Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2015 20:28:34 +0200
From: Rick Masters <succum@gmx.com>
Subject: Juvenile Detention 2

JUVENILE DETENTION

Chapter 2 – The Journey and Hope

They were still working their way through the traffic of the town as they
headed towards the motorway that would form the bulk of their journey when
Josh asked, "I don't suppose there is any water to drink is there please? I
haven't had anything since breakfast this morning."

"Why didn't you have something with your lunch, boy?" The officer who was
not driving turned around to look at Josh as he waited for an answer.

"I didn't get any lunch. I had breakfast at the prison and then suddenly I
was being put in a van and taken to the courts. I haven't had anything
since then," Josh answered.

"What time was your breakfast this morning?" the officer asked.

"Half past six, like it is every day," Josh replied.

"And it is three o'clock now and no one has even offered you a cup of water
in that time?" the driving officer asked, looking in his rear view mirror
at Josh. "Why didn't you ask for something?"

"Well, at first I was too nervous to ask. There were a lot of big guys in
the cell with me and I thought I might get hammered or something for
upsetting the guards. Then they took me up to the court room and there was
nothing there, and when they brought me back down I was a bit upset and
didn't think to ask and then got left there until you guys came to get
me. And you saw that cell; there was no bell for room service." Josh
managed a little joke.

"Do you need to use the loo or anything like that?" the driver asked.

"No, thank you. I got nothing inside to come out," Josh answered.

"Okay, there is a service station just before we leave the town. I will
stop there and we will get you something, but don't try anything on with us
or you will be sorry," the driving officer told Josh.

 "Don't worry, I won't give you guys any shit. A bottle of water would be
really nice and I thank you for that. I have decided that I am going to do
what I have to do in order to get out of this place as soon as I can and
then I am going to find somewhere to live and work and somehow I am going
to get some justice for myself. I am not about to start messing that plan
up now with you guys who are trying to help me a bit," Josh assured them.

"That is very different from what I have heard on previous trips like
this. We've got a couple of hours ahead of us and we can talk about that on
the road. Sit tight in the car when we get to the service station, and then
once we are properly on our way we can talk a bit, because I have to admit
you have got my curiosity up," the officer in the passenger seat told Josh.

"Don't worry. I can't get very far unless I leave my arm behind," Josh
pointed out.

"Yeah, that is true, but you could make a scene, which could be
embarrassing for us two. We are not supposed to stop like this." The
officer took a bit of a risk in telling Josh that, but he sensed that Josh
was not like their usual passengers.

"What? You mean like shouting out or something?" Josh asked.

"Well, that, but you might be surprised what some of them have tried, even
when we have just been stopped at a traffic light. But you seem like a good
kid, Tolmers, so I don't think we are going to have any trouble from you,
are we?" the officer asked.

"No, sirs. I promised you already and I will stick to that," Joshua
confirmed as the car slowed and pulled onto the forecourt of the service
station.

"I'll go. Do you want anything?" the driver asked the other officer.

"Yeah! Get us a coke please. Here, take this and get something for this kid
to eat, too," the officer replied.

"No, it's okay, I've got it," the driver said, refusing the ten pound note
the officer held out to him.

"You are lucky, kid. That driver has got a son your age who is giving him
some hard times, so he feels kind of sorry for the likes of you who get
caught. By the way, you can call me Joe and the driver is Karl. If you want
to put officer in front of that it's okay, but I prefer to just be called
Joe. What do your friends call you?"

"Those I used to think of as friends called me Josh, and that's what I
prefer," Josh answered.

