Backbone Mountain Youth Center, Garrett County, MD, Source https://djs.maryland.gov/Pages/facilities/Backbone-Mountain-Youth-Center.aspx
According to the Children’s Defense Fund, nearly 2000 children and teens are arrested everyday in the United States. In 2018 alone, there were over 700,000 minors under the age of 18 arrested [1].
Tragically, young people are extremely vulnerable to mental, physical, and sexual abuse and neglect during incarceration [2][3][4]. The Dept. of Justice indicates over 36% of the youth in custody at one Maryland juvenile detention center (Backbone Mountain Youth Center) reported having been sexually abused there — fully three times the national average [5].
A total of two hundred victims of physical and sexual abuse have now sued Maryland’s Dept. of Juvenile Services [6A][7A]. Allegations are that abuse was systemic between 1969 and 2017 [8]. Fifteen facilities (three of which have since been closed) are involved in these suits.
Victims relate having been offered extra food, phone calls, time outside, and similar rewards for submitting to sexual abuse [6B]. Others were threatened with violence, solitary confinement, longer prison sentences, and the transfer to harsher facilities, if they spoke out [6C].
The suits, themselves, are possible because Maryland last year extended the Statute of Limitations allowing victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue regardless of their age or the length of time that had gone by.
Unfortunately, resolution of the pending suits is likely to be delayed by a constitutional challenge to the Child Victims Act which allowed for this extension [6D][7B][9].
Worse than that is the fear that abuse may be ongoing to the present day.
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[1] Children’s Defense Fund, State of America’s Children – Youth Justice, https://www.childrensdefense.org/tools-and-resources/the-state-of-americas-children/soac-youth-justice/https://www.childrensdefense.org/tools-and-resources/the-state-of-americas-children/soac-youth-justice/.
[2] Interrogating Justice, “Trauma and Abuse of Incarcerated Juveniles in American Prisons” by Ronnie Stephens, 5/8/21, https://interrogatingjustice.org/prisons/trauma-and-abuse-of-incarcerated-juveniles-in-american-prisons/.
[3] Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Sexual Victimization Reported by Juvenile Justice Authorities, 2013-2018” by Laura Maruschak and Emily Buehler, June 2021, https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/sexual-victimization-reported-juvenile-justice-authorities-2013-2018.
[4] National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “Justice”, https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/creating-trauma-informed-systems/justice.
[5] Cumberland Times News, “Backbone youth center reported highest sexual abuse rate in US” by Wire Report, 1/6/10, https://www.times-news.com/backbone-youth-center-reported-highest-sexual-abuse-rate-in-u-s/article_44543551-f175-5441-a862-d1b60d981e65.html.
[6A through 6D] The Daily Record, “200 victims allege child sex abuse in Maryland youth detention facilities” by Associated Press, 2/8/24, https://thedailyrecord.com/2024/02/08/200-victims-allege-child-sex-abuse-in-maryland-youth-detention-facilities/.
[7A and 7B] US News, “200 Victims Allege Child Sexual Abuse in Maryland Juenile Detention Centers” by Associated Press, 2/8/24, https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-02-08/200-victims-allege-child-sex-abuse-in-maryland-youth-detention-facilities.
[8] Fox News, “New lawsuit alleges decades abuse, neglect at Maryland juvenile detention centers” by Fox 5 Digital Team, 1/16/24, https://www.fox5dc.com/news/new-lawsuit-alleges-decades-of-abuse-neglect-at-maryland-juvenile-detention-centers
[9] Anderson Advocates, “Maryland House & Senate Pass Law Lifting Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse” by Mike Finnegan, 4/6/23, https://www.andersonadvocates.com/news/maryland-house-senate-pass-law-lifting-statute-of-limitations-for-child-sexual-abuse/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2pyuBhBKEiwApLaIO4PmWt_qirzGWdesDWnYSGrbWKUtN4iHxTGO04BsHU73f7-j3VpEEhoCWFMQAvD_BwE.
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ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse 
Awful. There is always a “referring to” agency for the minor. I wonder if there is, or could be, a mechanism that causes the minor, or a representative number of them, to report back directly to the referring to agency, rather than have accountablility only in the hands of the ‘treatment” facility. There are not enough eyes on, presently. That is, the referring to agency should also be responsible for the quality of the agency they are assigning the youth to.
Sadly, it is difficult to oversee bureaucracy, especially of this size. Experts believe abuse is under-reported by this population for fear of reprisals.
Also awful; that under-report is totally believable.
There just has to be a better way. Incarcerated minors are like birds in a cage, existing but not really living. Furthermore, these minors are little more than a ready made supply of prey to the predators who work in and manage these facilities.
It seems to me that there must be a much deeper background investigation into the character and lives of the people who work in these places. Yes, you can never weed them all out but surely the number of abusers could be reduced by a more thorough look into their background.
These young people have no one to defend them in a timely manner because the wheels of bureaucracy turn very slowly. Thus, once victimized they are always going to be a target.
Sadly, this is yet another example of what happens when a nation forgets God and decide to govern themselves.
Thank you for this powerful comment, Ron. Caged birds is the perfect analogy for these young people. They are, as you say, a ready supply of prey.
Immorality spreads like a virus once a nation has forgotten God and consciences have been seared. After all, what is there to fear? There are no consequences…at least not from worldly authorities.
But I have to believe there will be consequences in God’s time. Ours is a just God. He will not stay His hand forever.
For certain, judgment is coming to those who abuse others. Justice may be slow to come, but God has decreed that all will give an account one day. When that happens there will be no excuses our Lord will accept.
This makes me and angry at the same time! I agree with everything you and Ron said.
It is a tragic situation. The lives of these young people are likely to be scarred forever.