You have a great imagination. I spent some time in the juvenile justice system in Macon and Clay Counties, Georgia. I'm told those were some of the toughest juvenile institutions in the nation at the time from a staff discipline standpoint. Compared to one week in Straight, Inc., it was an absolute CAKE WALK! Why? Because, if one followed the rules, which were more-or-less reasonable rules, one actually did not get harassed, punished or abused in any way. The hardest part about it was the sound and feel of the steel doors and institutional green drab setting. But you get used to that in a matter of days.
While I was there, I never even SAW or HEARD of anyone being physically restrained. Of course, everyone knew that it must happen from time to time when necessary. But, in the juvenile detention, they really, really only used restraint to keep inmates from hurting themselves or others. In the Program, otoh, where they refered to us as clients and called it therapy, they used physical restraint to coerce desired THOUGHT and SPEECH and acceptance of the madness that was going on as perfectly normal and sane.
Except for about two days out of more than 700 in Straight, Inc. (like WWASP, a juvenile Synanon), I was physically restrained or officially punished in any way. It was the contant psychological and emotional abuse that made it unbearable. It was the self rightious, sneering staff constantly gloating over the FACT that they could and would do what the FUCK they wanted to you and no one would believe you if you screamed for help. Worse? For a time, both of my parents bought into it, hook, line and sinker. Worse than that? Well over 20 years later, my one living parent STILL DOES!
Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there, and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his own view of truth.
--Mohandas K. Gandhi
