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[quote=Duane C Hanlon;31241096]I have been doing extensive research on weeks school, I can find little on line, can anyone tell me what it was line staying in the jug???[/ I'm curious about why you're researching the subject. I lived there for 2 yrs right before it closed. It wasn't a bad place really. Most of what I heard from the other kids was that it was better than home. And really we managed to pretty much run away whenever we wanted (basically when we were bored). We did get put in isolation for about 3 days when we were brought back. If there were beatings and lots of abuse no one ever talked about it. But this was also near the end. It might have been worse back in the 50-60s
So yeah I hear there were some terrible beatings that happened at phelps to some boys who were kept there for over a month. I've been talking with one of them recently. They never told us girls about it back then. We had it pretty easy compared to the boys
I spent a year there in 1958. Greenleaf was Superintendant, and the Palmers were in charge of my cottage (Graham). There were rumors of atrocities committed there over the years and inhumane treatment of residents. The reformatory was finally closed after an investigation into some of the disciplinary practices. I wasn't privy to all of the abuse, but I can relate three incidents that were over the top. Every day when we returned from work detail, we were assembled in the basement to shower and change into house clothes. The procedure was to stand in front of your locker and "tow the line". (Place your toes on a line about a foot back from the locker, lean forward with your hands behind your back with your forehead against the locker.) You were then subjected to a pat-down search. On one occasion a resident said something to the cottage master and was pulled out of line. I didn't see him get hit, but I saw him hit the floor with his eyes rolled back and his leg twitching-obviously unconscious.
I ran away once but couldn't get out of town because an accident blocked the road so I got caught. After spending a couple days in the infirmary to be treated for frostbite I was made a guest in the isolation room. It was a room with no lite in the basement of the infirmary with an army style cot bed and a "slop pail" with pine-sol in the bottom and a roll of toilet paper. I spent 24 hours a day for 30 days in that room. They brought me breakfast in the morning and I had to put my mattress in the hall. They brought me supper at night and when they came to pick up the tray I could walk down the hall to the bathroom and empty the "slop pail" and when I returned I got my mattress back. Once a week I was allowed a shower. Except for those few interruptions, I spent the rest of my time sitting on a cement floor or on bed springs with a hospital gown on in a dark room.
After I got back to the cottage I went back out on work details. I didn't have a specific assignment, so I reported to the farm boss (a Mr. Peabody) along with other unassigned residents every day. On about the 3rd day, I was the last one left without an assignment and the farm boss told me to come down to his office. I went in and sat where he told me, and after a while he told me to go the storeroom and get a roll of bailer's twine. When I brought it back, he told me to measure about six feet, took out a pocket knife, told me to hold it taught so he could cut it, and then instead of cutting the twine he sliced my hand open. Then he handed me a bandana, drove me to the infirmary, and they put a few stitches it it. Trust me, it wasn't an accident.
I was 15 when I got there, and 16 when I left. I'm glad they finally closed the reformatory. In the year that I was there, I saw kids treated in ways that wouldn't be allowed for hardened criminals in a super-max prison today. In my experience most of the staff were violent and sadistic and those that weren't just turned a blind eye to what was going on.
Wow, things were a lot worse in the 50s. By the time I was there 20 years later there wasn't really much discipline at all. Running away was just a matter of sneaking a butter knife out of the kitchen to unscrew the blocks on the window. I don't think they even reported us missing. They knew we'd eventually get caught doing something wrong and be sent back. I did get knocked unconscious one time when one of the male staff members was horsing around with me and accidentally slammed my head against the door jamb of my bedroom. I was out cold for almost an hour and he never took me to the infirmary or anything. I've always wondered if he would have dumped me in the creek out back if I hadn't woke up. And one other time Cunningham kicked me so hard in the ass I almost flew over the stair railing into the basement. I'd said something that pissed him off. But nothing like the stuff you described.
The jug was above the infirmory, it was the best in the 50s and 60s. Greenleafs were their for me when my brother johnny died. Their were never beatings or excessive punishment. When i ran away you were put in isolation for about 2 days or so.
It was the best years of my life... way better then home. I. am now 70.
Also in the 50s and 60s their was no contact with the males.
I spent a year there in 1958. Greenleaf was Superintendant, and the Palmers were in charge of my cottage (Graham). There were rumors of atrocities committed there over the years and inhumane treatment of residents. The reformatory was finally closed after an investigation into some of the disciplinary practices. I wasn't privy to all of the abuse, but I can relate three incidents that were over the top. Every day when we returned from work detail, we were assembled in the basement to shower and change into house clothes. The procedure was to stand in front of your locker and "tow the line". (Place your toes on a line about a foot back from the locker, lean forward with your hands behind your back with your forehead against the locker.) You were then subjected to a pat-down search. On one occasion a resident said something to the cottage master and was pulled out of line. I didn't see him get hit, but I saw him hit the floor with his eyes rolled back and his leg twitching-obviously unconscious.
I ran away once but couldn't get out of town because an accident blocked the road so I got caught. After spending a couple days in the infirmary to be treated for frostbite I was made a guest in the isolation room. It was a room with no lite in the basement of the infirmary with an army style cot bed and a "slop pail" with pine-sol in the bottom and a roll of toilet paper. I spent 24 hours a day for 30 days in that room. They brought me breakfast in the morning and I had to put my mattress in the hall. They brought me supper at night and when they came to pick up the tray I could walk down the hall to the bathroom and empty the "slop pail" and when I returned I got my mattress back. Once a week I was allowed a shower. Except for those few interruptions, I spent the rest of my time sitting on a cement floor or on bed springs with a hospital gown on in a dark room.
