Fighting for Your Life Inside: Southern California’s Most Notorious Jails and Prisons

By Derek Grover

Derek Grover is a former gang leader and crime boss who doesn’t play or pretend. These are his stories of incarceration at San Diego Central Jail, Donovan State Prison, and Chino State Prison.

Nothing has been altered. No names have been changed. No one has been protected. These are real-life stories from real-life gangsters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546271093

Derek Grover

Former gangster Derek Grover aka D-Man was the notorious gang leader and crime boss of a powerful street gang in Southeast San Diego known as the Bloccide Crip Gang. From surviving countless gun fights with rival gangsters to deadly shoot with the San Diego Police author Derek Grover now writes to show the mentality of a criminal street gang. The Style of the books he writes also appeals to gang members or those considering gangbanging. You have to tell them from the prospective of someone who’s been there. Derek Grover is now a writer, author, and social activist who understand the internal aspects of a criminal street gang. He now spends his time speaking and lecturing to law enforcement, educators, and the youth on the reality of a gangster’s lifestyle.

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© 2018 Derek Grover. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/01/2019

ISBN: 978-1-5462-7110-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-7109-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018914401

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

1 YOU WEAR TWO HATS

2 CELL BLOCK 18

3 COCK AND LOADED

4 DAYS TURN TO WEEKS

5 MOST OF THEM BLOODS

6 THIRD DRAW CANTEEN

7 FUCK THIS TRAY

8 RAIDERS VS CHARGERS

9 THE TRANSFER

10 ARE YOU FROM SKYLINE?

11 MAGNOLIA HALL

12 A TURNING POINT

13 THE LAND OF CAN’T

14 DOMINATE AND HUMILIATE

15 FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

16 THE BODY SEARCH BEGAN

17 A SUNNY SPRING DAY

18 ANY SIGNS OF BLOOD

Foreword

Life is not a bitch… it’s what you make it. I want to say that despite my ups and downs. I still feel blessed! I thank God every day for my talents, my family, my two daughters and my two sons, and the people who have come in and out of my life. Some people are here to stay and some were meant to leave. Never hold or force yourself onto something that isn’t meant to stay in the first place. Numerous people have influenced my life in both positive and negative ways. I’ve fallen many times, but I refuse to stay down, I just dust myself off and keep moving. Trials and tribulations have made me stronger and brought me closer to God. Before I end this, I have to say one more thing; someone once told me that our lives are simply a reflection of our actions. If we want more love in the world then we must create more love in our hearts. Life will give you back everything you put into it; it’s a reflection of you. Enjoy it! Cherish it! And never stop believing in yourself.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my family, my friends, and the people I left behind in prison. Also to those who have lost a loved one to drugs, gangs, violence or abuse.

Introduction

As you may well know my name is Derek Grover and I am a writer. I wrote a book about gangs. It’s a dictionary / book on how to survive a gang. Right now I’m in a California state prison doing time. This is my story…

1

YOU WEAR TWO HATS

The judge said two years. I sentence you to no more than two years in the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. I just stood at attention like a four star general about to receive his fifth star. The court deputy placed me in handcuffs and led me away through the back door of the courtroom to an awaiting jail cell.

They made me place my hands on a pair of painted hands on the wall and started to strip me of all my personal property: belt, earrings, money etc., placing them into plastic bags. The deputy asked me, Were you in the service? I answered, No, just a battle hardened gang leader who’s always cocked and loaded.

He led me down to a hallway through a gauntlet of court tanks that were filled with prisoners who all ran up to their bullet proof glass windows to get a better look at me.

Keep in mind I’m a 27 year gang bang vet, a one in a million street nigga aka gangster. They all saluted me with a simple head nod as I walked by each holding cell. I was ‘geed’ up, headed to a stairwell that would lead me to booking to begin the process to receive me back into the jail system and from there off to prison. I was out on a $250,000.00 bail and was relieved to start my time.

The process to receive me was the same as an arrest. They took me down 3 flights of stairs that lead me to the carport located underground from the court house. Here prisoners are received by police cars or transport bus and taken into the jail.

Going through a locked steel door for a booking photo and mug shot, then up to a window where I was asked if I felt suicidal and who to contact in case of my death. Again, I was patted down once more and placed in a phone tank with a blue I.D. bracelet with a booking number and digital photo of me printed on it.

In the phone tank is where you will get your last and only free phone call. Keep in mind 5 minutes ago I was a free man. Anyway, next came fingerprints, getting fitted for jailhouse clothes, and then off to be cleared by medical with a chest x-ray and T.B. shot.

Grover, do you know what you’re here for?, Yes, I was sentenced to two years in state prison. One more stop classification then housing. Here they ask of your gang history like Blood or Crip if you ever been to prison before and if you have any enemies. Then and only then you will be assigned a housing unit. Grover, you’re going to tank 5, on the 5th floor with the rest of the most violent criminals and gang members.

I stayed on the 5th floor for three days, only because I requested to see the criminal psychologist, due to the fact that I felt the need to get help in containing my criminal habits. I do what I think and how I feel more so today than I did as a young gangster.

The criminal psychologist told me that she would be no help to me because she could only help people with mental health problems. However, she said, I was very mature with the way I handle myself to ask for help.

She said, Sorry, your problem comes from your childhood. She asked Did you kill animals as a kid? I replied, yes, with my 22 caliber pellet gun and the high speed chases on my motorcycle with the police.

