This week we read chapter's 17-20 in Boys in the Bunkhouse. At this part of the men's history they have been removed Bunkhouse environment and were receiving care from a number of social workers. After immediate removal from the bunkhouse and receiving treatment for the urgent health care and dental issues, it was time for the social workers to find a permanent place for the men to live out the remainder of their lives. While some of them, though not many, went home to Texas, and others to a nursing home, the majority of the men found housing in the town of Waterloo. Many of the men broke off into groups of roommates and the social workers helped them find suitable housing and even jobs in the community if they wanted to work. For many of the men life started to settle down as the left the horrors of the bunkhouse behind, though not completely. Much of the bunkhouse abuse and grueling work at the Turkey factory staid with the men either physically, through past and untreated injuries, or mentally, through PTSD of the years of abuse and neglect. There plight was not forgotten though and a lawyer from Texas took on their case to give the men the justice they deserve.
What I find most upsetting about this reading is that the men never really get the justice they deserve. The social workers worked hard to provide relief and a somewhat normal life for the men once they are removed from the bunkhouse. A committee is put together to prevent such a horror from happening again. The bunkhouse is torn down, and the stories of the men get heard and retold. There is even talk of new legislation to be passed to help protect people with disabilities, but I feel like the men never get the justice the deserve personally. Sure, their battle is taken to court, and they win, and the court decides that they should all receive a large some of money to compensate their lack of wages and what they went through at Henry's Turkey Plant, but the men still don't get the money. The amount they are supposed to receive dwindles lower and lower, but even then they are not getting the money even years after they were removed from the bunkhouse. Also, I want to know if their care takers are being punished, fined, imprisoned? I feel like the justice system fell short for these men and it makes me frustrated.
Alicia, I also agree with you that they boys never got the juice they dissevered and they did not get the money they deserve. Even though it is not about the money I feel the people who were helping the boys were getting all of the justice they deserve.
ReplyDeleteAlicia, I agree. I found this chapter encouraging because the boys were finally able to get help which allowed them to leave the bunkhouse. However, some of the boys still were not placed in good places, and were still being mistreated which was very sad. I also agree that the boys did not receive the justice they deserved, they were mistreated and abused for so long but got nothing back in return. Their entire lives were affected by the bunkhouse and nobody did anything to repay them for that time.
ReplyDeleteI would have to admit that one of the hardest things about being a social worker is knowing that someone experienced injustice (because we as social workers have the privilege of hearing their stories) but knowing that we basically have no control over how the justice system addresses the situation. Laws are written and defined in ways that sometimes don't match what we think justice should be defined and it's frustrating (both for us and for those that have been exploited)
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