After I got back to the cottage I went back out on work details. I didn't have a specific assignment, so I reported to the farm boss (a Mr. Peabody) along with other unassigned residents every day. On about the 3rd day, I was the last one left without an assignment and the farm boss told me to come down to his office. I went in and sat where he told me, and after a while he told me to go the storeroom and get a roll of bailer's twine. When I brought it back, he told me to measure about six feet, took out a pocket knife, told me to hold it taught so he could cut it, and then instead of cutting the twine he sliced my hand open. Then he handed me a bandana, drove me to the infirmary, and they put a few stitches it it. Trust me, it wasn't an accident.
I was 15 when I got there, and 16 when I left. I'm glad they finally closed the reformatory. In the year that I was there, I saw kids treated in ways that wouldn't be allowed for hardened criminals in a super-max prison today. In my experience most of the staff were violent and sadistic and those that weren't just turned a blind eye to what was going on.
Hello, my mother and uncle were in the Weeks school in the 50's and something horrible happened to my mom. Do you remember a girl, 17 or 18 being taken from the school and raped? This would have been around 1957 to 1958. Any info would help.
WEEKS SCHOOL ...Those who started and those who operated "WEEKS SCHOOL" in Vergennes, Vermont may they ALL rot in "HELL." Those "rumors" are most likely true and only a tenth of the brutal goings on there. I as in a foster home at age 12 in southern Vermont, the old lady was a mental case and sent to Waterbury State Mental Institution for a year ....the old man didn't wish to care for me alone, so he shipped me off to Weeks School. I had not broken any laws other than breathing. It was about 1958 I believe. I saw crap while in Weeks School, only horror movies are made of. I was in Ingles Cottage. A "Mr. Lee" was the man of the house ....and a son-of a-***** if there ever was one. There was about a 24 inch diameter post out back of the "cottage" where ...if one looked cross-eyed at anyone with authority, you were tied with your arms hugging the post and whipped ....and Mr. Lee was a great whipper. I, fortunately, was never strapped to that post but we all endured overwhelming verbal abuse from him on a daily basis. All us kids were forced to witness the whippings so we wouldn't do the same actions which the poor guy being whipped had done or said. The few who ran away, were quickly caught and thrown into the "Jug." An enclosed cell and sometimes left there for weeks. I know of one guy who drowned trying to swim Otter Creek. Another guy who ran away, mysteriously disappeared and many rumors circulated about his possible loss of life. But, only rumors, we never ended up knowing the facts. After 5 months in Ingles Cottage, I was transferred to "A Cottage" which was a huge contrast to Ingles Cottage ...I attended school days in Vergennes, returning after school to "A cottage." After about 8 months in the joint, the state consular wanted me to return to my old foster home where I was beaten regularly by the old mental lady who'd been sent to the state mental hospital. She was due to return home. I refused, stating I'd rather stay at Weeks School. Staff didn't know how to react. I think, I was one of the few who had half a brain and didn't ever want to return to an abusive foster home under any conditions and I stood my ground on that. Finally after 2 months, the state found a new foster home for me ..my grades prior were "D's" and "F's" ....in the new foster home, my grades became "A's" and B's" I ended up going to collage, owned several successful businesses and retired in 2006. My 10 months in Weeks School was and is to this day a nightmare which ...as I said previously, this treatment of children only happens in horror movies. If I told the facts of what went on there in the late 50's, it would be believed. State of Vermont and it's childhood departments need to be extremely ashamed of what they did to kids back then. I'm certain they'll deny any of the factual crap that went on. Easier to bury their heads in the sand and say it never happened. If others are alive, who endured what really when on at Weeks School, then you could write volumes. Yup, many kids there never broke a law but just from abusive foster homes or homes where there was no money to care for children. Many dirty little secrets about Weeks School, which only time covers up and most people back then knew but no one ever talked about it. Yup ....rumors heard about Weeks School maybe tame compared to the hidden facts. Note: if one went behind Ingles Cottage and dug, you'll find a post hole of about 24" diameter in the concrete, unless the entire concrete pavement has been totally removed.
The State of Vermont still needs to be ashamed. When I was in Northlands Job Corps (previously Weeks' School), I was attacked on campus by three guys, all of which had records. When I reported it, the authorities removed me from campus and said the problem was resolved. Now I found out that there were many other reports like this, as well as a few years ago beatings were going on by the staff and blamed on other kids there. I was only 18 when I went in 2003. And nobody really had to dig, the concrete is still there. It's really sad what happened to kids there back then, and I am so sorry to everyone that had to go through that ordeal.
"State of Vermont and it's childhood departments need to be extremely ashamed of what they did to kids back then. I'm certain they'll deny any of the factual crap that went on. Easier to bury their heads in the sand and say it never happened. If others are alive, who endured what really when on at Weeks School, then you could write volumes. Yup, many kids there never broke a law but just from abusive foster homes or homes where there was no money to care for children. Many dirty little secrets about Weeks School, which only time covers up and most people back then knew but no one ever talked about it. Yup ....rumors heard about Weeks School maybe tame compared to the hidden facts. Note: if one went behind Ingles Cottage and dug, you'll find a post hole of about 24" diameter in the concrete, unless the entire concrete pavement has been totally removed.[/quote]
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Solitary
