The Beauty School In A Men’s Prison | TRULY

I was a gang member I was by participated in a variety of things my crime is first-degree murder and I've been down 15 years I was into drugs I was a gangbanger since I came to this place it's it's really opened my eyes you know I feel better because it's something different that I'm doing the skills I learned here in cosmetology changed my life and you walk through two gates as you come through one opens it closes you walk through another knew walking through the Bob wire so you are walking into a prison every day Oh glasses on or glasses off although I can't see well I'm a cosmetology or a technical instructor here at Valley State Prison [Music] I did hair for 18 years a licensed cosmetologist I was on in a salon I started teaching here in October of 2006 the very first day I started so I came around the corner and saw the inmates and I was like what did I get myself into I was interested in cutting hair and since they don't have a barber school here and they offer to cosmetology I figured it you know it'll be almost the same being here I learned that it's a lot different and I like it I enjoy doing what we do you walk inside and it's a full-on salon out there a full school they have to do 1600 hours which is required by the state that includes practical which is hands-on and theory which is the textbook and testing that way that encompasses haircutting colouring perming acrylic nails pedicure manicuring the gels all the skin care line I was kind of living a dysfunctional lifestyle back then it wasn't until a few years ago that I started getting everything in order for myself I learn how to cut hair do nails do perms I learned a variety of things up in this class I love doing the acrylics the nails I got pretty good at it in a prison aspect everybody thinks all it's a bunch of homosexuals but little by little people start coming because they see not everybody's like that or that ones that they are they're good people you know saying we're all people in your first I think it's very difficult for them but after a time they they get over it I like nails I like the skill involved I like the artistic freedom it was easy to become defensive at first but then after a while once my skill grew it was a point of pride inmates are not supposed to touch staff we're not supposed to even be too close to them not getting not getting too familiar with them but throughout the course of time I was able to do that in a professional manner I work here at Valley State Prison for about a year now I felt a little uneasy in the beginning but now I'm it's pretty comfortable this is what I had done today was the French tip with the gels here it does give the inmates an opportunity to practice on us so I think it's good for their real rehabilitation process it's like a break from prison in that the people come in here whether they be staff or inmates they don't treat us like we're used to being treated during that time you are free for that moment you're doing the exact same thing that someone in this school on the street would be doing it's a whole different experience this is the manicure what I got after I did the pedicle am I gonna take my shoes off it looks good I don't know how long it's gonna last but it looks real good okay present be very segregated for the men and so when they come in here they all work together all races are together there are no those racial boundaries don't it just exist I'm from Southern California and I'm in here working with people from Northern California which in the prison system as a gay member that's uh those are basically like your rivals you know up north and down south that that's a battle but in here I'm working with everybody and you know I've got to meet some some very good people you know the most rewarding thing was uh the interaction with others in my classroom there's lots of mirrors and I had even more mirrors but and when I got here so that I can see anything and everything I do not know what they're in prison for I don't read the files because I do not want to have a negative or preconceived image of who they are I'm not here to punish them I'm not here to teach them a skill so I want to start with a clean slate and then go from there [Music] I really don't want to get too much into the to my past life I can't tell you I was a gang member I was a gang member I was bi participated in a variety of things I was active for almost 18 years I believed I would die that way I always knew I would come to prison I just didn't know for how long so when it did happen I didn't realize I was gonna get three life sentences I was into drugs I was a gangbanger criminal life you know whatever whatever it is by any means here in prison for voluntary manslaughter my crime is first-degree murder and I've been down 15 years I have a possibility for parole and about six and a half years that was a minor when I committed my crime so I was never supposed to go home there's a possibility is it gonna happen I don't know I've taken the necessary steps to work on myself however it's not up to me my comfort zone is a criminal life you know whatever that you know carries and in here you're so far from that that it shows you a different a different you or different me it showed me a different me you know personally Carmen is a great person she's a very good teacher to be an instructor in prison with inmates it takes some some patience on the personal level she's helped me out a lot she treated me like this didn't exist I would peg the moment of my change beginning when I stopped thinking like a criminal and started thinking more how I could be better and better once I became her student in here I know that I've had five pass and I know two of them are working with their license right now under that scope as cosmetologist and stylist as long as you know I feel better because it's something different that I'm doing and it's I've bettered myself through it my career goal for after I leave my short term goal is to be licensed and my long term goal would be to own my own salon or spa the skills I learned here in cosmetology changed my life by making me a more whole person since I've came to this place it's it's really opened my eyes as a kid I was misled there was a lot of hate that lifestyle back then it was just much different my expectation is to be a law abiding citizen and to be able to help others especially the kids I just want to give back now [Music] you

Channel: truly

Views: 1,303,049

Rating: 4.9325495 out of 5

Keywords: amazing news, amazing stories, amazing story, amazing, barcroft media, barcroft tv, barcroft, documentary, real life, '2018', Truly, male prison, prison life, prison, criminals, reformed, beauty school, beauty technicians, California inmates, beauticians, Manicures, pedicures, facials, beauty treatments, felons, Valley State Prison, cosmetology course, Chowchilla penitentiary, institution, training, education, Barcroft TV, 236329, September 2018

Id: 6mT9EnTMQqs

Length: 8min 16sec (496 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 06 2018