Retired LA State Troopers Carl Barnum, Robert Ricks, and Charles Sullivan shared their memories of Camp-Win-A-Friend, the now-closed state police boys camp north of Holden, at the ELHA meeting on Saturday, May 3. The camp, only the second one of its kind in the US, was established in 1974. Louisiana patterned its camp after Kentucky's after Louisiana officials toured it. Girls were later included as campers when women troopers were added to the force.
Each of Louisiana's state police troops selected 40 participants ages 11-13 for a one-week stay at the camp. The participants were primarily from disadvantaged families, and the objective was to show them that the police were not their enemy, hence the origin of the name Camp-Win-A-Friend. Activities included swimming, fishing, canoeing on the Tickfaw River, playing pool in the recreation room, etc. There was also a chapel where area ministers were invited to hold services. The Gideons often brought refreshments such as ice cream. The Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries taught gun safety classes.
In addition to state troopers, the camp was staffed by five Angola inmates who cooked and provided housekeeping and maintenance. Almost all of the inmates had been convicted of manslaughter, a crime less serious than murder. None of the troopers recalled ever having any problem with any inmate during the life of the camp. In fact, Sullivan recalled that one inmate was so eager to become an electrician that he became Sullivan's assistant and followed him to all Sullivan's camp jobs. Sullivan gave him a 2X4 and told him that if the high voltage ever "grabbed" Sullivan to use the 2X4 to knock him off the line with it.
Because most of the cooks learned their trade working on oil rigs, the food was always good. This brought utility workers to the camp if they were in the area, and they in turn would reciprocate with prompt service if there was a problem at the camp.
In addition to the troopers and inmates, there was one family who received the use of a house and free lodging to provide security by manning the gate when the troopers were not there.
Each trooper shared a personal memory from his work at the camp. Barnum related that after some construction lumber had been "borrowed," he was detailed one summer to be the night guard on the only road into the camp. He decided one night to take a nap but was awakened by a herd of cows, one of which had stuck its head through the open window of his car, frightening him awake! When Elvis Presley learned about the theft, he made a donation to replace the stolen lumber.
Sullivan was once summoned to the State Capitol for questioning about what happened to the federal government's NASA domes that had been used to roof the cabins. The domes had been miscoded as being donated for private use. He was relieved that he wasn't going to federal prison when the feds accepted his explanation that they were being used by the state for a public purpose.
Ricks said he thought he was a teenager again when he was made camp director because he could dress in leisure clothes, even wearing shorts and tennis shoes in the summer. He never regretted going to work a single day while stationed at the camp.
After eighteen years, the camp closed in summer 1992 because the administration at the time didn't consider it a priority. Recruiting state police volunteers was also difficult because they had to work their regular shifts immediately after being on duty at the camp for a week.
The camp is now owned by a private individual from Gonzales.
