New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) reported on April 7 on the civil trial involving extensive abuses at N.H.’s juvenile detention center in Manchester.
David Meehan, who was abused while in juvenile detention, filed suit against the State of N.H. in 2017, said NHPR, resulting in an outpouring of other victims speaking out as well. Meehan opened up about severe physical and sexual abuse he experienced from staff at the Youth Development Center (YDC), now called the John H. Sununu Youth Services Center; expressing that at one point he had spoken to staff about abuse issues during his detention and was dismissed.
Meehan’s 2017 suit had led to the N.H. Attorney General’s office opening an investigation into YDC abuse allegations resulting in 11 arrests; that criminal trial will be starting this summer as all 11 plead not guilty according to NHPR.
I have a relatively high tolerance for people doing and saying unsavory things, however, I have very little tolerance for the truly heinous and those who are maliciously intolerant. I have no use for people who think it is even remotely OK to treat someone in such a manner. I most certainly do not want there to be any miscarriage of justice for either party, I hope the victims get their deserved closure but I would not want innocent people to serve jail time for such crimes.
It is so upsetting that children would be taken advantage of and abused in a place that is supposed to be helping them get back on the straight and narrow. These kids had no out, nowhere to go and these people took a sick power trip.
This is a problem I think that many people in the younger generations see and fear among police and correctional officers. There is a fundamental problem with the vetting process for these positions where people who have problems with abuse of power seem to make it into these jobs. Too often those who commit heinous crimes against someone or even kill someone, with sufficient evidence to be convicted as well, get off with a slap on the hand or no punishment at all.
Very rarely is a proper sentence given to these criminals, which is truly a shame. If any group of people were to have the book thrown at them, it would be those in a position of power. Abuse of power and authority should be met with harsh sentencing to deter people from such behavior, the way we currently respond only reinforces these poor behaviors.
Once again, I truly hope the victims get the justice and closure they deserve. I would also hope that as a society, we can reflect on these problems and move forward in a constructive way that will, hopefully, limit these unfortunate misdealings in the first place. The children of N.H. deserve better than this, no matter what they did that led to them being placed in juvenile detention.
Timothy Fitzpatrick can be contacted at
tfitzpatrick@kscequinox.com
