Steven Dominguez

I had visited a friend prior to, so I kind of understood.

what to expect but when you're behind that gate and you see the realism of it it's a shock to anyone you know everyone's first time there it's just a hold on wait a minute now now this is real

I go through on-job training.

The officers that are explaining things to us are seasoned 15, 20 years in.

And I'm listening.

I'm just listening to everything.

I'm seeing a lot of people, you know, bicker and saying, oh, man, you see that?

You see this?

You see that?

The inmates are ecstatic because, you know, they know that this walkthrough is a part of, you know, pre-employment to actually being here.

And...

They're making a ruckus.

You know, they're causing that anxiety that you don't want, but you're going to get it regardless.

I stood tall.

I did what I had to do.

I graduated two months after.

And Rikers has an element where a lot of these guys at our house, they're innocent until proven guilty.

They're fighting their case.

So there's a certain ego that comes to like, I'm getting out of here soon.

I could talk my shit to you.