Glen Mills Schools
Encyclopedia
The Glen Mills Schools is a residential facility for juvenile delinquents located in Glen Mills
and in Thornbury Township
, Delaware County
, Pennsylvania
. David Barstow of the St. Petersburg Times
said that Glen Mills was "the country's most radical and, some say, its most effective answer yet to juvenile crime."
The facility serves boys between 15 and 18 years of age.
Cosimo D. "Sam" Ferrainola, who served as the director of Glen Mills for many years, said that Glen Mill's social structure is, in the words of David Barstow of the St. Petersburg Times
, "a system of social control borrowed directly from street gangs.[...] Which is why Glen Mills recruits gang members as students. They readily understand the power of peer pressure and the rewards of status. The big difference between a street gang and Glen Mills is that students aren't allowed to lay a hand on each other."
In 1996 officials in Florida started plans to establish the Adam Paine Academy, modeled on Glen Mills. In 1997 pressure from the surrounding community lead to an end to the plans to establish the Florida school.
for East Coast
elites." The campus is in proximity to Concordville
.
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Glen Mills is an unincorporated community in Concord Township and Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States about 17 miles from Philadelphia. Glen Mills is known for its gardens and its golf course. Major offices including Deloitte with a headcount of about 100 people...
and in Thornbury Township
Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Thornbury Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,093 at the 2000 census. It is adjacent to, and was once joined with, Thornbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
, Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. David Barstow of the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
said that Glen Mills was "the country's most radical and, some say, its most effective answer yet to juvenile crime."
The facility serves boys between 15 and 18 years of age.
Cosimo D. "Sam" Ferrainola, who served as the director of Glen Mills for many years, said that Glen Mill's social structure is, in the words of David Barstow of the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, "a system of social control borrowed directly from street gangs.[...] Which is why Glen Mills recruits gang members as students. They readily understand the power of peer pressure and the rewards of status. The big difference between a street gang and Glen Mills is that students aren't allowed to lay a hand on each other."
History
The institution opened in 1826 as the Philadelphia House of Refuge.In 1996 officials in Florida started plans to establish the Adam Paine Academy, modeled on Glen Mills. In 1997 pressure from the surrounding community lead to an end to the plans to establish the Florida school.
Campus
The 750 acres (303.5 ha) campus, located 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Philadelphia, is on an almost 1800 acres (728.4 ha) property. Barstow said that the campus "looks like another pricey prep schoolUniversity-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
for East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
elites." The campus is in proximity to Concordville
Concordville, Pennsylvania
Concordville is an unincorporated community in Concord Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located 20 miles west-southwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of U.S. Routes 1 and 322. This intersection can be traced back to two of the earliest roads in Pennsylvania,...
.