Ismael Nazario: What I learned as a kid in jail

Translator: Doris Kos Reviewer: Nika Kotnik

We need to change the culture in our jails and prisons,

Spremeniti moramo kulturo v naših zaporih,

especially for young inmates.

še posebno za naše mlade zapornike.

New York state is one of only two in the U.S.

New York je ena izmed dveh držav v ZDA,

that automatically arrests and tries 16- to 17-year-olds as adults.

ki 16- in 17-letnikom, ki jih aretira, avtomatsko sodi kot odraslim.

This culture of violence takes these young people

Kultura nasilja zapelje mlade,

and puts them in a hostile environment,

jih postavi v nasilno okolje,

and the correctional officers pretty much allow any and everything to go on.

pazniki pa nato dovoljujejo, da se v zaporih dogaja praktično karkoli.

There's not really much for these young people to do

Ti mladostniki pa nimajo veliko možnosti

to actually enhance their talent and actually rehabilitate them.

s katerimi bi spodbujali svoj talent in se kasneje tudi rehabilitirali.

Until we can raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18,

Dokler ne zvišamo starostne meje za kazensko odgovornost na 18,

we need to focus on changing the daily lives of these young people.

se moramo posvetiti spreminjanju načina življenja teh mladostnikov.

I know firsthand.

Govorim iz lastnih izkušenj.

Before I ever turned 18,

Preden sem dopolnil 18 let

I spent approximately 400 days on Rikers Island,

sem preživel približno 400 dni v Rikers Island zaporu,

and to add to that

kjer sem, za nameček,

I spent almost 300 days in solitary confinement,

skoraj 300 dni preživel v osamitvi

and let me tell you this:

in lahko vam povem sledeče:

Screaming at the top of your lungs all day on your cell door

kričanje na ves glas, pri vratih svoje celice,

or screaming at the top of your lungs out the window,

ali kričanje na ves glas skozi okno le-te,

it gets tiring.

sčasoma postane utrujajoče.

Since there's not much for you to do while you're in there,

Ker nimaš veliko izbire kaj bi počel, dokler si tam,

you start pacing back and forth in your cell,

začneš postopati naokrog po svoji celici,

you start talking to yourself,

se začneš pogovarjati sam s seboj,

your thoughts start running wild,

misli v glavi podivjajo

and then your thoughts become your own worst enemy.

in nato postanejo tvoj najhujši sovražnik.

Jails are actually supposed to rehabilitate a person,

Zapori so dejansko namenjeni temu, da rehabilitirajo človeka,

not cause him or her to become more angry,

ne pa, da ga naredijo še bolj jeznega,

frustrated, and feel more hopeless.

razočaranega in brez upanja.

Since there's not a discharge plan put in place for these young people,

Glede na to da načrta, kaj storiti s tistimi, ki so izpuščeni, ni,

they pretty much reenter society with nothing.

mladostniki v družbo ponovno vstopijo praznih rok.

And there's not really much for them to do to keep them from recidivating.

In zato jim ne preostane drugega, kot da zaidejo na stara pota.

But it all starts with the C.O.s.

A vse se začne s pazniki.

It's very easy for some people

Za določene ljudi je najlažje,

to look at these correctional officers as the good guys

da te paznike vidijo kot "dobre fante",

and the inmates as the bad guys,

zapornike pa kot "slabe",

or vice versa for some,

za nekatere mogoče ravno obratno,

but it's a little more than that.

a za vsem tem se skriva veliko več.

See, these C.O.s are normal, everyday people.

Ti pazniki so namreč normalni vsakdanji ljudje.

They come from the same neighborhoods as the population they "serve."

Prihajajo iz iste soseske kot ljudje, ki jim "služijo".

They're just normal people.

So popolnoma normalni ljudje.

They're not robots, and there's nothing special about them.

Niso roboti in nič posebnega ni na njih.

They do pretty much everything anybody else in society does.

Ukvarjajo se z istimi stvarmi kot ostali v družbi.

The male C.O.s want to talk and flirt with the female C.O.s.

