Just before Aaron got to the last gate before he would enter the feed hall a sign on the guard’s bulletin board caught his attention. It read: IN CASE OF FIRE, THROW GASOLINE AND RUN! He had no doubt whatsoever that they would do that, and maybe if they did, he’d be lucky enough to still be there.
This day was very special to him because today Aaron was going before “Maximum” John Klein. Judge Klein had the reputation of sentencing everybody that came before him to the maximum penalty regardless of what they did and regardless of whether they could prove their innocence or not. If you came before Judge Klein, you were guilty, even if he had to stay overtime in the District Attorney’s office to ensure your guilt by instructing witnesses what to or not to say on the witness stand. When you stood before Judge Klein, you weren’t dealing only with the District Attorney, newspapers and television news; you had the judge making damned sure the jury saw it his way or they would never sit on another jury in his courtroom.
Leaving the jail that morning, Aaron was shackled by chains to his ankles and could take steps of about 4 inches. There was a chain around his waist and both hands were shackled to the chain so that he couldn’t raise his hands more than two inches down or two inches up. Going into court 4 deputies escorted the boy due to his extreme threat. Aaron was 10 years old and considered very violent. The guards were afraid he might hurt them.
He met with his guardian ad litem for the first time a few seconds before he walked into court. He was a really nice family man; a plumber by trade. He greeted Aaron in the holding cell just outside the courtroom. “Ritchie, everything’s going to be all right, just be polite and answer any questions very calmly and slowly.” “But sir,” Aaron said to him, “my name is Aaron.”
“Right,” the nice plumber said and they walked into court.
“Aaron Jerome Carter, this Court having heard the testimony brought before it, finds that you are a deviant sexual threat to society and will be remanded to the custody of the State of New York, Department of Corrections, until you attain the age of majority and that at such time, a hearing will be held to determine your suitability to remain at large,” he read.
“You are also advised, that a hearing having been heard by the Family Court of Albany County, the court has approved a petition by your mother to award you a ward of the State and she has severed all ties as to your care. You are in the care and custody of the State of New York, and under its protection. Bailiff, get this piece of garbage out of my courtroom,” With that his gavel hit the pad on his desk and he went back to his porn magazine.
The next morning two deputies had Aaron shackled to the back of their patrol car with two other boys and he was traveling up the Northway to Danamora, New York.
On the ride, the deputies never talked directly to the boys but their conversations were never out of the boys hearing either. The boys heard how the department had instituted new rules regarding body searches and that some inmates were trying to bring in drugs by putting it into their asses or even their dicks. The new rules meant that searches would be very extensive in those areas. Then they heard about how the department no longer gave injections against tetanus in the arm, they injected it directly into the dick because it was more effective. The boys also heard about the new rules concerning inmates swallowing drugs for later recovery and how new technology could put a camera up a kid’s dick and go find the drugs. The sheriffs were concerned because since nobody knew which kids were trying to bring drugs in, every kid got a camera stuck up his dick and they heard it was really very painful. Aaron didn’t know if the deputies were telling the truth or just trying to scare him. Was it possibly true? Aaron didn’t have any reason not to believe it. Conner, the 9 year old boy sitting next to Aaron believed it. Aaron and Alex, the boy on the other side of Conner were getting wet from Conner’s urine.
For those who have never seen or heard about Danamora, think Dracula. It is supposedly an adult prison very close to the New York State border with Canada. It’s operated by the State of New York with people who would be on welfare if not for the fact that they are State employees working as correctional officers. “Supposedly an adult” comes from the fact that most New York State prisons also contain children. At any given time, most New York State prisons have boys within the walls. Some are there for their “crimes” while others are there to service the clients.
Entering through the three security gates the boys were led into a room with about 6 guards in it. The sheriffs handed the guard sitting at the table three files concerning the boys. “SDs!” said the sheriff. The eyebrows on the guard sitting there rose. “We’ll leave their belongings in the storage bin,” said the sheriff and after the Albany County deputies took back their cuffs and chains and said their goodbyes to their buddies, the boys were left standing there against the wall. Aaron was happy to hear about his belongings, they were the only things he had left in the world and they gave him great comfort. He never saw them again.
There were two other boys already in the room when Aaron, Conner and Alex arrived. The other boys were delivered from Kingston. Kingston is a city about an hour below Albany.
“Strip!” said one of the guards. None of the boys thought about it, when they were told to strip, they either got naked very fast, or a foot, flashlight or hand was coming at them in a very short time. Demonstrating any form of modesty whatsoever was the ultimate taboo. Aaron once balked at getting undressed when he first went to jail and he stood for 2 hours in cell block 3 standing by the guard’s desk holding his penis and testicles on a plate. The floor show was very much appreciated by all the prisoners on cell block 3. Aaron always got a round of applause from them on the walk to feeding.
Standing there now were five boys. Conner was 9, Aaron was 10, Alex was 12, Jimmy was 14 and Mark was 12. The guard that had the most hash marks on his sleeve (3) stood up and took out a pair of gloves and put them on and then reached back into his drawer and took out a tool with a handle. Aaron looked at the tool. It had a trigger and a pointed end. It looked like a garden hose end that sprayed water on flowers to the boy. Then he took out a black flashlight that was always carried by guards night or day. If there was an electrical blackout, the guards always wanted to be prepared. When no blackouts occurred, they could always use the flashlights as a club to swat flies with or maybe even hit a prisoner or two.
Albany would never dream of allowing guards to walk around with steel pipes in their hands breaking prisoners ribs or hitting them on the back and head. They are certainly not barbarians. Now if you put 5 batteries, some wire and a bulb in the steel pipe, you have a “flashlight.” Isn’t that cute?