They fell silent for a while. The officer was thinking about the way Josh
had answered his question, and Josh did not know what else to say. They
were still silent when Karl returned to the car and opened the back door on
Josh's side. "For some reason I believe you when you say you are not going
to give us any trouble, and I am going to show my trust for you. Please
don't let me down." He leaned past Josh and put a bottle of coke and
another bottle with water on the seat beside Josh. Then he took a sandwich
pack out of the bag and followed that with a second pack of sandwiches. "If
you are anything like my son, even two packs will not be enough to fill
you, but that is what you are getting. Now I am going to undo the cuff on
your arm so that you can eat more easily. When we get near the Academy I
will tell you to cuff yourself up again. Don't think of trying to
escape. The doors will be locked, and as you can see there are no door
handles or window controls within your reach." Karl produced his key for
the cuffs. Once he had freed Josh's hand he straightened up and closed the
door.

As Karl was walking round to the driver's side, Joe said to Josh, "See, I
told you, you were lucky to have Karl driving for you."

Josh waited for Karl to get in the car and then he said, "Thank you,
officer Karl. I didn't expect you to buy me any food. I can't pay you for
it."

"Don't give us any shit on the journey and you will have repaid me
enough. And don't call me officer or sir. Karl is just fine," Karl
responded as he started the car up again and they pulled out into the
traffic.

As Josh tucked into the sandwiches he realised just how hungry he really
was and was very grateful that Karl had thought to buy him two packs. The
first pack of sandwiches disappeared down his throat before anyone said
another word. Karl kept looking at Josh in the rear view mirror and smiled
as he saw the sandwiches being eaten so quickly. Josh opened his coke and
took a couple of mouthfuls before putting the top back on and starting to
open the second packet of sandwiches.

"These are so nice, and I don't suppose I am going to be getting as nice
food as this where I am going, so double thank you, Karl and Joe." Josh
showed his appreciation before taking a bite of the next sandwich.

"Don't thank me; it was Karl who bought all that for you," Joe said.

"But both of you have been kind to me. Apart from the officer who took me
down after the trial, you two are the only people who have shown me any
kindness since all this shit began," Josh said between mouthfuls.

"Josh, finish eating and then you can tell us what happened. We got a
couple of hours and I like to try and learn what you guys get up to that
puts you in the back of a transport like this," Joe told him.

Josh obeyed. After he had taken another drink of his coke, he asked, "Do
you really want to hear my side of the story? No one else seems to have
wanted to."

"Yeah, I do. I think some of you kids get sent down for things all kids do
but just don't get caught, so let's hear it," Joe told him.

Josh started to tell them his story. For some reason he found that he
wanted to explain the whole situation, so he told them he was going to
start at the beginning and go through it again. Maybe it was because Joe
was obviously listening to him and Karl, although concentrating on his
driving, also appeared to be listening. So Josh explained about the double
date at the movies and how he came to be walking home alone and then
getting caught up in the crowd and how it went downhill from there with no
one listening to what he had to say or investigating his claims to
innocence. Josh did have to stop to get control of himself when he spoke
about how his father had been and how that seemed to have had repercussions
on how he got treated after that. When he talked about how he felt about
his defense lawyer and the judge who did not even ask him if he wanted to
say anything, his change of tone and the words he chose clearly showed his
anger coming through. "But one day I am going to sit in the courtroom and
hear them explain themselves and watch as they are given some sort of
punishment," Josh finished up.

"Joe, write down those names and the name of the school. I am going to do
some investigating myself," Karl said. Then looking back at Josh through
the mirror he added, "I can't promise you anything, but when you get out,
come and look me up. I will have a room for you to use and hopefully some
information. I believe you, Josh; you could not have made all of that
up. Joe, write my address on a piece of paper and give it to Josh to put in
his pocket. But if you lose that paper, go back to the courts and ask them
to direct you to me, Karl Silvey. I don't think I can get you out any
earlier. but I have some friends in the courts who might be able to help
you get some justice."

"Thank you. Thank you for listening and believing me. "Josh was a bit
overcome.

"No. Give yourself a pat on the back. My son is the same age as you and I
know when he is telling me porkies and when he is being honest with me. And
even though I don't know you, I sense that you have been honest with us,
and that deserves something. You are the first young kid I have taken to
the academy that has not tried to bull shit me and that is why when you get
out I will give you a room until you either sort something out with your
own folks or get your own place. Maybe you will be able to help my boy a
bit too," Karl said.

