Ervin Ramirez

-David Finn

As teenagers, one thing we can all attest to is the value of freedom. This is the reason that the carefree days of summer, devoid of schoolwork and responsibility, as well as the future prospect of heading to college are so desirable to us. It seems inconceivable that we could be stripped of such independence. But while most of us spent our past summer relaxing, having fun, and thinking about the future, Westlake student Ervin Ramirez was locked behind bars.

Ervin has had an on-and-off relationship with Westlake for the past several years, floating between the main campus and the Alternative Education Program located across the street due to disciplinary issues involving drugs.

“My last full year at Westlake was my sophomore year,” Ervin said. “I was in school at the beginning of my junior year before I was sent to AEP. I came back shortly after but I was withdrawn from school because I didn’t have a vaccination.”

On top of this, a splintered relationship with his adopted parents (who he refers to as his step parents) left Ervin kicked out on his own with no house to call his home.

“I don’t know why [they kicked me out],” Ervin said. “They didn’t think I was living up to their standards.”

Without the institutions of school and family to keep him straight, Ervin soon fell to the influences of drugs and street life. One night following a confrontation with police, Ervin had a warrant out for his arrest. Several days later, he turned himself in and was faced with charges of organized crime, assault and burglary of a vehicle.

“I ended up signing for burglary of a vehicle and got all my other charges dropped,” Ervin said.

After signing for his charges, Ervin found himself far from any place he had thought of before. He found himself in a county jail.

“I was in jail just waiting for the processes to go through,” Ervin said. “I could’ve gotten out on bail, but I didn’t have the money for it, and I wasn’t interested in getting bailed by my parents, so I ended up in jail in Del Valley for three and a half months over the summer.”

Ervin was forced to adapt to circumstances in jail that most 17 year olds would find unbearable and unimaginable.

“The fact that you’re in a cell all day surrounded by crazy ass people is enough,” Ervin said. “It’s hard to sleep at night because it’s so cold, and you’re always hungry. The food sucks and it doesn’t fill you up or anything.”

To pass the time while stuck in jail during his summer months, Ervin resorted to several activities to make things go by faster.

“I played a lot of poker, played a lot of chess, watched TV, and worked out a little bit,” Ervin said. “I would write. I tried starting to draw but I wasn’t very good at it. We got to go outside for an hour every once in a while, but it was raining so much that it was always muddy out in the rec yard.”

Despite the unpromising atmosphere around him, Ervin found protection from the dangerous atmosphere of incarceration through the help of unspoken alliances.

“My cellmate was a 42 year-old big old black dude,” Ervin said. “He was cool though. Especially with Hispanic people, we stick together, especially in jail. So I didn’t really get messed with. I got in several fights, but never anything too serious.”

All the time alone gave Ervin plenty of chances to reflect on his decisions and seek new insights on his life.

“Doing so much time really gets in your head though, because so many things are going through your mind,” Ervin said. “You just sit there, and think and think and think. It did change me, though. I was around a lot of older people, and they would always tell me stuff. They said the most important thing is family. If you ain’t got family, you ain’t got s*!t.”

Taking that advice to heart, Ervin kept communicating with his family through letters.

“I missed my brothers, and also my cousin Ricky,” Ervin said. “We were writing to each other while I was in there. I wrote to my little brother, but my step parents never gave him the letter.”

Once he was released from prison, Ervin set out to retie some of the family bonds he had lost because of his decisions. However, some relationships seem to be irrevocably broken.

“I haven’t talked to my step parents or even seen them,” Ervin said. “Right now I live with my older brother Wilson and his fiancé. I think we’re closer now than we’ve ever been. My little brother lives with my step parents. That’s why I came back to Westlake, so I could see him. But they didn’t let him go back to Westlake because I was going there and they don’t want me near him.”

Ervin’s younger brother is no longer attending Westlake and is being home schooled by his step parents.

Despite a great deal of adversity stacked up against him, Ervin hopes to get his life back on track. He is back at Westlake this year with hopes of graduating high school, either this year or next. With a diploma in hand, Ervin would be able to pursue a career in the Marines. His future plans still remain uncertain, but one thing that clear is the fact that Ervin has accepted his responsibility for his actions and is ready to move on.

“Yeah, I’ll take responsibility for it because I chose to do that, you know what I’m saying? Even though I was in a situation that was desperate, it was my decision and I’ll take responsibility for it.”