Bokeh
A lonely exercise cell in Harris County Psychiatric Center, Houston, Texas
Juvenile-In-Justice by Richard Ross Boys play a flag football game, self-refereed, during their recreation time in the Orientation Training Phase of Pueblo, Colorado’s Youth Offender System. Photography: Richard Ross View the entire project at www.juvenile-in-justice.com [Back to Juvenile-In-Justice on Bokeh]
K.O, age 17, Harris County Youth Village, Houston, Texas
“I was the valedictorian of my class. I graduated from school in Louisiana. Then my mom and I were in a shelter, so I ran away. That was nine months ago.”
E.Y, age 11, Juvenile Detention Center, Houston, Texas
“I’ve been here for two weeks, and this is my third time in. I’m in the sixth grade. I was in placement but I ran away.”
T.F, age 17, Juvenile Detention Center, Houston, Texas
“I’m here for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, but I didn’t do it. I came in at the end of something happening, and my friend thought that since he was in trouble for something before, if he told on me, he would be in less trouble.”
M.C, age 16, Juvenile Detention Center, Houston, Texas
“I’ve been here two and a half months, before I was in Gulf Coast Training for burglary of a habitation– it was my first felony, my first offense.”
P.P, age 17, Burnett-Bayland Reception Center, Houston, Texas
“I am going to be 18 in two weeks, I’ve been here for a year and a month for criminal trespassing as well as sex offenses.”
C.R, age 11, Harris County Psychiatric Center, Houston, Texas
C.R is heavily medicated on Thorazine. He’s been in seclusion because he is a danger to himself and others.
J.G, age 14, Burnett Bayland Reception Center, Houston, Texas
“I am in the 9th grade and will have been here for six months tomorrow. I am here for Violation of Parole– I had a dirty urinary analysis.”
Burnett-Bayland Reception Center, Houston, Texas
The population is 85 percent boys and 15 percent girls, and is heavily populated by African American juveniles.
E.P, age 14, El Paso Sheriffs Challenge Program, El Paso, Texas
“I was on probation with a ankle bracelet… my boyfriend and I decided to run away to Juarez (Mexico). I’ve been here for four months, it really sucks, you have to listen to officers and do exactly what they tell you to do. They do unscheduled cell searches every day.”