Too young for a monitor, but old enough for the hole

Prepared by a mother and advocate 

The Mission: Breaking the Silence

I am speaking out now that my son is out of local custody. For his safety, I could not publish any part of this account until he was safe. This is a shield for the minors who follow him into a broken system that does not know how to safely care for a minor in custody. For 207 days, my family's insight into my son's medical and physical well-being was systematically ignored. Despite my own battles with heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, Cushing's syndrome, and recurrent TIAs, I am here to advocate for my minor son, whom the system tried to break.

The heart of the protector

Who is my son?

My son is a young man defined by kindness and a willingness to lend a helping hand. A straight-A student just 10 credits from graduation and a former high school football player, his athletic career was cut short by medical necessity, but his spirit remained unbroken. At home, he is the reliable brother always ready to help, the uncle his nieces adore, and a son whom his parents are very proud of despite this one mistake. He has never been in trouble with the law. Raised in a stable, two-parent household with clear rules, he always abided by them. His parents had never been in trouble with the law and knew nothing of the legal system before this tragedy began. On the night of the incident, I contacted the parent of the home where my son was staying and was explicitly reassured that he was safe, only to later discover that the parent was not home and that the juveniles were left unsupervised. He is a protector by nature—a trait that was put to the test on August 16, 2025.

The truth sequence of events

On August 16, 2025, around 4 a.m., just 10 days after my son's 17th birthday, an incident occurred in an environment where promised adult supervision had failed. Four individuals were present during the events that unfolded that day, and their roles have since become clear. 

The 19-year-old aggressor, the person who initiated the fight and was confirmed in a lineup by the victim as the attacker, was the one who committed the stabbing.

The victim: The individual who, during the altercation, turned his own aggression toward the handicapped 18-year-old friend. 

The handicapped 18-year-old friend: A vulnerable young man who became the target of the victims' redirected aggression.

My son's defensive action: Seeing his handicapped friend in immediate danger, he acted on instinct. He grabbed the victim off his friend, threw him to the ground, and hit the man to end his role in the assault. 

Under the older friend's instruction, my son took the man's bag and ran away. While he was running with the bag, he learned from the 19-year-old that the man had been stabbed in the neck. He immediately dropped the bag, never opening it or looking inside. 

The conscience of a protector

Concerned about the man's safety, my son ran back to his own car to check on him. Seeing him walking down the sidewalk, he assumed the man was ok. Despite this display of concern and his attempt to make sure the man was safe, the system chose to treat my son—the boy who came back to help—with the same severity as the 19-year-old who started the violence, who stabbed the man. The victim did survive.

Systemic legal and financial sabotage

The barrier between my son and his family was not just iron bars. It was a wall of financial and procedural injustice. 

Despite his clean record, a $100,000 cash-only bond was set. This remained a barrier between a minor and their home. 

Even after hiring a $30,000 private attorney, discovery—which legally refers to the evidence collected and held by the prosecution, including police reports, witness statements, and physical or forensic evidence—was consistently withheld. None of the discovery evidence was shown to my son or our family at any point prior to or during sentencing by prosecutors, the court, or his own attorney. In fact, I have it in writing that discovery would only be mailed after he was transferred to the Department of Corrections, long after his fate had already been decided. My son took the deal without ever knowing the evidence against him, simply to avoid trial with a possible sentence of 17-30 years and to escape the box he has been held in. 

Compromised investigation: Detective stated in his report that my son told him he would find items from this crime at our home, but he never did, and nothing was found there. Law enforcement conducted searches of my son's room, my laundry area, and his vehicle after I gave consent under the understanding that if I did not, the entire house would be subject to a warrant. At every step, our family cooperated fully. 

Judicial bias: During the bond-reduction hearing, which was denied, the judge was observed shaking her head in disbelief during my testimony on my son's character, medical history, and past criminal history, even though his side hasn't been told to this day. She stated in open court that my son could "sit in juvenile until he's 18." During testimony, the judge asked if he was a "junior"; my son, unfamiliar with legal terminology, believed she was asking about his high school grade level, a misunderstanding that remains uncorrected in his records. Later, we learned the judge was privately calling the facility to "check on" him, bypassing legal counsel.

Rejected safety proposals: The court rejected a private, zero-cost home detention company we were going to hire. We were told, "Minors are not allowed on home detention."

The medical blackout: systemic neglect

They never asked me.

Despite my son's status as a minor and my role as his legal parent and advocate, not one official from the juvenile center or jail ever reached out to me. Under state juvenile standards, a minor must be medically screened for chronic illnesses and medications upon arrival. By failing to consult with me, they willfully ignored his complex needs and placed his life in jeopardy.

My son’s documented medical profile:

He entered the system with a “life interrupted” medical history that required consistent, specialized management. 