"What do you mean? Does your son have some problems?" Josh asked.

"Let's just say he is going through a difficult time. I think that there is
something he needs to get off his chest but doesn't know how to do it. You
have just shown me you can talk to adults with some confidence and that
might just help him. He keeps getting into trouble, but I think there is
something else that is troubling him, and getting into trouble is his way
of trying to deal with it, or bury it or something," Karl said. "Just maybe
he will be able to talk to someone his own age."

"Well if I can help I will, but I don't know what is going to happen. I've
still got to get through the next six months," Josh said.

"And from some of the things I have heard, that is not going to be easy. I
don't know for sure, but I understand there is some not so nice stuff going
on in there, and I think your decision to do what you have to might come in
for some very quick revision. I wish you all the luck, because heaven knows
you are going to need it," Joe told him.

"What have you heard?  The other officer at the court said to go along with
things no matter how hard or unpleasant. Now I am getting worried," Josh
replied nervously.

"Look, Josh, I have only heard vague rumours that new guys are made to do
some pretty weird stuff, but I don't know any details. Maybe when you get
out you can tell us the truth," Joe said. Joe did have more detailed
knowledge, but he did not want to make the rest of Josh's journey there
worse than it already was and figured that Josh would find out soon enough
anyway and there was nothing that any of them could do to change that.
Maybe in the longer term there might be, but certainly not in time for it
to be of any help to Josh.

All three of them fell silent for a while, and even though he was very
nervous, Josh dozed off. He had not been able to sleep properly since he
got arrested, and feeling like he was with some people who actually cared
about him had helped him to relax for the first time since the mess all
started.

Josh was startled out of his doze when Joe reached back and shook his
leg. "Sorry, Josh, but it is time to put that pretty bracelet back on. If
we arrive with you free in the back it will be our jobs on the line."

"No problem. At least I have not had to travel the whole way like
that. Thank you for trusting me," Josh responded as he closed the handcuff
around his wrist.

"That's okay, kid. Listen, this has been one of the nicest but one of the
hardest trips I have had to make to the Academy. You take care in there,
and don't forget to look us up when you get out," Karl said.

"Sorry, I don't get it. How has it been the hardest? Have I not been
straight with you?" Josh asked, feeling a bit upset and wondering if all
the talk before had been just that – talk and nothing more.

"It's been the hardest because I don't think you should be going there. I
think there has been a travesty of justice here, and if you are deserving
of what has been given to you then every teen should be in detention," Karl
said bitterly..

"Easy, Karl. It's not your fault. It's the system that is at fault here,"
Joe said.

"Look, if it is that easy for an innocent guy to end up in this situation,
then my Simon is just lucky he has not been locked up for years. It is not
fair or just. I promise you, Josh, I am going to do whatever I can to find
out what was or wasn't done and get you some justice in some way," Karl
said, clearly upset.

"Thank you. You guys have been so nice to me. I had begun to lose hope but
now you have given me something to hold onto while I am in there," Josh
said, pointing to the buildings beyond the high security fence. He had
already seen a sign announcing that the place was the Youth Correction
Academy. Josh was suddenly much more nervous than he had been all through
his trying time so far. Until this moment the Academy had been just a name;
now that he could see the place and its fences, it had become entirely too
real.

"Listen, once we get inside those gates we are going to have act as if you
are just another young offender being delivered, so keep that piece of
paper with Karl's address in your pocket. You will have your clothes taken
away and will be given prison overalls, but you will get your clothes back
at the end of your time. The paper should still be in your pocket. Best of
luck," Joe advised Josh.

"Thanks, both of you. I hope that someday I will be able to repay you in
some way for making this easier for me and showing me that at least some
people might listen and believe me," Josh said, his nervousness showing in
his voice.



Hi all,

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Rick