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The Architecture of Juvenile Detention in America
A 12-year-old in his cell at the Harrison County Juvenile Detention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. The window has been boarded up from the outside. The facility is operated by Mississippi Security Police, a private company. In 1982, a fire killed 27 prisoners and an ensuing lawsuit against the authorities forced them to reduce their population to maintain an 8:1 inmate to staff ratio.
On any given night in the U.S., there are approximately 60,500 youth confined in juvenile correctional facilities or other residential programs. Photographer Richard Ross has spent the past five years criss-crossing the country photographing the architecture, cells, classrooms and inhabitants of these detention sites.
— wired.com
5 Comments
This must be one of those PENN students' renderings for their prison tower...
"Ross often cites the situation in Oakland, a city which spends $4945 per child in its public school system, but $224,712 per child incarcerated in the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center."
wow, that figure really puts this situation into perspective. unbelievable.
It's disgusting, Micah. Appalling. Look at that poor child - he's TWELVE! - in a boarded up cell. For fuckssake what is wrong with us as a culture. Oh, I remember: profit.
Private prison companies can go to hell.
just wondering what crime he committed at 12! to deserve this? is there a point to richard ross taking these photographs cross-continent? is there any advocay to change the situation? if anyone knows...pls do share. tks
at kishani read the wired article but yes there are advocacy groups working on this problem of over incarceration generally, and specifically with regards to juvenile incarceration.