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI): A severe condition that requires Creon to be taken with every meal to prevent malnutrition and malabsorption.

Lung nodule: A confirmed lung mass requiring high-priority monitoring and specialist follow-up.

Gastrointestinal Disorders: GERD, Duodenitis, Erosive esophagitis, and a hiatal hernia. 

Respiratory & spinal issues: Chronic asthma and dextrocurvature of the thoracic spine.

Mental health: Managed ADHD, anxiety, and depression, which were dangerously destabilized by unauthorized medication changes and solitary confinement. On October 22, 2025, my son was transported by the juvenile center to a primary care appointment for increased anxiety and depression. On January 15, 2026, an orthopedic appointment confirmed that he needed surgery for a thumb ailment, but the procedure was placed on hold due to his incarceration and remains unresolved. A scheduled January 20, 2026, follow-up with his primary care provider was missed by the facility due to scheduling and transportation errors. Afterward, I was given new instructions on appointment procedures and who to contact. On January 29, 2026, my son was transported to another follow-up, where new medication was prescribed for ADHD, but the juvenile center refused to administer it, even though it was not a controlled substance.

Despite this extensive list, no official ever asked me about his health. Instead, they chose to stop his creon, double his anxiety medicine without consent or doctor approval, and ignore his asthma when a pepper spray incident—used on another child—left my son with burning lungs and triggered an asthma attack at the juvenile center, which staff ignored. They treated his medical reality as a burden instead of a basic human right. Even though I've contacted medical at both facilities on many occasions and left multiple messages, I've never received a callback.

His mother’s testimony

Every unreturned call from the medical staff wasn't just a professional failure—it was a heart-stopping moment of terror for a mother already battling heart failure. They didn't just ignore a child—they ignored a family of a minor in a documented medical crisis.

Juvenile center: systemic abuse and neglect 

Physical and environmental torture under facility leadership. 

Deprivation of water: He was left with no working water in his cell for 5 days, being denied the ability to fill his water bottle by staff on numerous occasions.

Sleep deprivation and seizure risk: he was left in a cell with flickering lights and forced to sleep on the concrete floor under his bunk with a mattress on top of him due to flickering lights and the fear of having a seizure because staff refused to move him cells. He also had limited communication access during this time, which made coping with the environment even more difficult. 

Physical assault: A female guard threw water in his face as retaliation after he spoke up about her making sexual comments regarding another guard. He was subsequently locked down for calling her a "bitch" after the assault.

Medical malpractice and neglect: Unauthorized medication changes, his anxiety medicine was double-dosed at times without consent or doctor approval. Withholding other life-saving medications, guards administering medicines, and Tylenol being denied at times and forced other times. Family had to step in and transfer his medications to their own pharmacy to protect his health.

Staff misconduct and corruption: 

Orchestrated violence: Guards placed bets on my son’s downfall and knowingly released minors from their cells specifically to watch them fight, later stating it was the child's fault. 

witness intimidation: staff repeatedly threatened to end our in-person visits if he told me about the abuse or medication errors.

Discriminatory Discipline: Facility leadership filed to revoke my son's juvenile placement based on minor write-ups such as trading food, walking over a line, and contraband from having extra clothing while allowing other inmates to physically fight and spit on guards, for which the request was granted on February 5, 2026. 

Atmosphere of impunity: A guard explicitly told my son that she could do what she wanted and get away with it, which was repeatedly proven.

Administrative failure: On January 1, 2026, I filed a formal complaint with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) regarding my son’s treatment. As of today, we have received no written or verbal response from DCS addressing the complaint, nor any acknowledgment of action taken following my contact. Grievances submitted directly to the facility were repeatedly denied and ignored. No other oversight agencies have provided any official response to the concerns we raised.

Jail: Isolation and Legal Defiance under the facility sheriff

February 5, 2026–April 13, 2026 (date of transfer to DOC)

Psychological and physical torture: 

Total Isolation: From February 5 to March 3, my son was held in complete solitary confinement, breaking his mental state. In this isolation, he was forced to bang on his cell walls for hours, begging for a shower or a tablet to call home. On March 3, his attorney filed a request to return him to the juvenile center due to conditions at the jail and 24-hour solitary, but the request was denied. He was then forced to attend midnight recreation, further destabilizing his mental health and sleep cycle.  

Illegal inmate contact: Because of his minor status, he is to be housed out of sight and sound of adult inmates. However, he has had multiple interactions and conversations with adult inmates, including sex offenders and murderers, just to hear a human voice.

Contempt of transport order: Jail staff defied a judge-signed transport order for a CT of his lungs to check the mass stability. Appt scheduled for March 6. CT was canceled, and he was taken to a different facility on a different day. And the March 9 transport order for follow-up CT was rescheduled to April 24, 4 weeks after sentencing, 10 days after transport to DOC. Effectively denying a child necessary medical care while in custody. This has yet to be addressed or acknowledged. 

