When Toby was little, his mom blew her brains out with a nine-millimeter while he was sitting on her lap. Mike spent his childhood locked inside a chicken coop on a farm in Illinois, and his scars indicated severe abuse. Pablo was smuggled into the country from Mexico and dumped on the streets. Demetrius was kicked out of his house after he revealed to his family that he was gay. These boys had one thing in common: they were all neglected, abused, or both. Some endured unimaginable torment; a few suffered from mental illness and were dangerous to themselves and others. They were housed at Longwood because they graduated from juvie and had nowhere else to go. They were all experts at being institutionalized. With limited prospects for the future, many planned to commit a crime immediately after being discharged from Longwood and spend the rest of their lives in the safe confines of an adult prison. They would say that it beats being hungry and homeless.Longwood was a scene of rampant corruption, sexual abuse, and violence. It was also a place where people loved, laughed, took risks, and made sacrifices to help one another. In The Lost Boys from Longwood, J. C. Pater reveals what hides behind the walls of a facility for wards of the state with a juvenile record. Her book shows how children privacy laws, put into place to protect the children, are used to shield exploitation and profiteering. J. C. Pater urges that, if we are sincere about helping the most vulnerable members of our society, we must act now.
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