stanton California. It was an area where loaded train cars would park for a time before they were off to their final destination. Jerry found way to break in to the rain cars and steal their contents. Jerry found ten speeds, carpet cleaners, toys and various other products. He would trade, sell but mostly give away most of the stuff he stole from the train cars. Due to the fact that these railroad cars would travel over multiple states, crimes associated with them fell under the jurisdiction of the F.B.I. So at the age of 9, Jerry had his first dealings with real live FBI agents. They found Jerry and caught him with the evidence. He was never prosecuted even though most of the property was never returned. It didn't stop Jerry though. He did it again and was caught again and again let off as he was still only 9. Jerry describes his part time mother as being very distraught at his antics. For the next three years Jerry avoided school and stole things. He believes that it was the time he broke into a house and stole a handgun that sent his mother over the edge. After stealing the handgun, Jerry thought a good idea to bring to school and show his friends. Someone of course told a teacher and Jerry was in trouble. Believe it or not he was not prosecuted. One could only imagine what would happen if this occurred today. So it was around here that Jerry's mother took the drastic action of giving up on Jerry. She signed her parental rights away and Jerry became a foster kid at the age of 12. I should also mention that Jerry's mother regularly beat Jerry as a way to (attempt) to control him. He tells me this not as an excuse for his criminality but rather as a factor he dealt with growing up. Jerry was quick mention that his mother did not send his sister into foster care--Just Jerry. He speculates that his sister was easier to care for as she was the "compliant one".
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