The Youth Development Center

New Hampshire has sent its most troubled kids to the same juvenile detention center for more than a century. It's a place that was supposed to nurture them, that instead hurt them – in some of the worst ways imaginable. It's now at the center of one of the biggest youth detention scandals in American history. How did this happen – and how did it finally come to light?

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Episodes

Sober Algebra

This flood of roughly 1,300 people who’ve come forward all started with one man. How the widespread abuse at YDC finally came to light and how people are grappling with what justice and accountability even mean in a scandal so large. Click here to read the companion digital story made in collaboration with The Pudding. If you have suffered abuse and need someone to talk to, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. If you’re in a mental health crisis, call the Suicide &...

Jun 26, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3

If You Let a Dog Bite You

Karen Lemoine didn’t arrive at YDC looking to start trouble. But the red flags she saw were hard to ignore, especially when it came to one kid in particular. What trying to do the right thing cost both of them – and why, 30 years later, they’re speaking up again. Click here to read the companion digital story, see archival photos and internal documents, and explore an interactive timeline of the alleged abuse, made in collaboration with The Pudding. If you have suffered abuse and need someone to...

Jun 26, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 2

The Black Box

Click here to read the companion digital story made in collaboration with The Pudding. To hear more stories by Jason Moon and NHPR's Document team, click here . To support investigative journalism like The Youth Development Center at NHPR, click here.

Jun 26, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing: The Youth Development Center

New Hampshire has sent its most troubled kids to the same juvenile detention center for more than a century. It's a place that was supposed to nurture them, that instead hurt them – in some of the worst ways imaginable. A place that for decades was a black box that people are finally seeing into, and what they’re finding is absolutely shocking. How did this happen? How did it finally come to light?

Jun 04, 2024•3 min

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