Bored at Wilderness Camp
I’ve been sent down in the ranks due to my refusal to drink “quarters,” my ration of a liter of water on a regular basis, under supervision. [This is to make sure the kids are properly hydrated especially beneath the unforgiving Utah August sun.]
I’m from Arvada, Colorado. I’m still with the Polywogs, the group for newcomers, even though I’ve been here [Red Cliff Ascent] for 65 days. I am definitely using the water refusal to try and manipulate a situation. The experience here is boring. I was originally sent here for fighting with anybody and everybody. I never done any drugs. Drinking water? I just don’t care. If they think I am completely refusing water, they give you fluids via IV. Before Red Cliff Ascent I was in junior high.
–C.R. Age 13, Red Cliff Ascent, Utah
Richard Ross
Richard Ross is the Executive Director of www.juvenile-in-justice.com and Juvenile-in-Justice. He is the principal photographer for the Juvenile-in-Justice project and travels frequently throughout the country to photograph and interview incarcerated children. Ross lectures frequently and has spoken at the Vera Institute of Justice, the 7th Annual Models for Change Conference, JDAI conferences, The Justice for Youth Summit, and many more. He is the author of Juvenile-in-Justice the book which received the American Library Association's 2013 Alex Award. He has been the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Fulbright, and the Center for Cultural Innovation. Ross has taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara since 1977.
Follow Me:
