Title: No Requiem
P O V: Trudy Platt
"Officer Dawson this is our intake area where we processes all our new students"
"You mean inmates?" Snickers went all around along with a few gasps as we came into the intake area of Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. Everybody knows I HATE being corrected. I've been doing this job since I was twenty-five years old. That's over twenty years.
"No Officer Dawson I meant what I said, we do not call them inmates here, inmates are what adults are called when they've used up all their chances of being rehabilitated. When they get thrown in jail."
"These are kids, many who have had crappy lives, who had to do what they had to just to get through each day. Here they are held while awaiting their arraignments, or sentences. Some are only here for a few days go home and never come back others you will see in and out like a revolving door. Some stay for months when their cases are being dragged out or they have no place to go home to"
"Were not here to punish these kids"
"Why not their criminals"
"True they've committed delinquent acts, however they are kids, kids don't have the mental developments the way grownups do we can still get inside their heads we can rearrange the mold the way they think feel, most have been told over and over again their useless their worthless, their no good. So they think they don't deserve love, if their no good than why follow the law? We can change that we can show them how to love themselves to show them their worthy of love. We can show them respect which in turn can show them how to respect themselves and maybe others. We can give them an education something many of them never get a chance to have. Consuls them you'll be amazed how much some of the most hardened kids can change"
His face showed how he was taking it all in. I saw the exchange between C. O's Randy Dixon, Jordon Cameron. Randy sat behind the desk while Jordon stood next to it, looking across the room to Gordon Walsh who stood by the restraint room. "You owe me &20 Randy I told ya she'd be tearing him out before they got here" "Aw shove it Cameron, you still owe me from lunch last week"
'You owe me $30 Walsh this kid doesn't even seem phrased" That much was true Dawson while confused by the lingo he wasn't looking repulsed or scared like most.
"It seems pretty qu….
"Shhh!" We all covered our mouths before he could get out that forbidden word quite out of his mouth all eyes pinned at him, he shrank back confused.
"10=5 attention CCJD this is Officer Julia Debauch I have two 10-15 in my vehicle requesting permission to enter"
The radio sprung alive with calls. "10=5 attention CCJD this is Officer Hank Voight I have three 10-15 in my vehicle requesting permission to enter"
Randy gave me an annoyed look grunting as he picked up the radio letting out a sigh I knew I would owe each of them $150 because my trainee uttered the forbidden word.
"10-4 Officer Debauch, officer Voight all clear to enter"
What were we going to get? Everyday brings new challenges we have to always pay attention these kids are angry many of them feel alone or feel powerless against the grownups who have used them abused them or left them to fend for themselves. Some of them are gang leaders who feel powerful when they make others feel powerless, any little thing can set them off. Putting not just their safety on the line but ours as well.
The loud beeping of the incoming cars was only broken by the screams coming as the officers lead in the four Juvenile's. Myself, Jordon and Gordon hurried to meet the three officers leading the juveniles in. Four of them were corrupting walking without giving the officers any issues unshackled minus the cuffs on their wrists, the fifth however a scrappy young girl was kicking, screaming spitting at the officer holding her arm with more force than what I thought necessary.
"Let go of me! Get out of my personal space you f***ing c*nt I'll kill you I swear!"
The girl was wild I don't know what the officer was saying to her but his mouth was pressed against her ear. Whatever it was that he was saying to her was just making her more wild. For a little kid she was strong fighting against him even shackled at her ankles, her hands cuffed behind her both cuffs attached to her waist. Even with all that metal she was buckling which was enough to make it a struggle to hold her never mind make her walk.
As I reached her grabbing her hair pulling it back which caused her to jerk I watched Dawson's reaction he showed no comfort. Just a few nerves like he didn't know what to do. It takes someone special to work in this type of environment. These kids can go from cute little pigtailed babies into mini Lizzie Borden's and Freddie Kruger's within seconds. Some are wide eyed innocent first timers when they come in here crying out of fear. Most people would break seeing this. Not me though I want them to cry I want them to feel the pain the fear of how messed up this place is.