Moški pazniki si želijo pogovora in flirtanja z ženskimi paznicami.

They play the little high school kid games with each other.

Drug z drugim se gredo srednješolske igrice.

They politic with one another.

Vedo, kako ravnati drug z drugim.

And the female C.O.s gossip to each other.

Ženske paznice pa se med seboj opravljajo.

So I spent numerous amounts of time with numerous amounts of C.O.s,

Čeprav sem preživel ogromno časa z različnimi pazniki,

and let me tell you about this one in particular named Monroe.

bi vam rad povedal o enem izmed njih, ime mu je Monroe.

One day he pulled me in between the A and B doors

Nekega dne me je potegnil med vrata A in B,

which separate the north and south sides of our housing unit.

ki so ločevala severno in južno stran naše bivalne enote.

He pulled me there because I had a physical altercation

To je storil, ker sem se zapletel v pretep

with another young man in my housing unit,

z drugim mladeničem v moji bivalni enoti

and he felt, since there was a female officer working on the floor,

in čutil je, ker je v istem nadstropju delala tudi ženska paznica,

that I violated his shift.

da sem nekako prekršil njegovo izmeno.

So he punched me in my chest.

Zato me je udaril v prsni koš.

He kind of knocked the wind out of me.

Za trenutek sem ostal brez zraka.

I wasn't impulsive, I didn't react right away,

Nisem bil impulziven, nisem takoj odreagiral,

because I know this is their house.

ker sem vedel, da je to njihov teritorij.

I have no wins.

Tu ne morem zmagati.

All he has to do is pull his pin and backup will come immediately.

Vse kar mora storiti je, da povzdigne glas in okrepitev bo prišla takoj.

So I just gave him a look in his eyes

Zato sem mu namenil samo pogled

and I guess he saw the anger and frustration just burning,

in očitno je v njem videl jezo in frustracijo, ki sem ju čutil

and he said to me,

in rekel mi je:

"Your eyes are going to get you in a lot of trouble,

"Ta tvoj pogled te bo spravil v težave,

because you're looking like you want to fight."

ker gledaš, kot da se želiš boriti."

So he commenced to taking off his utility belt,

In začel si je odpenjati pas na hlačah,

he took off his shirt and his badge,

slekel si je srajco in snel značko,

and he said, "We could fight."

nato pa rekel: "Lahko se boriva".

So I asked him, "You gonna hold it down?"

Zato sem ga vprašal: "Bo ostalo pri tem?"

Now, that's a term that's commonly used on Rikers Island

To je izraz, ki se pogosto uporablja tu,

meaning that you're not going to say anything to anybody,

pomeni, da o dogodku ne boš nikomur govoril

and you're not going to report it.

in ga nikomur ne boš prijavil.

He said, "Yeah, I'm gonna hold it down. You gonna hold it down?"

Rekel je: "Kar se mene tiče, bo. Pa pri tebi?"

I didn't even respond.

Nisem mu niti odgovoril.

I just punched him right in his face,

Samo udaril sem ga naravnost v obraz

and we began fighting right then and there.

in začela sva se pretepati.

Towards the end of the fight, he slammed me up against the wall,

Proti koncu pretepa me je pribil k steni

so while we were tussled up, he said to me, "You good?"

in me med prerivanjem vprašal: "Si bolje?"

as if he got the best of me,

kot, da bi me premagal,

but in my mind, I know I got the best of him,

čeprav sem bil mnenja, da sem ga premagal jaz,

so I replied very cocky,

zato sem vzvišeno odgovoril:

"Oh, I'm good, you good?"

"Seveda sem bolje, si ti?"

He said, "Yeah, I'm good, I'm good."

In rekel je: "Se razume, sem bolje."

We let go, he shook my hand, said he gave me my respect,

Izpustila sva se, segel mi je v roko in rekel, da mi je vrnil samospoštovanje,

gave me a cigarette and sent me on my way.

mi dal cigareto in mi dovolil, da odidem.

