JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Years ago, in another life, Garland Scott was once known as “the enforcer,” and inflicted pain on rivals for a gang in New York City.
He said he broke people’s fingers, collar bones, whatever his gang leaders ordered, and it was his job to do it.
“Whatever they told me to do, I did it. I enjoyed hurting people,” Scott said.
That is until a hit was put out on his life.
But, it was a deadly attack on a close friend that made Garland do a 180 and immediately dedicate his life to rescuing others from the road he once walked.
Scott now works just as hard, here in Jacksonville saving people from gang life.
Scott said his angry temper is what ultimately caught the attention of a New York gang, a temper bolstered after fighting in a race riot at his high school.
“I got beat pretty bad. And they killed my friend. They put him in a garbage can upside down and shot him. And they disfigured my face, pretty bad. And I stayed in the hospital for three months, knocked my teeth out, so I had to have titanium rods put in, broke my nose, my eye was dislocated, a couple of fractures, and just beat pretty bad,” he said. “I started lifting weights because I determined I was not going to get beat up again.”
After fending off a group of people in a street fight, Garland said he was initiated into a gang.
“I specialized in hands. I would break all your fingers and collarbones and things like that,” he said.
When rival gangs started killing people who worked for Garland, then put a hit on his life, he fled his New York City home, to live with family in Southeast Georgia.
He got a real job, moved to Orange Park, got a Mercedes and was doing well, but he didn’t fully ditch the gang life until he ventured back to New York City for a visit. It was there he ran into a kid who once worked for him and who now had a family.
“So he said, ‘Hey, man. See my baby.’ He went in the house and got his little baby out, and I looked at him. And three hours later I left driving back to Florida. It’s 986 miles from his door to my door. I lived on Wells Road, Orange Park. I kept thinking about him. I kept thinking about him. I kept thinking about him...I didn’t know then, and when I got in the house, I ran in, and when I ran in, I got on the phone, called my brother, said, ‘Greg, go across the street, get Junior. I want to fly him here. Try to get his life together.’ He said, ‘Man, when you left, man, them cats, that was looking for you. They roll up on him, and they bust seven caps in him, Junior’s dead. And I change right there. That was 36 years ago,” he said. “His blood was on my hands.”
Since that day, Garland has created many local, state and nationally renowned, life-saving initiatives including for the homeless and violent offenders. He got his doctorate degree, became a pastor, wrote several books and has helped rescue scores of people from gangs which includes relocating some to different states.
One of his biggest achievements was co-creating the “Ready 4 Work” program, which George W. Bush and his administration wanted to adopt.
Today, Scott is helping the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit.
He’s the last resort for many who are heading down the wrong path.
“When the lieutenant goes to the door, they knock on the door, and you see that entire gang unit say, ‘Hey, this is you. We know what you’ve been doing, but we’re not here to arrest you. If you have the courage, somebody wants to talk to you.' So they say on the radio, bring him out. And I come out of the car,” he said. “Now it’s been long enough that if they know they’re working with me, a lot of them back off because I’m known as Switzerland. They know I’m a safe place now. They know Garland’s not looking for information.”
It’s because he and his wife built “The Noah’s Ark” nearly 15 years ago in Jacksonville. It’s a safe space for those transitioning from prison, gang life or trauma.
“You can have a kid that his brother killed somebody and he’s in prison, but he remembered the blood scene in front of the house, you know, or he remembered them cleaning it up that stays with them,” Scott said.
Partnering organizations, colleges, and sponsors made donations for nearly everything in the space like exercise equipment, multiple showers, and a recording studio.
To maintain the safe house the Scotts rely on donations and partnerships. Just to relocate one person who wants out of gang life costs about $4,500.
And they’re also looking for the next generation of rescuers.
“Alumni are what people usually call mentors, but we’re finding out a lot of mentors can’t help this population. You need someone that has experience, that’s credible, that’s been through jail that’s been through court systems,” he said.
To learn more about the program, you can email Scott at Embassy888@gmail.com or visit Noahsarkasafeplace.org.