How Many Times Was Charles Manson in Trouble/Jail?

 Well....you need to sit down first.

Charles was born on 12 November 1934.

Episode 1: 1943, he set fire to a school house.  No one ever penned this on him however. Age 9.

Episode 2: 1945/1946, he got into truancy troubles and low-grade petty theft. Age 12. 

Episode 3: 1947, he was sent to juvenile boy's home, and within weeks escaped (living out in the woods for a while).  Age 13.

Episode 4: 1948, he ran off a second time from the juvenile home. Robbed a store-front but never detained or arrested. Age 14.

Episode 5: 1949, another petty theft episode.  Caught and sent off to another juvenile home. Age 15.

Episode 6: Upon arrival at the boys home (age 15), within a week....had stolen a pistol and a car.  

Episode 7: After two weeks on the loose, involved in at least two robberies....he's caught (1949), age 15.  Sent to a more strict boy's home this time.  This period runs from the end of 1949 to the Feb period of 1951.  It should be noted that he escaped at least 18 times in that 15 month period.

Episode 8: 1951, age 17.  While driving a stolen car and noted for three gas station robberies....he's arrested again.  It's decided at this point (while in California) that he needs 'federal' help, so they ship him off to a fed school operation in the DC area.  

Footnote here: It should be noted that this special fed school in DC....was designated ONLY for DC teens with serious behavioral issues.  However, the Attorney General has the discretion (approval authority) to place extreme cases from all 48 states existing at that point.  Somehow....Charley got onto a very special list.

Footnote while at the DC operation, they quickly tested Charley and he proved to be absolutely illiterate.  Then upon giving him the IQ test (verbally, I assume), he came up with a '109', which typically means 'fairly clever'.

Episode 9: Charlie lasted approximately 8 months at the DC situation before being moved out to a training camp in WV.  This period lasted to around Feb of 1952, where he was supposed to have a court appearance and be 'released'.  However, four weeks prior to the court-date....Charlie took a knife, and raped a guy.  This got reported, and Charlie end in a new situation....federal prison in Virginia.  

Episode 10: Over a year or two....there are a minimum of eight offenses noted (three are male-rape).  Charlie then gets transferred to a maximum security situation in Ohio, which leaves him to be released in November 1955 (age 21).  

Episode 11: Charlies lives quietly for around 8 months.  In Jan 1955, he ends up marrying a waitress at a local hospital.  Three months after this marriage, he steals a car and himself (and the wife) out to California.  Here, he's caught and charged up with a federal crime, taking a stolen car across state lines.  For some reason, the California authorities decide to give him a mental review (he either passes or fails, depending on how you review this).  The state gives him a 5-year suspended sentence, and he walks away (Charlie is probably shocked over this event).

Episode 12: However, Charlie fails to show up for a nearly identical charge in a L A court-room, over a Florida charge.  This failure?  Well....the 5-year sentence that was suspended....is thrown out.  He needs to go back to jail.  Oddly enough....for three years, not five.

Episode 13: 1957 arrives, and Charlie is up for parole. In the month prior to this....he finds out the wife is no longer waiting for him.  Charlie attempts to escape from jail, and the parole hearing is cancelled.  I should note here, during the escape....he actually took another car....so that charge got thrown into the mix.  

Episode 14: In the fall of 1959, he's pimping some 16-year old (that actually doesn't get him into trouble).  He gets caught having stolen a federal check and attempting to cash it.  The potential ten-year sentence?  Well, curiously....some gal showed up in court and gave this fantastic talk over her love for Charlie.  The judge gave Charlie a ten-year suspended sentence.

Shortly after this....Charlie and this gal marry (yes, he is officially divorced at this point).  

Shortly after that....Charlie, the wife, and a 2nd gal....take off for New Mexico.  

Episode 15: March/April 1960, Charlie is arrested in New Mexico.....Mann Act (transporting ladies across a stateline for prostitution.  A series of issues occur throughout 1960, and Harry ends up being sent back to California for probation issues and he's supposed to wrap up the rest of the check-cashing charge (for ten years).

Episode 16: Summer of 1961 comes up and he's appealed a number of things, and ends up out of the L A jail....sent to a federal prison in western Washington state.

Episode 17: June of 1966 comes up and he's finally released from fed prison.

He drifts off to L A again....mostly because of connections he made in fed prison in Washington state.  Roughly two years will pass in this new situation....where he organizes the murders at the Tate house.  

He died in 2017....age 83.  If you did the math....he probably upwards to 80-percent of his life either in boy's home, on the run, county jails, state prisons or federal prison.  The system had 17 different episodes to halt his behavior, and they all failed.