New Hampshire has sent its most troubled kids to the same juvenile detention center for more than a century. The goal has been to shelter, educate, and nurture kids who break the law instead of sending them to adult jails and prisons.
But now, about 1,300 of those kids have come forward to say they were severely abused by adults in charge. It’s become one of the biggest youth detention scandals in American history – and people are still coming forward.
How did this happen – and how did it finally come to light?
“The Youth Development Center” – a three-part investigative podcast series hosted by Jason Moon of NHPR’s award-winning Document team – brings you answers straight from the people who lived it. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
Click the image below to read the companion digital story “Failures to Act,” made in collaboration with The Pudding. Learn more about the history of YDC, see archival photos and internal documents, and explore an interactive timeline of the alleged abuse:
To get in touch with “The Youth Development Center” reporting team, email YDC@nhpr.org.
To read more of NHPR’s coverage of the YDC abuse scandal, explore the links below.
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A child welfare lawyer says there has not been a thorough investigation that concludes whether the facility is complying with the law. -
Ayotte says transparency will improve safety at the youth detention center, though the Attorney General's office says investigations limit what can be disclosed about recent incidents of violence. -
The call follows another incident at the state-run youth detention center in which one youth was hospitalized with a broken femur. -
The fight between residents left a youth with a broken femur Friday. Meanwhile, the doctor leading clinical care for five years is leaving. -
Un programa diseñado para ayudar a mejorar la comunicación entre las agencias policiales y los conductores durante las paradas de tránsito ahora está disponible para todo el estado. -
Una nueva ley busca simplificar los trámites burocráticos de zonificación para la construcción de viviendas accesorias. -
More than half of the youth counselor positions at the Sununu Youth Services Center are vacant, primarily due to staff injuries, as volatile incidents continue. -
Retired Judge Gerard Boyle told councilors he is slashing $200 hourly consultant rates to reduce the fund’s administrative costs. -
La Latin Bakery de Nashua fue el sitio predilecto para reunir a la comunidad colombiana y ver los partidos de la selección Colombia. -
Gov. Kelly Ayotte responded by ordering state agencies to address serious staffing shortages and implement body-worn cameras at the Sununu Youth Services Center.
