Long Lane School

Former juvenile prison in Connecticut, United States

Long Lane School was a prison for juvenile inmates in Middletown, Connecticut. Historically a prison for delinquent girls, it underwent various name changes, was acquired by the state in 1924, and began housing boys in 1972. Prior to its 2003 closure, it was operated by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, and was for inmates of the ages 11–16.[1] It was a locked and high-security facility.[2] In its lifetime, Long Lane remained unfenced.[3]

## History

[edit]

Initially a private charitable organization, it was established in 1868 as the Industrial School for Girls,[4] with the Connecticut Legislature approving the plans for the facility.[5] 45.71 acres (18.50 ha) of land,[6] in Middletown, was donated for the facility;[4] Middletown's proximity to Hartford and New Haven, which it was between, and its accessibility to the Connecticut River boat services, were the reasons for its selection. Sarah A. Leavitt, author of "Neglected, Vagrant, and Viciously Inclined: The Girls of the Connecticut Industrial School, 1867-1917," stated that Farmington was the only other site seriously considered for the facility.[5] The previous Henry Hall and Sweet properties housed Long Lane.[6]

On June 21, 1924, the prison was renamed Long Lane Farm as the State of Connecticut acquired it. It received the name Long Lane School in 1943.[4]

In 1956 Wesleyan University attempted to acquire much of the property to expand its campus. By 1957 the university canceled the deal as the cost to acquire the land would be too great; instead the university acquired other property.[7]

In 1970 Long Lane School became a part of the Connecticut Department of Children and Youth Services, which was renamed Department of Children and Families in 1993. In 1972 the Connecticut School for Boys in Meriden administratively merged into Long Lane, with the boys transferred to Long Lane.[4]

A 15-year old prisoner from New Britain, Tabitha Ann Brendle, became the first inmate of Long Lane to ever commit suicide; her death caused prompts to have juvenile corrections in Connecticut reformed.[8]

By the 1990s the State of Connecticut had plans to upgrade the security of Long Lane. Scott Mayeritz of Wesleyan University stated that the Long Lane campus building was "falling apart".[7] In 1999 Eric M. Weiss of the Hartford Courant stated that "Students and staff describe Dickensian conditions in which students are shackled to beds and proper plumbing is a privilege."[9] A Connecticut child advocate stated that the Long Lane facility was "appalling".[9]

In the 1990s Wesleyan University chose to pay $15 million to purchase the Long Lane campus to avoid having a facility with an obvious prison appearance on the boundary of the university, as the state was planning to erect a security fence; area residents disliked the perception of favoritism towards the university.[7]

As of 2002 about 35 girls resided at Long Lane.[2] The facility had three cottages for boys and one for girls.[10]

In 2002 the state announced that the Long Lane School, then the state's designated juvenile center for girls, was closing. Girls were moved to the Connecticut Children's Place in East Windsor. The closure occurred after the Attorney General of Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, and a state child advocate, Jeanne Milstein, investigated a suicide attempt at Long Lane and then asked DCF to review its practices regarding the safety of delinquent girls.[11] Long Lane was scheduled to close on December 30, 2003.[11] It instead closed February 7 of that year, with boys sent to the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CTJS) in Middletown and girls sent to various other facilities.[4]

## Demographics

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In 1998 about 76% of the prisoners were of racial groups other than non-Hispanic white.[12]

## References

[edit]

* Leavitt, Sarah A. (Class of 1992) (April 1992). "Neglected, Vagrant, and Viciously Inclined: The Girls of the Connecticut Industrial School, 1867-1917". Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Honors College. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) \- Honors College Bachelor's Degree Thesis

### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "DCF Offices and Facilities." Connecticut Department of Children and Families. February 13, 1998. Retrieved on December 2, 2010.
2. ^ a b "New girls unit to open at Children's Place." Journal Inquirer. Tuesday July 16, 2002. Retrieved on December 17, 2015.
3. ^ Hamilton, Elizabeth (1999-08-20). "Getting Long Lane Right". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
4. ^ a b c d e "Long Lane School". Connecticut State Library. Archived from the original on 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
5. ^ a b Leavitt, p. 1.
6. ^ a b Leavitt, p. 2.
7. ^ a b c Mayerwitz, Scott. "Attempted Acquisition of Long Lane, 1956-7". Wesleyan University. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
8. ^ "A Chronology Of Failure A Brief History Of The Connecticut Juvenile Training School". Hartford Courant. 2005-08-02. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
9. ^ a b Weiss, Eric M. (1999-01-08). "Former Official To Spearhead Long Lane Effort". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
10. ^ "Chapter Five." Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee, Department of Children and Families. Retrieved on December 17, 2015.
11. ^ a b Seay, Gregory. "LONG LANE TO CLOSE SOON ; GIRLS FROM SCHOOL TO BE DISPERSED." Hartford Courant. November 26, 2002. B1. Retrieved on August 23, 2010.
12. ^ Blint, Dwight F.; Colin Poitras (1998-12-09). "Long Lane Population Is Mainly Minority". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2019-05-10.

* v
* t
* e

Middletown, Connecticut

Historic districts|

* Broad Street
* Highland
* Main Street
* Metro South
* Middletown South Green
* Wadsworth Estate
* Washington Street
* Wilcox, Crittenden Mill

Education|

| K-12|

* Middletown PS
* Middletown HS
* Mercy HS
* Xavier HS

| Closed|

* Woodrow Wilson HS

|

Tertiary|

* Wesleyan University
* See template
* Middlesex Community College

Other|

* Middletown Adult Education

Landmarks|

| Indiv.
NRHP listings|

* Arrawanna Bridge
* Church of the Holy Trinity and Rectory and Bishop Acheson House
* Coite–Hubbard House
* Connecticut Valley Hospital
* Cemetery
* Eclectic Society Bldg.
* Nehemiah Hubbard House
* Middletown Alms House
* Old Middletown HS
* Old Middletown Post Office
* Jacob Pledger House
* Plumb House
* Russell Company Upper Mill
* Edward Augustus Russell House
* Samuel Wadsworth Russell House
* Saint Luke's Home for Destitute and Aged Women
* Sanseer Mill
* Starr Mill
* Starr Mill Road Bridge
* Town Farms Inn
* Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill
* Seth Wetmore House
* Captain Benjamin Williams House
* Woodrow Wilson HS
* Xi Chapter, Psi Upsilon Fraternity Bldg.

|

Other|

* O'Rourke's Diner (Main Street Historic District)
* Middletown Nature Gardens

Government|

* Connecticut Valley Hospital

| Closed|

* Connecticut Juvenile Training School
* Long Lane School

|

History|

* 2010 power plant explosion

This list is incomplete.

* v
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Correctional facilities for delinquent children in the United States

This list template only include federal, state, federal district, and/or territorial facilities for post-trial long-term confinement (often referred to as "treatment"), of 6 months or more, of delinquent bpys and girls adjudicated (convicted in a juvenile court) into federal, state, federal district, and/or territorial custody. This does not include federal, state, federal district, and/or territorial facilities for children convicted in adult courts (youth sentenced as adults).

State facilities

Alabama|

* Mount Meigs Campus

| Closed|

* Chalkville Campus

|

Arkansas|

| Closed|

* Arkansas Negro Boys' Industrial School

|

California|

| Closed|

* Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility (Whittier State School)

|

Connecticut|

| Closed|

* Connecticut Juvenile Training School
* Long Lane School

|

Florida|

| Closed|

* Florida/Dozier School for Boys

|

Indiana|

| Closed|

* Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility
* Plainfield Juvenile Correctional Facility

|

Iowa|

| Closed|

* Iowa State Training School for Girls

|

Mississippi|

* Oakley Youth Development Center

Texas|

* Gainesville State School (formerly the State School for Girls)
* Giddings State School

| Closed|

* Gatesville State School
* Crockett State School (formerly Crockett State School for Girls)

|

Note: the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) receives juveniles from Native American territories where federal law is enforced. They are held in facilities separate from those of adults. Unlike adults sentenced in District of Columbia courts, juveniles sentenced in DC juvenile courts are sent to facilities operated by DC itself, while adults and those sentenced as adults are sent to BOP facilities.

41°32′46″N 72°39′51″W﻿ / ﻿41.5462°N 72.6642°W﻿ / 41.5462; -72.6642
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