A USA TODAY BESTSELLER The Child Catcher is the true story of the fight to rescue the children confined to a violent and secretive institution in the rural South. Andrew Bridge's bestselling memoir, Hope's Boy , told the story of his survival after he was taken from his mother, who struggled with schizophrenia, and was left to foster care. Bridge was first confined at one of our country's most notorious children's institutions, MacLaren Hall. Now, in The Child Catcher , he chronicles his role in the longest ...
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A USA TODAY BESTSELLER The Child Catcher is the true story of the fight to rescue the children confined to a violent and secretive institution in the rural South. Andrew Bridge's bestselling memoir, Hope's Boy , told the story of his survival after he was taken from his mother, who struggled with schizophrenia, and was left to foster care. Bridge was first confined at one of our country's most notorious children's institutions, MacLaren Hall. Now, in The Child Catcher , he chronicles his role in the longest-running, most bitterly fought mental health lawsuit in American history. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bridge joined the small team of civil rights lawyers representing the children of the Eufaula Adolescent Center, a violent and secretive institution in the rural South, against the State of Alabama. Eufaula was a place Alabama had refused to surrender. Parents were lured into sending their children there, unable to get them back. Thousands of children went through Eufaula, just as thousands went through the institution that Bridge survived as a boy. The fight for justice led him through squatters' camps in backwoods and into the lives of families caught in a permanent underclass. He sat with children as they struggled to explain what had gone wrong in their lives. In this David and Goliath battle, The Child Catcher is the story of Bridge's personal redemption and the hope that justice for children is possible.
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New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 304 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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ââ?¬Å"The Child Catcher: A Fight for Justice and Truthââ?¬Â? is a true narrative written by Andrew Bridge. It describes real-life incidents involving multiple foster children and the institutionalized injustices they underwent at the Eufaula Adolescent Center, Alabamaââ?¬â?¢s largest juvenile mental health facility.
As a champion for children�s rights, Bridge�s first job following Harvard was at Eufaula, an institution known for its horrific history, including staff abuse of children. Many of the children there had been through difficult circumstances and were in foster care; regrettably, the facility that was supposed to assist them in turning their lives around was plagued by troubling problems. These included the rampant sodomization culture of the youngsters while getting ready for bed and taking showers and the inappropriate use of time-outs and isolation periods. While control and monitoring escaped the institution, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, guilt, and poor self-esteem unabashedly entered the children�s everyday lives.
Those admitted to the institution for mental health care and therapy suffered greatly at the hands of the Department of Mental Health, which was notorious for its cronyism. The department designated Royce King, a prosperous businessman devoid of any background in medical or mental health, to head the organization. His inappropriateness was disregarded for a considerable amount of time, which allowed the institution to continue enforcing the most obvious racial inequities and weeks-long isolation for many of the children. Evidence also demonstrated a lack of individualized therapy, which was highly projected by the institution.
This is an unbiased, honest, bold, and well-spoken read on a hugely important subject. The author, who grew up in a similar atmosphere, introduces the reader to a seemingly untouchable system that is focused on profit and big business. Severe seclusion and incarceration, overindulgence in psychiatric medications, inadequate mental health services, physical and sexual abuse, and a general sense of being alone, insecure, and unwanted are the hallmarks of this system. Bridge�s call to cease forcing children into such institutions without federal control where they end up in greater danger cannot be disregarded.
Through the expert weaving together of his foster care childhood, the author conveys the significance of the continuous fight for childrenââ?¬â?¢s rights and the significance of redemption from the ashes of institutionalized injustice. The extensive research for ââ?¬Å"The Child Catcher: A Fight for Justice and Truthââ?¬Â? by Andrew Bridge will undoubtedly spur thought and action. Its inspirational message of hope, faith, and perseverance in the face of extreme conditions will resonate with readers of all ages.
L.T.
Oct 3, 2024
Literary Titan
Andrew Bridge�s The Child Catcher is an intense and emotional exploration of the American institutional system's failings, focusing on children. Through personal experiences, testimonies, and in-depth research, Bridge details his journey from being a boy in foster care to becoming a lawyer and advocate for children�s rights. The narrative zeroes in on his work with the notorious Eufaula Adolescent Center, a state-run facility in Alabama, highlighting cases of horrific abuse, neglect, and the system�s unwillingness to change. Bridge weaves together the stories of children trapped in broken systems, underscoring the injustices they endure.
What stands out most about this book is the raw honesty and vulnerability with which Bridge writes. I felt his personal struggle from childhood to adulthood, particularly when he shared about his time in MacLaren Hall, which is a polio hospital-turned-foster institution. Bridge relays facts and brings you into the nightmare of living in a place that�s full of isolation and violence. His writing in these moments feels uncomfortably close, like when he describes his first day in MacLaren and the sense of being forgotten. It's emotional and gripping and makes you sit with the uncomfortable truth that these systems often harm the children they�re meant to protect.
The shift from a personal narrative to a professional one is seamless. His recounting of the Wyatt v. Stickney lawsuit that forced him into Eufaula is powerful. Bridge brings you inside the cold and bureaucratic machinery of the legal and mental health system where people, like a mental health commissioner with no qualifications, are tasked with making life-changing decisions for children. The anger and frustration Bridge feels is palpable when he details the failures of those in charge. The writing here is sharp and layered with a sense of justice being fought for but never quite achieved.
The story of David Dolihite, a lonely boy caught in Eufaula�s brutal system, broke my heart. The descriptions of David being drugged, manhandled, and isolated from everything familiar left a haunting image. Bridge doesn�t shy away from the ugliness. In one particularly disturbing passage, he recounts the boys in Eufaula mocking David as he�s dragged away. This pained a vivid picture of the cruelty these children face, not just from the staff but also from each other. It�s tough to read, but it�s necessary to understand the gravity of what these children endure.
The Child Catcher is a book for anyone who wants to understand the devastating impact of institutionalized child neglect and the fight for children's rights. Bridge�s writing is both beautiful and tragic, and his advocacy work shines as a beacon of hope amid the darkness. But be warned: this is not an easy read, emotionally speaking.
