Florida penal "boot camps" to be closed in wake of the lynch-murder of Martin Lee Anderson

I hope this is good news, and not some Bush dynasty scam. The Florida legislature has voted to close the youth boot camps as a result of the scandal over the sadistic beating murder of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson, the African-American kid who wound up being executed over a Sunday morning joy-ride auto theft. From Boot camps closed in deal to spend more on juvenile justice by Brent Kallestad St. Petersburg Times/AP 04/26/06:

Florida's juvenile boot camps will be replaced with a less militaristic program under a legislative budget agreement Wednesday that also would pump an additional $32.6 million into juvenile justice spending.

House and Senate negotiators approved the deal in response to the death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson after he was roughed up by guards at a Panama City boot camp. {"Roughed up" in this case means beaten, kicked and choked to death.] It would increase juvenile justice spending to nearly $699.5 million in the budget year beginning July 1 if approved by the full House and Senate.

"Unfortunately it has taken the death of a young man to get to this point," said Rep. Gus Barreiro, a Miami Beach Republican who chairs the House Juvenile Justice Appropriations Committee. "There has never been an increase like that."

The murderers caught on tape have not been arrested or charged yet.

See also 2,000 protest teen's death at boot camp: Gov. Bush meets with civil-rights leaders by John Kennedy Orlando Sentinel 04/22/06; Boot camp notoriety chased FDLE [Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement] chief by Lucy Morgan and Jennifer Liberto St. Petersburg Times 04/22/06; and, 2,000 protest in march on Capitol: Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton rally protesters demanding justice in the case of Martin Lee Anderson by Alex Leary and Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times 04/22/06.

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