Florida School for Boys

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The Florida School for Boys was an institution for difficult-to-educate young people ("Reform School") in Marianna , Florida , which existed from 1900 to June 2011 . The institution became known for the severe abuse of the young people entrusted to it. According to the report of a commission of inquiry from 2010, which did not come to a clear conclusion, the institution was officially closed a year later for economic reasons.

history

In 1897 a law was passed in Florida to open an institution for difficult-to-educate youngsters. On January 1, 1900 , the school began operating as the Florida State Reform School . The purpose of the school should be to separate juvenile offenders from older and more dangerous accomplices. Management and responsibility for the school changed several times, most recently the institution was operated from 1994 by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice . Her name was 1900-1913 Florida State Reform School , 1914-1957 Florida Industrial School for Boys , 1957-1967 Florida School for Boys and finally Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys .

Initially, both male and female students were admitted. The youngest inmates were six years old. Racial segregation was carried out in the institution until 1968 . The white inmates were grouped together on the southern of the two campuses ("South Side" or "Number 1"), the colored inmates on the northern campus ("North Side" or "Number 2"). The northern campus was finally abandoned between 1990 and 1991.

Investigation of the deaths

According to official school records, more than 100 children died here during the school's existence and were buried in Boot Hill cemetery. Some of the deceased children were killed in a school fire in 1914 and some fell victim to the 1918 flu epidemic . Some children died in accidents, others died in knife fights or fighting.

Former students in the 1950s and 1960s reported sadistic punishments, some of which were extreme abuse, which were typically administered in the White House , a small building on the school premises, formed an interest group White House Boys and demanded systematic clarification of the deaths in the school. Thereupon the systematic exhumation of the graves was started with the aim of determining the cause of death, as far as possible, and handing over the anonymously buried remains to possible relatives.

Critics of the exhumation operation pointed out that the cemetery was by no means a newly discovered burial site, but a regular, fenced and well-tended, albeit anonymous, cemetery that was integrated into the community. It is also known who is buried there. In earlier times it was not uncommon for schools to have their own cemeteries. The exhumation of the graves is therefore disrespectful. Most of the graves also came from the years before 1940 and since then only three new graves have probably been added.

In April 2019, another 27 possible graves were discovered on the school grounds. Former students believe that up to 300 graves are possible on the school premises.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Kate Dailey: Who are the 55 bodies buried at the Dozier school? BBC News, April 16, 2014 (English).
  2. ↑ a b c d investigation report of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement , case no. EI-04-0005 dated 29 January 2010
  3. ↑ Angelika Franz, raped, beaten up, buried , Spiegel Online from January 31, 2014.
  4. ↑ Dozier School for Boys: Dozens more suspected graves found , BBC of April 12, 2019.

Coordinates: 30 ° 45 ′ 35.9 "  N , 85 ° 15 ′ 18.2"  W.