Well, working in a factory is very fast and routine. Do the same thing over and over. What really stood out, is that though the factory moved lives along the assembly line; there was no communication about what was happening to people’s lives. No communication about the process and no communication about the consequences. In any particular day you would have about 50 -100 cases; no matter the number of cases, the hours in the day were the same right? So I would see 6-10 young men in a box; all being asked do they understand? They nod yes. But I know they have no idea. You see the rapidness is as a form of intimidation. Knowing folks don’t really understand is systematic intimidation.
Unfortunately, we hear so much about young boys in the juvenile system and "the system" altogether; what about the women and the girls?
Well, there were not a lot of women in the Felony probation system where I originally started. But once they are in, they are treated the same as the men. In the juvenile system, it’s a lot worse. I see a lot of mental health issues, molestation, foster care, and homelessness. There is a lot of trafficking going on with young girls; especially in the Central Florida area. I met this one girl. She was 16 and had been trafficked in for sex from Central FL. She just wanted out but had no idea how to get out. I hear too many of these stories. And I can’t help them all.
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