Response to From Gangs to Grads

I think it's awesome that people really care about unstable people or people who want to turn their lives around. Having the idea for the camp where the previous gang members and prisoners could earn an education at the same time of getting their lives back on track is a great idea. A lot of the time there isn't that option for people to turn to and now there is. It doesn't just affect the lives of members but their families, friends, and communities as well. It impacts their whole life. I also really like the idea that they don't tolerate anything but excellent behavior, it shows that they are really serious about what they're doing and they want to do it well. I think that reading this article gave me an understanding of some gang members. No one is perfect and no one is bad. Reading this showed that even if you are in a gang or you've attended prison, that you aren't necessarily a bad person and that some people want to change how they are and put themselves back in line. I liked reading this article because it looked at the better side of gangs opposed to all the killing and drug dealing.

From Gangs to Grads

On Friday, November 21st there was a graduation ceremony at the Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp. This wasn't like a normal graduation, but one for previous gangs members or prisoners who wanted to turn their lives around from the ages of 18 to 24. They had physical as well as mental training and of all the graduates, there were 28 high school diplomas and 23 who passed their GEDs. "Ten years ago I came here hoping to hire on and was told 'no chance.' I got out of L.A., stuck to it, and since then I've worked at the greatest place on the planet," this was a quote from Jim Cripe who was the district assessment coordinator who wanted to express his work. The camp was more along the lines of a rehab or correction center and is used to make large changes in one's life. Attending the camp the majority of the people were a mixture of various gangs. There were Fresno area Bulldogs, northern and southern Hispanics, and Bay Crips and Bloods. The center did tolerate any gang activity whatsoever and any unnecessary behavior leads to expulsion.