"No Place for Children: Voices From Juvenile Detention"

GABRIEL

Gabriel, 15 years old, detoxing from an overdose of pills in the Webb County Juvenile Detention Center.

The nightmare that is detox:

The first three days of withdrawal from drugs are a living nightmare: The user experiences deep anxiety and physical and emotional pain. In a detox center, he would undergo detoxification with the full support of a medical staff. There would be medication. His vital signs would be checked every 20 minutes. He would have a bed and be constantly hydrated. But in juvenile detention there is only an empty cell. His body writhes on a concrete floor as guards stand by, in case he should try to hurt himself. It is a cold and traumatic ordeal.