Believe it or not, you come across some C.O.s on Rikers Island

Verjeli ali ne, v Rikers zaporu naletiš na paznike,

that'll fight you one-on-one.

ki se bodo ena-na-ena borili s tabo.

They feel that they understand how it is,

Mislijo, da razumejo, kako se počutiš,

and they feel that I'm going to meet you where you're at.

in da se tako spustijo na tvoj nivo.

Since this is how you commonly handle your disputes,

Ker tako ponavadi rešuješ svoje prepire,

we can handle it in that manner.

jih lahko rešujemo na tak način.

I walk away from it like a man, you walk away from it like a man,

Oba nato odideva od tega kot moška

and that's it.

in to je vse.

Some C.O.s feel that they're jailing with you.

Določeni se počutijo, kot da so zaprti s tabo.

This is why they have that mentality and that attitude

Zato imajo tako mnenje in tak odnos

and they go by that concept.

in sledijo temu konceptu.

In some instances, we're in it together with the C.O.s.

Vsi smo na istem.

However, institutions need to give these correctional officers

A paznikom bi morali

proper trainings on how to properly deal with the adolescent population,

nuditi izobraževanja o delu z najstniki

and they also need to give them proper trainings

in jim nuditi primerne treninge o tem,

on how to deal with the mental health population as well.

kako rokovati s tistimi, ki imajo težave z duševnim zdravjem.

These C.O.s play a big factor in these young people's lives

Igrajo namreč pomembno vlogo v življenju tistih,

for x amount of time until a disposition is reached on their case.

ki čakajo na podano sodbo.

So why not try to mentor these young people while they're there?

Zakaj torej ne bi poskušali usmeriti teh mladostnikov, dokler so tam?

Why not try to give them some type of insight to make a change,

Zakaj jim ne bi poskusili dati vpogleda v to, kako narediti spremembo,

so once they reenter back into society,

da bodo ob ponovni vključitvi v družbo

they're doing something positive?

lahko naredili nekaj pozitivnega?

A second big thing to help our teens in jails is better programming.

Druga stvar, ki bi pomagala najstnikom v priporu je boljši program.

When I was on Rikers Island, the huge thing was solitary confinement.

Ko sem bil zaprt, je bila osamitev pomembna stvar.

Solitary confinement was originally designed

Osamitev je bil prvotno zasnovana,

to break a person mentally, physically and emotionally.

da bi človeka zlomila mentalno, psihično in čustveno.

That's what it was designed for.

To je razlog za njen nastanek.

The U.S. Attorney General recently released a report

Generalni državni tožilec v ZDA je pred kratkim objavil,

stating that they're going to ban solitary confinement

da bodo prepovedali osamitev

in New York state for teens.

najstnikov v zaporih, v državi New York.

One thing that kept me sane while I was in solitary confinement was reading.

Mene je pri pameti ohranjalo samo branje.

I tried to educate myself as much as possible.

Poskusil sem se čim bolj izobraziti.

I read any and everything I could get my hands on.

Prebral sem vse, kar sem lahko.

And aside from that, I wrote music and short stories.

Pisal pa sem še glasbo in krajše zgodbe.

Some programs that I feel would benefit our young people

Mislim, da bi mladim lahko pomagali

are art therapy programs

programi učenja umetnosti,

for the kids that like to draw and have that talent,

tistim, ki želijo risati in imajo talent;

and what about the young individuals that are musically inclined?

kaj pa tistim, ki so naklonjeni glasbi?

How about a music program for them that actually teaches them

Kaj če bi imeli glasbeni program, ki bi jih naučil

how to write and make music?

kako pisati in ustvarjati glasbo?

Just a thought.

Samo v razmislek.

When adolescents come to Rikers Island,

Ko mladostniki pridejo na Rikers, so nameščeni

C74, RNDC is the building that they're housed in.

v stavbi C74 ali RNDC.

That's nicknamed "gladiator school,"

Stavbi, poimenovani "šola gladiatorjev",

because you have a young individual coming in from the street

ker so v njih mladostniki z ulic,

thinking that they're tough,

ki mislijo, da so vsemogočni

being surrounded by a bunch of other young individuals

in so obkroženi z drugimi mladostniki

from all of the five boroughs, and everybody feels that they're tough.

iz različnih okrožij in vsi mislijo, da so vsemogočni.