These acts opened the door for a life of crime. Yes, I understand a fine tuned gangster from the streets. Ok, so I’m cleared to be transferred to prison on the next bus. Court Monday, prison Wednesday.

Awaken at 3:00am Wednesday morning with a Grover you’re going to prison. Roll up was good news to me over my cell intercom. With no property to pack, I just brushed my teeth, took a piss and with mattress in hand I hit the intercom and my cell door was propped open. Off to the main gate I went. By day break I’ll be on a bus to Donovan State Prison. When a prisoner is sentenced to state prison his first stop will be a reception center. A reception center is where you receive your state prison number. If you are on parole then you will be reprocessed with the same prison number that you were paroled with. At the reception center you will be assigned a counselor, who will work your case or file.

The counselor will review your case and place you in a prison according to the case and the crime you committed. In California there are 36 prisons from level 1 to 4. You won’t just be placed in any prison you will be placed in a prison where the prisoners think and do similar criminal acts as you.

In prison there is a point system that will help the counselor place you. For example, a murderer will receive high points and will most likely be sent to a level 4; a thief on the other hand will receive low points, placing him in a lower level prison.

Also, the way you spend your time in jail is a factor; as to say, no fights low points. One or more fights and the points will follow you to a higher level prison.

Being in a gang will also send your points up.

Needless to say, all your actions both on the streets and in jail will be placed in your prison file for your counselor to review. In the holding cell for Donovan transfers it was only six prisoners some with big time and some with not much time at all. We all waited for the rest of the prisoners to be gathered up throughout the jail.

Then we were shacked up in pairs of two and it’s off to the awaiting bus for transport to prison, which is only a 35 minute ride from downtown San Diego. We had one stop and that was to pick up prisoners at George Bailey Detention Facility.

George Bailey is only about 500 yards from Donovan. Now the transport bus is full. The sun was coming up from the east. Down one hill at the top of the next and we’re there, pulling up to the main gate at the level 4 reception center at Richard J. Donovan State Prison, stepping out of the transport bus two at a time.

A line of correction officers led us on a path straight into cell block 16. We were placed up against a wall in the cell block and ordered to take off our county blues. County Blues are the jail’s issued clothes you are given upon entering the county jail. At this point, I was asked for my shirt, pants, and shoe size, given a new fit, which was orange and black, with size 9 slip on shoes. It was now 7:00am.

An orange prison jumpsuit meant you are a fresh body on the line.

Next I was sent to a height bar and a picture was taken of me for my prison I.D. card and a new prison number AE 3972. You must keep this card on you at all times.

Move it down the line, it’s a lot more prisoners behind you. Next I picked up a cup that had a short toothbrush and powder toothpaste in it. It also had a roll of toilet paper, bed roll with a blanket, sheets and towel, all brand new.

After that I was placed in one of three fenced in enclosure that contained black prisoners only. Next to it was a cage of all Mexicans, and the whites had theirs. We waited here to be cleared of any medical problems, along with an interview with a sergeant.

The sergeant asked if I had any enemies, prison escapes, fights with correctional officers or ever been caught with a prison made knife. I responded, No, No, No. Have you been to prison before? Yes! What number? D04496! One more stop, dental.

Grover, all your teeth are fine, you’re also cleared to be housed. What do you prefer, Bloods or Crip? Crips only thank you! I was placed in a cell with a non-affiliate in cell block 16, cell 113 lower bunk. My cell was hotter than fuck. I stripped down to cool off and made myself at home.

Things seem to have quieted down for me, until I heard a gangster yell out. Nigga, this is West Coast Crip. Cuz I’ll beat your ass nigga! Say something… what nigga? Looking out my cell door slot, I saw a gangster from the West Coast standing in the doorway of a cell he was to be housed in. The cell was preoccupied by a blood gang member that just stood inside the cell. The gang member doing the yelling was a gangster named, Bully from the West Coast. He took his shirt off and said, I’ll beat yo ass, cuz. The gangster in the cell said nothing; he just stood there in fear. A correctional officer was only 15 feet away, but said and did nothing. Only after 2 or 3 minutes he split them up and took Bully to the other side of the cell block and placed him in cell 150, the last in the cell block.

As Bully was led away he kept saying, I’m going to fuck you up on the yard. Before Bully went off on this gangster, he kept yelling to a gang member from Long Beach, Fuck Long Beach, fuck Long Beach cuz.

Bully had york’s and West Coast tattooed across his back in 4 inch block letters. This combined with a rock solid jaw made him live up to his name. This would not be the last time I see this gangster. Chow time: fed in my cell; I ate; and off to sleep.

The next day I awoke to a nice breakfast. Shit on a Shingle. This was ground beef and gravy with two slices of bread, oatmeal, a pack of coffee, carton of milk and a bag lunch for noon.

After I ate, my cell door popped open and the guard from the control tower said over the loudspeaker, Push your tray out.

I did as I was told. I opened my bag lunch to view its contents: four pieces of bread, a pack of peanut butter and jelly, one orange, sunflower seeds and some Jim Jones juices that you had to add water to.

Not too well rested from the transfer the day before, I heard Grover, roll up! You’re going to cell block 18. Pack up your shit! a guard yelled to me as I sat on my bunk in this hot ass cell. It was pitch dark with no sunlight coming in or going out. With all my property packed up in a pillowcase, I just waited for the guard to return.

He yelled out to the control tower, "Steel 113