A close friend of mine was sent to ?reform school? as a young child. The conditions were abusive, and his ?crimes? as a 9-yearold certainly did not warrant incarceration. As I understand it, it was a child prison but with the potential for abuse and violence multiplied due to the vast differences in age and development of the ?prisoners.? Just imagine violent 16-year-olds locked up with fourth graders. Even as an adult, he has never fully recuperated.