So now you have a bunch of young gentlemen poking their chests out

In tako imaš polno mladih, napihnjenih gospodov,

feeling that I have to prove I'm equally as tough as you

ki imajo občutek, da se morajo dokazati

or I'm tougher than you, you and you.

oziroma pokazati, da so močnejši.

But let's be honest:

Ampak, roko na srce:

That culture is very dangerous and damaging to our young people.

taka kultura je zelo nevarna in uničujoča.

We need to help institutions and these teens realize

Pomagati jim moramo uvideti,

that they don't have to lead the previous lifestyle that they led

da se jim ni potrebno vrniti na stara pota

when they were on the street, that they can actually make a change.

in da lahko tudi oni naredijo razliko.

It's sad to report that while I was in prison,

Žalostno je, da sem v zaporu večkrat slišal,

I used to hear dudes talking about when they get released from prison,

kako se zaporniki pogovarjajo o tem,

what type of crimes they're going to commit

kakšne zločine bodo storili,

when they get back in the street.

ko bodo izpuščeni.

The conversations used to sound something like this:

Pogovori so zveneli nekako tako:

"Oh, when I hit the street, my brother got this connection

"Ko bom zunaj, moj brat ima veze

for this, that and the third,"

za eno, drugo ali tretje,"

or, "My man over here got this connection for the low price.

ali: "Moj prijatelj ima veze za zelo nizko ceno.

Let's exchange information,"

Dajva si izmenjat info."

and, "When we hit the town, we're going to do it real big."

In: "Ko udarimo, bomo to storili močno."

I used to hear these conversations and think to myself, "Wow,

Poslušal sem in si mislil:

these dudes are really talking about going back in the street

"Ti fantje resnično načrtujejo,

and committing future crimes."

kakšne zločine bodo storili."

So I came up with a name for that:

Zato sem si izmislil ime za te pogovore:

I called it a go-back-to-jail-quick scheme

načrt kako-hitro-spet-v-ječo,

because really, how long is that going to last?

prav dolgo tako ne bi ostali zunaj.

You get a retirement plan with that?

Mar ob tem dobiš tudi upokojitveni plan?

Nice little pension? 401(k)? 403(b)?

Zadovoljivo pokojnino? Plan 401(k)? 403(b)? (Ameriški pokojninski sistem)

You get health insurance? Dental?

Osnovno in dodatno zavarovanje?

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

But I will tell you this:

Vam pa povem sledeče:

Being in jail and being in prison,

v času, ko sem bil zaprt

I came across some of the most intelligent, brilliant,

sem spoznal bolj inteligentne, briljantne

and talented people that I would ever meet.

in talentirane ljudi, kot bi jih sicer.

I've seen individuals take a potato chip bag

Videl sem, kako je nekdo vzel vrečko čipsa

and turn it into the most beautiful picture frame.

in jo spremenil v najlepši okvir za slike.

I've seen individuals take the state soap that's provided for free

Videl sem nekoga, ki je milo

and turn them into the most beautiful sculptures

spremenil v najlepši kipec,

that would make Michelangelo look like a kindergartner made it.

ki bi prekosil še Michelangelovega.

At the age of 21, I was in a maximum-security prison

Pri 21-ih sem bil v strogo varovanem

called Elmira Correctional Facility.

popravnem zaporu, Elmira.

I just came out of the weight shack from working out,

Vračal sem se s telovadbe,

and I saw an older gentleman that I knew standing in the middle of the yard

in na dvorišču videl gospoda,

just looking up at the sky.

ki je samo gledal v nebo.

Mind you, this older gentlemen was serving a 33-and-a-third-to-life sentence

Služil 33-letno kazen,

in which he already had served 20 years of that sentence.

20 jih je že odslužil.

So I walk up to him and I said,

Stopil sem do njega in ga vprašal:

"O.G., what's going on, man, you good?"

