Caption: “Corn cultivation at Jackson Training School at Concord” 79-639
Copied from original owned by J. Lee Pharr of Concord.
From the files of the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives.
To read more about the Jackson Training School, see the following description at the State of North Carolina’s Highway Historical Marker page:
STONEWALL JACKSON TRAINING SCHOOL
I was in SJTS for 2 years 98′ & 99′ . I have many memories some horrible and some not so bad . I actually had some fun there guess it might have just been a difference in time era. I played on the softball team, the football team, and the swim team too. Yeah we fought from time to time …. and you win some and lose some too. I also acheived alot at SJTS; I got my G.E.D. at the age of 16 there, I also worked in the maintenance dept. instead of going to normal high school classes and made 45cents / hr. That gave me some money I could pull out of my account (but only $7.00 per week) to buy food and snacks. Mr. Wilson was my favorite dorm staff, he would let the boys be boys as long as you didnt bring blood we enjoyed that it was kind of like a time to vent. The original cottages were no longer in use then. We had four main dorms Kirk North & South , and Mac North & South. Kirk south was orientation level mainly. You also had the C.A.P.P.S. unit for more habitual problematic offenders, and the short term lock down unit there too but i cant remember the exact name of the lock down unit, (AD-Seg) i think, even though I spent a few weeks there. I would definately like to go back and mentor to the individuals there. They need to know that just because they are there doesnt mean they are bad people they’re just young and have made some bad decisions.Don’t get me wrong if you do the crime you deserve the time. Now I’m in my 30′s with a family of my own. I work hard at two jobs, and it took along time for me to get my stuff together, but its together. I feel sorry for all the people who have had to endure the stuff they did in the 1940′s – 1960′s .
I was transfered to jackson from another reformatory in rocky mount in 1971. for me it really wasnt that big of deal. looking back on things some of the foster homes i was farmed out to was much worse. i left jackson dec. 15 71 as fate would have it i would be in and out of these type places for the next 20+ years.its all good. the structered style living was just what the docter ordered, i am convinced had i not been exposed to these type places i would have got a worse deal somewhere else. i thank the good lord for all the morbid confines that constrained me in my early years as well as for my tormentors. what dont kill you only makes you stronger. god bless and keep the faith.
I was there in 1967 at the age 13 for car theft. I was there for one year and one day, in cottage 9. Mr Eudy was there for his first year. When I left I had 37 or so writeups. One away from the record. I worked in the bakery for most of the time. Mrs Bost was in charge of the cafeteria. I was abused plenty and had to fight a lot. We had what was called the Bear, the toughest fighter. At the rate North Carolina is going they will start putting pad-locked tops on cribs as they leave the nursery. The place turned out a first class hood. Since then I have done an additional 15 years. It all ended when I left N.C.