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11OCTOBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSRetiredWardenHowardRobertsonfromtheNewYorkCityDepartmentofCorrectionsheadstheAirtightSolutionsAnti-ViolenceProgram.Theirgoalistoreducecrimeandviolencefortheover-allbettermentofourcommunitiesandultimatelythenation.Thisprogramisdesignedforschoolsfaith-basedandcommunityorganizationssummercampsgrouphomesandrecreationcenters.PriortoWardenRobertsonsretirementhehadcarecustodyandcontroloverNewYorksmostnotoriousdrugkingpinsmurderersandgangmem-bers.Hewasalsoresponsibleforoverseeinginves-tigationsthataffectedthesafetyandsecurityofthedepartment.WardenRobertsonsfocusisnowonkeepingouryouthoutofgangsawayfromdrugsreducingviolenceandmotivatingthemtobecomesuccessfulinlife.InSeptemberRetiredWardenHowardRobertsonwasinDenverforasecondtimewithhisAnti-ViolenceProgramAirtightSolutionsInc.Thepro-gramwassponsoredbytheSimonsFoundationAlvertisSimonsPresidentandGRIDwhichstandsforGangReductionInterventionInitiativeofDenver303WestColfaxAvenue.GRIDisanetworkofover200governmentandprivateorganizationsandapartoftheDenverDepartmentofParksandSafetySafeZones.Mr.AlvertisSimonsfirstbroughtWardenHowardRobertsontotheMetroDenverareainAprilandlunchedtheprogramatAuroraCentralHighSchoolwithenthusiasticresponsefromthestaffandstudents.Onetopicthatiscoveredinthepro-gramisbullying.Bullyinghasbecomeapervasivesocialprobleminourschoolsandcommunities.Someoftheissuesdiscussedare1.Whatisbullying2.Whydosomestudentsbully3.Whyaresomestudentsbullied4.Whyisitharmful5.WhatwouldyoudoifyouorsomeoneelsewasbeingbulliedGangsnowpermeateeveryaspectofsocietyandareinfiltratingourschoolssaysWardenRobertsonWeexaminewhystudentsbecomegangmemberstheinitiationprocessandpositivealter-natives.WardenRobertsonsaysSomeyoungpeoplearefascinatedwithandcuriousaboutjail.Utilizingvisualaidsrealexamplesstoriesandanecdoteswede-glorifyjailandtalkfranklyaboutallofthenegativeaspectsofbeingincarcerated.Intodayssocietydrugscanbefoundeverywhereandstu-dentsaretemptedbytheexcitementthatdrugsseemtooffer.Wediscusstheadverseeffectthatdrugsandalcoholwillhaveonthestudentslife.Weutilizevisualaidsandsharepersonalexperi-encesthatwillinspirethestudentstoaimhighandbecomesuccessfulinlife.WardenRobertsoncontinuesWepointouttokidsthatthereisnothingsmartorslickaboutgoingtojail.ItputsyouintoasituationwherelaterinlifewhenyouwanttogetajobandstartafamilyitisincreasinglyhardtogetajobifyouhavearecordandontopofthatwithoutaneducationitkeepsyouinthepositionofhavingtohustletogetbySoyouaretrapped.MywifeandIgiveyoungfolksinformationthatwillhelpthemmakegooddeci-sions.Informationcanchangethesituation.Weletthemknowtheproblemsofbullyinggangsdrugsandwhatitsliketobeincarcerated.InjailexplainsWardenRobertsonTheaver-agehousinghas100inmatesandtwoofficers.OneofficerislockedintheAstationandcannotcomeout.Physicalviolenceoccurseverysingleday.Youalwayshavetowatchyourback.Andforthosewhothinkjoiningaganginjailisthewaytogorealizethatjustlikeonthestreetstheywillsendyouonamissionandrequireyoutostabsomeoneorcommitsomeotherviolentactinexchangefortheirprotec-tion.Youcanbearrestedforanycrimethatyoucommitwhileincarceratedandthatmeansyoursentencewouldbeincreased.AndofcoursethegangmembersknowthatistruesohowcanyoureallythinktheyhaveyourbestinterestsinmindSaysWardenRobertsonWealsotellkidstheycantusetheirstoryasanexcuse.Mostofushaveastorytotell.MystoryisthatIwasborninadrug-infestedneighborhoodmyfatherwasfounddeadinthestreetwhenIwasnineyearsoldtwoolderbrothersdiedfromdrugsmyoldersisterdiedfromdrugsmymotherwaskilledbyherboyfriendandmybrotherwasatthehousewhenitoccurred.Soweallhaveastorytotellandwepointoutthatwecantusethatasanexcuse.Ilookatthattimeasjustonetileinthemosaicsotospeak.Thereisthatincident.ButIalsohadsomegreatmentorsandImarriedagreatwifeatayoungageandhavereceivedalotofsupportfromher.Ialsohavetwoothersisterswhoaredoingwell.Theprisonpopulationisdecreasingnationwide.Thereareseveralfactorsinvolved.Foroneorgani-zationssuchasGRIDandAirtightSolutionsInc.Anti-violenceProgramaremakingadifferenceinthelivesofyoungpeoplenotesWardenRobertsonAlsothecourtsarelookingforalternativestoincarcerationsuchasdrugtreatmentprograms.Andsomelawsarechanging.ForinstancenowthatmarijuanaislegalinColoradoinsteadofajailsentencefinesareusedasadeterrantpunish-ment.AlsosaysWardenRobertsonPrivatejailsmeanfewerinmatesarecomingintothestate-runfacilities.Howevertheincreaseofprivatizationofjailsdoesnotnecessarilymeanbetter-runfacili-ties.RecentlyajudgeinPennsylvaniawasfoundguiltyofreceivingkickbacksfromprivatejuveniledetentioncentersbasedonthenumberofkidshesentencedtotheirfacilitiessotherearestillabusestoanysystem.WardenHowardRobertsonhaswrittenabookThe411onBullyingGangsDrugsandJailTheFormulaForStayinginSchoolandOutofJail.ThebookcanbeorderedthroughAmazonandBarnesNobel.WardenRobertsongrewupinQueensNewYorksurroundedbydrugdealersandhustlers.TheinmatesatRikersIslandunderhiscustodywonderedhowaguyfromthehoodcouldbecomeaWarden.TheWardenwonderedhowsomanyofhishomiescouldgrowuptobecomeinmates.HistheorywassimpleIfyouemulatetheactionsofanindividualwhowenttojailyouwillgetthesameresult.Ifyouflipthescriptanddotheoppositeyoullfindsuccess.RikersIslandbecamehislaboratoryandoverthenext20-plusyearshedevelopedaformulaforhowtostayoutofjailinschoolandontherightpath.Inthebookusingreal-lifeexamplesandper-sonalexperiencesWardenRobertsonde-glorifiesjailandtalksfranklyaboutthenegativeaspectsofAlternativetoGangs1.THEWALLSGROUP-FASTFORWARD2.LECRAE-ANOMALY3.KATHYTAYLOR-SPIRITOFAGRATEFULPEOPLE4.BRENTJONES-JOYCOMIN5.MISSISSIPPIMASS-DECLARATIONOFDEPENDENCE6.BEVERLYCRAWFORD-THANKYOUFORALLYOUVEDONE7.WESSMORGAN-LIVIN8.SMOKIENORFUL-FOREVERYOURS9.TASHAPAGELOCKHART-HERERIGHTNOW10ARKANSASMASS-YOUALONETROYSNEEDWILLBEATTHEWORDOCT.4thAT1230PMFORCDSIGNINGCOMMUNITYContinuedonPage25