"O.G., kaj se dogaja, si v redu?"

He looked at me, and he said, "Yeah, I'm good, young blood."

Rekel mi je: "Sem, mlada kri, sem."

I'm like, "So what are you looking up at the sky for, man?

Začuden vprašam: "Zakaj gledaš v nebo?

What's so fascinating up there?"

Kaj je tako fascinantnega na njem?"

He said, "You look up and you tell me what you see."

"Poglej še ti in povej, kaj vidiš," reče.

"Clouds." (Laughter)

"Oblake." (smeh)

He said, "All right. What else do you see?"

Reče: "V redu. Kaj še?"

At that time, it was a plane passing by.

V tistem trenutku, mimo prileti letalo.

I said, "All right, I see an airplane."

Rečem: "Ok, vidim tudi letalo."

He said, "Exactly, and what's on that airplane?" "People."

In pravi: "Točno. In kdo je na letalu?" "Ljudje."

"Exactly. Now where's that plane and those people going?"

"Natanko tako. In, kam ti ljudje gredo?"

"I don't know. You know?

"Nimam pojma. Veš ti?

Please let me know if you do. Then let me get some lottery numbers."

Če veš, povej. Zatem bom igral loterijo."

He said, "You're missing the big picture, young blood.

"Zamujaš, kar se zares dogaja.

That plane with those people is going somewhere,

Letalo s potniki resda potuje nekam,

while we're here stuck.

medtem, ko smo mi obtičali tu.

The big picture is this:

Kar se zares dogaja je:

That plane with those people going somewhere,

letalo, ki z ljudmi nekam potuje,

that's life passing us by while we behind these walls, stuck."

to je življenje, ki ga zamujamo."

Ever since that day,

Od tistega dne naprej

that sparked something in my mind and made me know I had to make a change.

sem vedel, da se moram spremeniti.

Growing up, I was always a good, smart kid.

Kot otrok sem bil dober in pameten.

Some people would say I was a little too smart for my own good.

Nekateri bi rekli, da celo malo preveč pameten.

I had dreams of becoming an architect or an archaeologist.

Sanjal sem, da bi postal arhitekt ali arheolog.

Currently, I'm working at the Fortune Society,

Trenutno delam pri Fortune Society,

which is a reentry program,

ki je program za rehabilitacijo

and I work with people as a case manager that are at high risk for recidivism.

in pomagam tistim, ki jim le-ta ne uspeva.

So I connect them with the services that they need

Pomagam jim, da dobijo tisto,

once they're released from jail and prison

kar potrebujejo, ko so izpuščeni,

so they can make a positive transition back into society.

zato, da je njihov prehod v družbo pozitiven.

If I was to see my 15-year-old self today,

Če bi sedaj srečal sebe pri 15-ih,

I would sit down and talk to him and try to educate him

bi se z njim usedel in pogovoril, ga izobrazil

and I would let him know, "Listen, this is me. I'm you.

in mu dal vedeti: "To sem jaz. Jaz sem ti.

This is us. We are one.

To sva midva. Midva sva eno.

Everything that you're about to do, I know what you're gonna do

Vse kar nameravaš storiti... Vedel bom,

before you do it because I already did it,

vse sem namreč že storil.

and I would encourage him not to hang out with x, y and z people.

In spodbujal bi ga, da naj se izogiba določenih ljudi.

I would tell him not to be in such-and-such place.

Povedal bi mu, naj ne obiskuje določenih krajev,

I would tell him, keep your behind in school, man,

naj ostane v šoli,

because that's where you need to be,

ker mora tam biti,

because that's what's going to get you somewhere in life.

ker bo samo z izobrazbo nekaj dosegel v življenju.

This is the message that we should be sharing

To je sporočilo, ki bi ga morali deliti

with our young men and young women.

z našimi mladostniki.

We shouldn't be treating them as adults and putting them in cultures of violence

Ne smemo jih postavljati v situacije

that are nearly impossible for them to escape.

iz katerih je nemogoče pobegniti.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(aplavz)