>> in some instances minors, usually those with violent charges, are also held at the riverhead jail. cox is housed next to a 16-year-old who jail officials say is also a crip. >> i'm telling you man, they can't do nothing to me. he can't do nothing to me [ bleep ]. he is like a friend of mine. i like him. he is young. he looks up to me. i be kind of schooling him. >> they join gang wide because they are looking for protection, they're looking to belong to something. it is mostly prevalent in the youth, 16, 17, 18 year olds here for the first time, scared. looking for safety and security and want to belong to something. >> battling gang influence is just one goal at the jail's youth tier initiative. >> this is going to connect to this but we need darker paint. >> professional artist kirk larson represents one of the more than 30 outside organizations that team up with the jail to rehabilitate 18 and 19-year-old inmates. >> i'm letting you know you have skills. even if you didn't know it. that's an important thing. i never ever joke about art.