Spyke
TeamDman
lemmy.world

OJJ policy states that children can be sent to Angola from other facilities for any number of reasons, including committing certain acts of violence against a staff member or possessing marijuana. Even kids determined to have a serious mental illness or “significant developmental disabilities” can be transferred to the unit.

Charles C. was hospitalized at 10 years old and diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, according to a previous statement submitted to the court. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after being shot at age 13 and has been hospitalized several times for mental health crises.

Ah yes, let's starve our children and put them in oven jail... Because of weed and mental health. That sounds healthy.

60
gAlienLifeformreply
lemmy.world

Hell, even if they were rapists or murderers they shouldn't be getting treated like this -

Children incarcerated on the former death row unit of Louisiana’s Angola prison were locked in their cells without air conditioning for several days this month amid scorching summer temperatures, according to a teenager held at the facility. The child, identified by the pseudonym Charles C., said in a statement to his attorney that the kids were only let out of their cells for an eight-minute shower, which they had to take while handcuffed with their ankles shackled.

On Monday night, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other legal groups submitted statements from young people held at Angola to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. The plaintiffs asked the court to order State officials to immediately move all kids out of the unit and to cease transfers into the unit. With heat indexes in the surrounding area reaching as high as 133 degrees this month, a medical expert for the plaintiffs warned the court that the conditions could be fatal.

“I would not dare to keep my dog in these conditions for fear of my dog dying,” Dr. Susi U. Vassallo, a medical expert for the plaintiffs, wrote in a statement submitted to the court. “It has been dangerously hot in Angola so far this summer. Confining children for all or most of the day to concrete and cement buildings without air conditioning is foolhardy and perilous.”

[Bolding added]

41
indomarareply
lemmy.world

I thought a child could not be formally diagnosed with bipolar... It is also extremely rare for a child under 13 to have schizophrenia. This poor kid.

7
HandOfDoomreply
lemmy.world

Being in the USA should make less sense, being a 1st world country and all, but when I read it was in the USA I wasn't surprised at all.

4
bdonvr
thelemmy.club

Oh and this is in Louisiana, USA. Not Angola the country in Africa just in case you missed that.

35
Flying Squidreply
lemmy.world

They may not care, but their body does. You can't drug your way out of heat exhaustion.

4
Hubi
feddit.de

OJJ policy states that children can be sent to Angola from other facilities for any number of reasons, including committing certain acts of violence against a staff member or possessing marijuana. Even kids determined to have a serious mental illness or “significant developmental disabilities” can be transferred to the unit.

Charles C. was hospitalized at 10 years old and diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, according to a previous statement submitted to the court. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after being shot at age 13 and has been hospitalized several times for mental health crises.

In addition to the unbearable heat, Charles reported that a staff member had thrown him against the wall, which made him bleed. He said he’d been denied access to educational programs and is often hungry because he doesn’t have enough food.

This is so inhumane. It's the kind of stuff you'd expect of third world dictatorships. Fix your shit America, seriously.

27
sudoreply
lemmy.fmhy.ml

this article sent from my 69 degree loft apartment in slippers and a chunky knit blanket

-1
Bread
sh.itjust.works

The cruel temperatures aside, can we not talk about the idea of children's prisons? It just feels wrong. They are kids. likely older kids, but still just fucking kids.

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