They were screwed-up kids, sent to the reform school in Marianna for smoking, fighting, stealing cars or worse. The Florida School for Boys -- that'd straighten them out.
Fifty years later they are, by their own account, screwed-up men -- afraid of the dark, unable to love or be loved, twisted by anger, scarred by the whippings they endured in a cinder block hell called the White House.
Full Story »
A story like this is most effectively told with the photos and voices of the people who lived it. This piece is especially compelling because it effectively uses modern technology to engage "readers," and is organized to facilitate easy exploration of the subject.
I hope people realize that such places are not just "history." Under our current system and in our present culture, troubled youth are still vulnerable to abuse. The repercussions not only affect individuals, they adversely affect the society as a whole.
Retrieving Comments
