Gladiator School

In California's most notorious juvenile prison, Youth Training School, young men are hardened for a future behind bars while guards, counselors, nurses, and teachers struggle to hold the line between order and chaos. But as violence spirals and scandals break, the institution's darkest secrets breach the prison walls and spill blood into a quiet, bedroom community.

This gripping and dramatic oral history exposes the brutal realities of juvenile incarceration—and the power struggles that decide who gets out and who is left behind. Gladiator School is about the people who are locked inside together, day in and day out. For those who can clock out, they share a haunting bond that follows them home—the curse of the job. For the young wards, juvenile prison is a generational rite of passage—serving time like their brothers and fathers did it—street cred. Juvenile prison, told by those who were there.

"Gladiator School continues to grip and terrify." – Pete Brook
“Both an obsession and a calling.” - The Los Angeles Times