Avon Park

Right after I turned 17, I was sentenced to Avon Park Youth Academy, a 9 - 12 month moderate-security juvenile detention center.

The first month or so, you live in 1 of 2 units in which there is nothing to do except count grains of dirt on the ground.

During those first 30 days, you wake up and clean your unit, eat, and then work out 'til you can't work out no more. Then for the rest of the day, you have to be stuck in the same classroom as 50 other kids doing classwork. The rest of your day was easy 'cause there wasn't anything to do.

After the first 30 days or so, you were placed in a vocational trade. There was culinary arts, auto mechanics, landscaping, electrical, masonry, carpentry and web design.

I was in Landscaping. Every morning I would wake up, clean, go to breakfast, then go to my trade. For the next 6 - 8 hours, I was taught by an instructor named Mrs. Norsko. After trade, everyone else went to school, but because I already had my GED, I got to stay and work with my instructor. A lot of times, she would bring pizza and soda.

The rest of the day was easy. After trade and class, we went back to our own unit where there were board games, cards and TV. Each unit held about 20 people. After the first 30 days, this is where I spent the next 6 - 7 months.

My last 2 months, I got moved to a unit where everybody was almost about to go home. Also my last 2 months (after I finished my vocational trade training), I was put on an off-compound work crew that went out into town to work. We were worked to death, but it was better than being behind a fence all day.

All in all, I did 9½ months and graduated.

Photo: Ted's release from Avon Park - walking to freedom