A) Using signs that convey a very clear and easy to read message attempt to communicate to the students. In the case of benchmark the students talked to us on occasion even when they weren't supposed to be doing so.
A lot of what I did had several layers of meanings. For example, on the last night I stood outside the St. St. Apartments holding Margaret Singer's "Cults in Our Midst", bookmarked to the page discussing how cults control communication with outsiders, reading material etc... I spent a good while convincing anybody (even staff) to take it and read it, but nobody would (i'm not surprised about some of the staff, however, given their apparent level of literacy I observed when I was there).
We did interview multiple neighbors and confirmed that ambulances and police cars do come about every six months (better than when I was there, admittedly, although I doubt the neighbors notice every single attempt). We also confirmed one successful suicide (George) around April of 05 as well as an attempt at the same location a few months later. No wonder the old railroad bridge (where George jumped) is now fenced off.
I did get a level three to openly state that program harms some people more than helping (though, of course, he was convinced he was an addict and the program saved his life bla bla bla). I also got into a little ...er.. argument with a level 2 girl who was then told to stop talking to us. Amazingly, she defied the staff, telling them that she had a right to speak to us.... WOW... After that the staff ushered her off and we never saw here again (she was the one I really wanted to give the book to). I suspect either room/house restriction, although putting her in a motel or taking away her level is probably not out of the question as a punishment for her little assertion of her rights. She was not present for "roll call" the following night.
Probably the best part of the last night was when I approached some parents (on public property) and a staff member came up to me and told me that he would call the cops if I continued to talk to them (he said this in front of the parents). I told him to go ahead and do it, that I was on public property, that they would come, talk to me, and leave pissed off at program after I explained the situation (as I had done the previous 4 times) Had the parents not been there I probably would have been a bit more profane in my response but... oh well. He got the point and left even more frustrated than before.
Apparantly they had been telling the parents a load of shit too since they told me "you're really trying hard to get sent
back here, huh..." Given that they told the students I was on drugs and didn't get a security job because of my allegedly shady past (first off... it's bs.. second off, they could not have possibly known such things, but nobody seems to ask the right questions). Then the same staff member that was spreading that bullshit had the gall to demand I not interrupt him and treat him with respect... to which I responded with a profanity-laden speech about free speech that was unfortunately not captured on tape. Assholes are so used to ruling their little world... they really can't take it when somebody is outside the reaches of their authorita.
Let's see... They tried to have us thrown out of our motel, they gave my cell phone number to a (truly fucking insane) Irate parent (who threatened to have me thrown in jail for attempting to help his adult sun leave program, among other things). She also said her son had "ADD and can't take care of himself". TSW had to put her on "time out". She was screaming her head off at him so I don't blame him. They then gave my DAD'S cell phone number in France (god knows how they got that) to that same Irate parent who told him that we had KIDNAPPED him and had him in some motel room (define irony here)...
Ooooh.. we had so much fun and got 90% of it on tape too (including every single incident with the cops... after the first time we started preparing in advance. We joked with the cops about having our names on hotkey given the frequency they were frivolously called to harass us. It must have really pissed them off to see them leave again and again without us in the back of the squad car. We had some nice chats with some of them and I made damn sure to educate them about the program. I got some good information out of some of em too (such as: there is an apparant epidemic of homeless kids from the ages of 18-24 in the Redlands area. The officer also remembered Benchmark's name from a kid he arrested. He said he'd keep and eye out for any more on the streets and I'll sure be keeping in contact with him and others.
Oh. And we also got them refusing to hand over a kid's passport on tape. We then called the cops on them for a change. When the cops came they claimed they didn't have it at the location (but curiously didn't say that before we called em). They also couldn't keep their story straight on a number of important details (have that on tape too). For example, they claimed he was contractually obliged to remain in San Bernardino county on the terms of his parole (he was prosecuted by program, after being forced to sign a confession in program, for stealing a car to leave(he could have used a lawyer for that, yeah...)). Later on they claimed he was restricted to stay in program on the terms of his parole. He claims he never signed any such document (and is barely literate, which is not surprising considering he was in program for the past 8 years(for smoking pot)) They threatened to have me arrested for aiding and abetting him to commit parole violation bla bla bla... LOL. And they acted surprised/offended when my general attitude toward them was basically "fuck you". If they do end up getting a restraining order on me I'm going to frame it, then contest it.
