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".