The Shadow Penal System for Struggling Kids
Rachel Aviv of The New Yorker reports on Teen Challenge, a network of nonprofits associated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God denomination that provides treatment centers for teens. The centers are often used as an alternative to juvenile detention, and they teach a conservative Christian curriculum that encourages sexual purity and prevents members from obtaining abortions. Several families whose children lived at the facilities—including some who died while in their care—have recently filed lawsuits alleging abuse and negligence.