The ones who get me or the ones like this girl who's eyes are so dead inside void of emotion, empathy or compassion. They truly remind me of that saying the devil's child. These are the kids who if someone doesn't get to them soon it will be too late.
These aren't the kids who were at home planning homecoming dresses, or sleepovers they weren't stars of their basketball teams. No they were at home planning robberies, murders running with gang members raping young girls. They were disrespecting parents, teachers.
Just because we lock them up take away their weapons doesn't make it safe inside of here. Maybe Society has a reprieve. For the C.O's though they now face the wrath of these kids who already had anger issues before getting their freedom taken away. Many are faced with some hard choices change now get a second or third or fourth chance. Make the change they need to just to become protective members of society. Or keep going down the path they are and face what happens when you go from a Juvenile to an Adult criminal. Where the courts show no mercy no rehabilitation methods. Just time, lots of time 6-20 years some life time sentences.
"Where's my brother you piece of shit I need to see my brother!"
As a C.O theres a code between us what happens between us stays with us, we don't rat on each other. It's us against them. That's why I made a crappy C.O I can't live by that if I see or hear something wrong, like a C.O mistreating a student I can't stand by and let it happen.
"He's dead little girl get over it, I told you he got in the line of fire between your boss and the cops, now he's a dead gutter rat just like you will be if you don't shut your mouth"
"Liar your lying you fifthly pig get off of me!"
Now I knew why this kid was freaking out so bad it's cops like him that make me sick. It's why I became a cop to stop the abuse of power to help kids who come from horrible back-rounds. Exchanging a look with Dawson I motioned for him to get on her left side. "We got her from here let go Officer Scott" "No offense this isn't a job for a women it takes a man to control a dog like this" "Well lucky for me I have a real man by me Officer Dawson let go Officer Scott this is our center not yours"
Her sudden scream startled Officer Scott who let go as she smashed his head against his "For my brother you pig" She stumbled back if she hadn't given herself a concussion it would be a miracle. Between the impact of her head smashing against another humans skull plus the shackles. Sent her knees buckling Dawson and I grabbed her throwing her to the ground placing my knee on her back.
"We need the spit mask the restraint chair and some Valium stat!"
She fights us even as we lift her into the chair her face covered with a spit mask, still fighting us as we shackle her ankles, her wrists to the metal on the heavy chair. She tries to fight the nurse Tally as she injects the drug that we use to calm these kids down.
It only takes a few minutes once the drug is in her system before it starts to work, her posture relaxing head falling back against the chair. Allowing Tally to draw blood, hook up a catheter allowing us to safely test for STD, pregnancy, drugs. After Tally made quick work checking her vitals.
"Pupils are fixed dilated, breathing is labored, blood pressure too high 138/89, I see lactations along her wrists up her arms, along her back, deep bruises, bite marks"
My hearts broke hearing Tally start to list off some of the signs we all look for when teenage girls are brought in. Self mutilation or mutilation by others. Most are victims of sex traffickers, pimps, drug lords. This young girl had already had a difficult life before she came in here. What would being locked up do to her?
It made sense she was here. She's probably been abused, sold abounded by her family. It wouldn't shock me of her parents were already in the system or dead. It's been done to her so she's going to do it to others she doesn't see it as wrong, she sees it as a way to get to grow up. To make it to be an adult except what she doesn't see is that she'll never escape this life. Not unless she learns to accept love for herself for others.
Going to Tally I helped her finish her exam. My throat clogged when I saw the extent of her injuries, how malnourished this kid was. Gripping her arm lightly she jerked, even out cold her body reacted the only way it knew how to defend to become offensive. I felt tears prick my eyes. Softly I started singing to her she had to learn to trust it was the only way she'd get out of teenage years alive.