The physical toll

Since the March 26 sentencing hearing, my son has been allowed to sign a document at the jail stopping all his medications except escitalopram, and he was taken off the restrictive bland diet he had been on since arrival. Last night, April 7, 2026, he finally received his first commissary order, which included snacks and coffee. He was excited but anxious to eat everything quickly in case he was transported to DOC and could not take his things with him. This change came only after more than 60 days of incarceration. The forced medical decision was made so he could have access to regular food, again highlighting the impossible choices he faced regarding his health in custody. His decision to take a plea wasn't an admission of equal guilt to the aggressor—it was a plea for physical survival.

His escitalopram was not taken to DOC, and no mention of medical conditions per the supervisor at the DOC.

Education and Legal Failures

Educational sabotage: The jail refused my son even one hour of daily internet access for his studies, forcing me to withdraw him from school due to truancy. 

Unlawful search and seizure: My son's phone was seized on September 19, 2025, when he was arrested at our home, more than a month after the incident. No arrest warrant was issued until September 23, and no warrant for his phone was issued until October 8. 

Witness abuse: My son, even though he should be out of sight and sound due to being a minor, has witnessed a guard repeatedly kicking an inmate in the ribs and had to beat on his cell door to get help for a man in a wheelchair who was left screaming that he had been in his own waste for hours. Sight and sound separation wasn't followed. 

Conclusion: The silence is over

My son is a straight-A student, a protector, and a son. He has endured treatment that no child in the system should have to face. He has decided to go on with his sentence and pay the price for his role in this crime, ignoring his health and medical conditions, just to escape the cell he's been held in since February 5. On March 26, 2026, he signed a plea for aggravated battery, a level 3 felony. He was sentenced to 3 years in the Department of Corrections and 9 years of probation. The lack of fairness in this outcome is outrageous. While my son and the 19-year-old aggressor share the same sentence and are sent to prison, the 18-year-old remains out on home detention despite them all being charged with the same crime. To the system, he is just another number, but to us, he is a protector who has been forced to accept the same fate as the person who initiated the violence and ultimately stabbed a man in the neck. The man did survive. He admits his role was wrong and he is willing to pay for his part in this crime, but he is also paying for the failures of a system that ignored his health, sabotaged his education, and kept him in solitary confinement for 69 days. 

This account represents a full and detailed statement of events, actions, conditions, and concerns as experienced and understood by me, a parent, through direct involvement, observation, and available information. I have documentation supporting every claim made herein, including medical records, incident reports, and official correspondence. Additionally, I can provide statements and testimony from witnesses, including those who were previously incarcerated as minors and are now adults, who can corroborate these experiences. We are requesting accountability, transparency, and fair treatment across all levels involved, including law enforcement, legal proceedings, juvenile detention, jail, and all oversight authorities. My son does not deserve to be treated the same as the aggressor. We will continue to pursue accountability until this situation is fully addressed.

To that end, I am specifically requesting the following actions:

- Law Enforcement: Conduct an independent review of my son's arrest, the handling of evidence, and the integrity of the investigation process, including a review of procedural fairness in searches and evidence disclosure.

- Prosecutor's Office: Review the decision-making process behind charging and plea offers. Ensure that minors are not pressured into plea agreements without full access to discovery and adequate consideration of their health and well-being.

- Courts: Initiate a formal inquiry into the handling of hearings, bond decisions, and judicial conduct. Review policies regarding detention and home detention for minors to ensure medical and educational needs are taken into account.

- Juvenile Center and Jail: Launch an immediate investigation into allegations of abuse, denial of medical care, unsafe conditions, and staff misconduct. Institute staff training and accountability measures to prevent retaliation, intimidation, and inhumane treatment of juveniles in custody.

- Department of Child Services and all oversight agencies: Promptly review and respond in writing to our formal complaints and grievances. Establish procedures for family involvement in medical management for minor detainees.

We seek a transparent, independent investigation into these failures, public disclosure of the findings, and disciplinary or administrative action as appropriate. We also ask for a policy review to prevent similar harm to other children in the future.

He has promised to complete high school. As a mother, I am not ready to let him go, but I will not stop being his voice. We are speaking out because the boots and legs kicking in the dark thought they were invisible. They are not; we are watching. The silence is over. 

This account is based solely on my own experiences and observations as a parent. It is our truth, told in my words, without reference to outside sources or third-party accounts. I've removed names and counties to protect my son since he is a minor and has to return for review every 30 days.  

No family should have to go through this alone.

On April 13, 2026, my son was moved to DOC. Though we may not have contact every day, he is always in my heart. As long as he is away, I will continue to share our story and advocate for him—and for others in similar situations—every single day.