Abuses within Florida's juvenile justice system
October 31, 2017 1:36 PM Subscribe
On October 15th, the Miami Herald published a six-part investigation into Florida's juvenile justice system. It uncovered what the paper referred to as a "Fight Club" culture of pervasive violence (between residents at facilities for juvenile delinquents) that was encouraged by officers, youth workers and staff.
The investigation was launched after a 17-year-old named Elord Revolte was beaten to death at a Miami juvenile lockup. Journalists had been told the killing may have been orchestrated by an officer, what detainees called a “honey-bunning.
The Initial Coverage
1. Accountability
- Dark secrets of Florida juvenile justice: ‘honey bun hits,’ illicit sex, cover-ups
- At this juvenile justice program, staffers set up fights — and then bet on them
2. Who they hire
- Criminal record? Horrible work history? Florida juvenile justice would still hire you
- An officer used a broom to beat juveniles into submission. They called it ‘Broomie.’
3. Use of force
- How small rebellions by Florida delinquents snowball into bigger beatings by staff
- Lockup officers groomed him to beat up other teens, mom says. It cost him his life.
- Lightning blasted his shoes off — and illuminated a pattern of abuse by staff
4. Predators
- They were stalkers, sexters and rapists — and worked safeguarding Florida delinquents
- He had a history of working with vulnerable boys — and a reputation as a ‘creeper’
- Guard vowed to make a grieving girl’s life better. She says he did the opposite.
5. Medical Neglect
- Cause of death: ‘Lack of empathy.‘ Medical neglect in Florida’s juvenile justice
- They weren't faking: 12 young detainees who died under Florida's care
6. Solutions
- How NYC and Missouri are reforming juvenile justice — without razor wire fences
Associated Reporting
The investigation was accompanied by videos (including surveillance camera footage) and nearly two dozen additional "Tales from the Front" articles:
- 60-year-old preyed on a student, had 3-way with 14-year-old
- A dispute over deodorant leads to a beating and a choking
- A guard slammed her to the floor — then sat on her
- A shower spat that turned into a chair-throwing riot
- A teen was hurting himself. A juvenile facility staffer made it worse
- Arrested and strapped in a 'barbaric looking' chair
- At summit on sex trafficking, a sordid secret is shared
- At Tampa juvenile justice program, goofing off got violent
- Broward youth care worker won the fight, but lost his job
- Boys said a youth care worker let them kiss and touch her.
- Counselor had ex-detainee's baby. But they'd hire her again.
- Florida juvenile raped after detention staffers skip bed checks
- Florida youth care workers break boy's arm, chicken-wing style
- Girl says youth care worker used her head as toilet plunger
- He needed guidance. The therapist gave him an iPhone sex show.
- Florida youth detainee warned not to report wrist broken in restraint
- He stuck his head in toilet for attention. Staff took photos.
- How animal crackers from a youth counselor led to illicit sex
- Staffer at Martin Girls Academy caught having sex with teen in closet
- She went into program depressed; soon she was suicidal
- Teen gets beating for refusing to return to his room
- Transgender juvenile detainee says she was forced to perform oral sex
- 'Unkindest cut': Hair trim turns into clippers assault
Aftermath
After the articles were released, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) issued a statement (pdf) defending themselves. (Title: "Setting the Record Straight: Miami Herald Omits Facts, Ignores Reforms in Series Targeting DJJ.”) See: "Juvenile justice chief defends agency, calling abuses ‘isolated events’". The paper responded: "Did the Herald paint an unfair picture of the juvenile justice system? A look at the facts" and "After Herald Catches Prison Guards Running Child “Fight Clubs,” State Attacks Reporters".
The NAACP demanded reform and so did lawmakers. After announcing that they will appoint an in-house ombudsman, "reporting directly to the agency’s secretary, to 'amplify' the voice of youths in state custody and their families," DJJ Secretary Christina Daly gave a presentation to a Senate panel on October 23. Members of the state Senate committee that oversees the Department of Juvenile Justice have "vowed to start hunting for concrete solutions." More: "As DJJ Outlines Reforms To Address Abuses, Some Fla. Lawmakers Have Ideas Of Their Own."
The investigation was launched after a 17-year-old named Elord Revolte was beaten to death at a Miami juvenile lockup. Journalists had been told the killing may have been orchestrated by an officer, what detainees called a “honey-bunning.
The Initial Coverage
1. Accountability
- Dark secrets of Florida juvenile justice: ‘honey bun hits,’ illicit sex, cover-ups
- At this juvenile justice program, staffers set up fights — and then bet on them
2. Who they hire
- Criminal record? Horrible work history? Florida juvenile justice would still hire you
- An officer used a broom to beat juveniles into submission. They called it ‘Broomie.’
3. Use of force
- How small rebellions by Florida delinquents snowball into bigger beatings by staff
- Lockup officers groomed him to beat up other teens, mom says. It cost him his life.
- Lightning blasted his shoes off — and illuminated a pattern of abuse by staff
4. Predators
- They were stalkers, sexters and rapists — and worked safeguarding Florida delinquents
- He had a history of working with vulnerable boys — and a reputation as a ‘creeper’
- Guard vowed to make a grieving girl’s life better. She says he did the opposite.
5. Medical Neglect
- Cause of death: ‘Lack of empathy.‘ Medical neglect in Florida’s juvenile justice
- They weren't faking: 12 young detainees who died under Florida's care
6. Solutions
- How NYC and Missouri are reforming juvenile justice — without razor wire fences
Associated Reporting
The investigation was accompanied by videos (including surveillance camera footage) and nearly two dozen additional "Tales from the Front" articles:
- 60-year-old preyed on a student, had 3-way with 14-year-old
- A dispute over deodorant leads to a beating and a choking
- A guard slammed her to the floor — then sat on her
- A shower spat that turned into a chair-throwing riot
- A teen was hurting himself. A juvenile facility staffer made it worse
- Arrested and strapped in a 'barbaric looking' chair
- At summit on sex trafficking, a sordid secret is shared
- At Tampa juvenile justice program, goofing off got violent
- Broward youth care worker won the fight, but lost his job
- Boys said a youth care worker let them kiss and touch her.
