Sawmill Academy

I had a chance to visit the privatized juvenile medium security detention facility for girls, the Sawmill Academy, here in Leon County this week. Last week, the facility lost its fourth director in a little more than a year. Staff turnover has likewise been high. The 27 bed institution provides food, shelter, clothing and education to delinquent girls 14-18 years of age. As a group, they have real needs. According to the Department of Juvenile Justice, half of these young women have been sexually abused, 60% have a parent in jail, 60% have been physically abused, half have witnessed domestic violence, nearly half have attempted suicide.

I was there at the request of the Tallahassee Zonta Club to give a presentation on the structure of the court system. After reviewing the various courts at the state and federal level, I did a special section on the juvenile courts, and the demographics of juvenile delinquents. It was by far the most successful part of the talk, I noticed that the room had become more crowded, and the girls quiet and focused. Ironically, a juvenile detention facility is the safest place some of these girls have ever lived.

In a previous position I had visited both federal and state penitentiaries around the state, and have also visited the Leon County Jail. I thought I was prepared to visit this girls detention facility, but what surprised me most, was that rather than bringing to mind my experiences in other prisons, what the girls reminded me most of was my experience in boot camp.