A photographer has revealed the creepy interior of a former juvenile correction centre that once forced a group of six teenage boys to have vasectomies.
Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Centre is a juvenile correction facility located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, which has a dark history involving the mistreatment of inmates.
The prison, named after Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, was established in 1907, for the rehabilitation of young white boys, away from adult inmates who had committed more serious crimes and was considered a progressive institution.
The incarcerated youths were often there for minor issues including school truancy and were housed in dormitory-style housing.
Inside they were said to be taught a trade in industries such as printing, textiles, shoemaking, barbering and in a machine shop.
Many even worked on the school’s farm, learning agricultural methods used to maintain the cattle herds and fields that supported the facility.
But while it seemed like the perfect rehabilitation for young men who had gone down the wrong path with their lives, the centre became the subject of controversy in 1948.
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Reports emerged that six teenage boys were forced to have vasectomies in procedures authorised by North Carolina’s Eugenics board.
It came at a time when the state wanted to “improve” its population through sterilisation.
But this was just the tip of the iceberg for scandals, as over the decades that followed more reports emerged including violence among the inmates, rape and overcrowding.
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The prison held approximately 500 youth during its heyday and many complained about the inhumane conditions.
Conditions began to improve and eventually, the building became used as a drugs rehab facility until all of its inmates were transferred to another facility.
Since then the building has been transferred to other owners and fell into disrepair.
Snaps, taken by photographer Johnny Joo, show crumbling walls, paint peeling away and dusty pool tables.
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Metal bed frames have been left to rust as rubble and wood have been falling down from the ceiling.
Reeds have been growing up the walls on the inside of the building, covering the windows making the former cells sit in eternal darkness.
The building are surrounded by fencing and razor wire as officials claim the building is too dangerous.
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