- Counselor had ex-detainee's baby. But they'd hire her again.
- Florida juvenile raped after detention staffers skip bed checks
- Florida youth care workers break boy's arm, chicken-wing style
- Girl says youth care worker used her head as toilet plunger
- He needed guidance. The therapist gave him an iPhone sex show.
- Florida youth detainee warned not to report wrist broken in restraint
- He stuck his head in toilet for attention. Staff took photos.
- How animal crackers from a youth counselor led to illicit sex
- Staffer at Martin Girls Academy caught having sex with teen in closet
- She went into program depressed; soon she was suicidal
- Teen gets beating for refusing to return to his room
- Transgender juvenile detainee says she was forced to perform oral sex
- 'Unkindest cut': Hair trim turns into clippers assault
Aftermath
After the articles were released, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) issued a statement (pdf) defending themselves. (Title: "Setting the Record Straight: Miami Herald Omits Facts, Ignores Reforms in Series Targeting DJJ.”) See: "Juvenile justice chief defends agency, calling abuses ‘isolated events’". The paper responded: "Did the Herald paint an unfair picture of the juvenile justice system? A look at the facts" and "After Herald Catches Prison Guards Running Child “Fight Clubs,” State Attacks Reporters".
The NAACP demanded reform and so did lawmakers. After announcing that they will appoint an in-house ombudsman, "reporting directly to the agency’s secretary, to 'amplify' the voice of youths in state custody and their families," DJJ Secretary Christina Daly gave a presentation to a Senate panel on October 23. Members of the state Senate committee that oversees the Department of Juvenile Justice have "vowed to start hunting for concrete solutions." More: "As DJJ Outlines Reforms To Address Abuses, Some Fla. Lawmakers Have Ideas Of Their Own."
How we treat the helpless is who we truly are.
Fuck.
posted by Horkus at 1:53 PM on October 31, 2017 [5 favorites]
Fuck.
posted by Horkus at 1:53 PM on October 31, 2017 [5 favorites]
"Vowed to start hunting for concrete solutions."
Concrete as in shoes or concrete as in "nothing but perfect so we'll just have to endure these kids' screams for now"?
Because I can tell you which one would show immediate results.
posted by Slackermagee at 2:43 PM on October 31, 2017 [4 favorites]
Concrete as in shoes or concrete as in "nothing but perfect so we'll just have to endure these kids' screams for now"?
Because I can tell you which one would show immediate results.
posted by Slackermagee at 2:43 PM on October 31, 2017 [4 favorites]
Jesus. You know, I'm kinda starting to hope this simulation is coming to an end. We, humans, suck.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 7:33 PM on October 31, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 7:33 PM on October 31, 2017 [3 favorites]
It's becoming more and more clear that the entire edifice of the judicial system in this country is illegitimate. From the Supreme Court to the state courts to the county judges to the district attorneys and all the way down to the cops and jailers. People appeal to the "rule of law," but what does that even mean when atrocities like these go on for years with no consequences?
No pit is deep enough, no hole dark enough to bring these perpetrators to justice, but life imprisonment without possibility of parole would be a good start. And if state or federal law doesn't allow it, then try them at The Hague, because these are crimes against humanity. And not just the jailers. The judges and prosecutors who perpetrated this inhuman system are just as guilty.
For those with no direct guilt, but who merely looked the other way, no one — NO ONE — who should have stopped this and didn't should ever again hold any public office except trash collector.
posted by ob1quixote at 10:24 PM on October 31, 2017 [2 favorites]
No pit is deep enough, no hole dark enough to bring these perpetrators to justice, but life imprisonment without possibility of parole would be a good start. And if state or federal law doesn't allow it, then try them at The Hague, because these are crimes against humanity. And not just the jailers. The judges and prosecutors who perpetrated this inhuman system are just as guilty.
For those with no direct guilt, but who merely looked the other way, no one — NO ONE — who should have stopped this and didn't should ever again hold any public office except trash collector.
posted by ob1quixote at 10:24 PM on October 31, 2017 [2 favorites]
You can usually tell by the slogan what's wrong with a country or company. For example, electronics giant Philips had "Let's make things better" for a while - in other words, they knew they were shipping crap and needed to improve stuff.
The slogan of the USA is "Land of the Free". That's all you need to know right there.
posted by DreamerFi at 3:29 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
The slogan of the USA is "Land of the Free". That's all you need to know right there.
posted by DreamerFi at 3:29 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Not every state treats juvenile offenders in the completely immoral way Florida does. Thing is, it seems to largely be a result of privatization. Most juvenile facilities here are run by contractors, even if the actual building is owned by the state. Oklahoma has had similar fight club goings on in adult private prisons and halfway houses.
Something about privatization encourages abuses that go beyond just being cheap and greedy. Well, I suppose the cheap and greedy part leads to more self help among the guards, since they lack both support and oversight, so they go for the most obvious way to control people, which is abuse.
posted by wierdo at 9:48 AM on November 1, 2017
Something about privatization encourages abuses that go beyond just being cheap and greedy. Well, I suppose the cheap and greedy part leads to more self help among the guards, since they lack both support and oversight, so they go for the most obvious way to control people, which is abuse.
posted by wierdo at 9:48 AM on November 1, 2017
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posted by Fizz at 1:47 PM on October 31, 2017