Dozens of Teens Who Spent Time at Abusive Florida Reform School Ended Up on Death Row
Trigger warnings: graphic accounts of physical and sexual abuse, isolation, mechanical restraint, suicide, self-harm, racism, medical neglect, child death, humiliating punishments, substance abuse, addiction
Summary:
The article investigates the connection between extreme abuse at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and the high number of its former students later sentenced to death or prison for murder, with a focus on Michael Bell, who is scheduled for execution. At least 34 boys from Dozier and 16 from Okeechobee ended up on Florida’s death row. Dozier was closed in 2011 following decades of documented abuse including beatings, rape, and solitary confinement. Michael Bell described being forced into fights, physically restrained, and sexually assaulted at age 15 during a four-month stay. Neurologists and psychologists confirm that adolescent trauma impairs brain development, especially impulse control and emotional regulation. Experts cited include Dr. George Woods, Dr. Marlyne Israelian, Dr. Bruce Perry, and Dr. Martha J. Farah. Other former residents (Jesse Guardado, Jerry White, William Van Poyck, Craig Wall) report similar abuse and went on to commit murders. Bell’s defense lawyers argue his trauma was never presented at trial; he never had a psychological evaluation.