Jackson Free Press

This isn't exactly a new story—see the JFP story from January 2005—but it is good to see the Associated Press taking our training-school horrors to a national stage. The story, about juvenile abuse claims across the country, begins:

The Columbia Training School - pleasant on the outside, austere on the inside - has been home to 37 of the most troubled young women in Mississippi. If some of those girls and their advocates are to be believed, it is also a cruel and frightening place.

The school has been sued twice in the past four years. One suit brought by the U.S. Justice Department, which the state settled in 2005, claimed detainees were thrown naked in to cells and forced to eat their own vomit. The second one, brought by eight girls last year, said they were subjected to "horrendous physical and sexual abuse." Several of the detainees said they were shackled for 12 hours a day.

These are harsh and disturbing charges - and, in the end, they were among the reasons why state officials announced in February that they will close Columbia. But they aren't uncommon.

Previous Comments

ID

99032

Comment

Now, this is an interesting sentence: If some of those girls and their advocates are to be believed, it is also a cruel and frightening place. The U.S. Department of Justice documented the Columbia abuses; why did AP need such a doubt-raising disclaimer at the top of their article? Such "objectivity" is a form of bias.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-03-03T10:43:25-06:00

ID

99033

Comment

Just got this alert: Those of you interested in Juvenile Justice may want to take a minute and look at HB 347.  It's dead unless the House votes to table the motion to reconsider.  That action has to take place TODAY.  They are convening as I write this.  Please consider calling your Representative and asking that person to vote to table the motion.  Thanks.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-03-03T16:13:44-06:00

ID

99034

Comment

Where can I look at HB 347?

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-03-03T16:49:52-06:00

ID

99035

Comment

You can find it here.

Author

Tom Head

Date

2008-03-03T17:11:09-06:00

ID

99036

Comment

Thanks, Tom. I'm going a million directions here. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-03-03T17:18:20-06:00

ID

99037

Comment

You're most welcome. This is nothing if not an interesting legislative session. :o)

Author

Tom Head

Date

2008-03-03T17:53:47-06:00

ID

99038

Comment

I find this amazing. I remember when one of Haley Barbour's Transition Team Members was sent to Columbia to investigate the whole organization. This was at the beginning of the Governour's first administration. I wonder why this information is just now getting to the media.

Author

JMK

Date

2008-03-04T17:28:40-06:00