#thechildinside

Susan Lukin writes in “The Child Inside” about her experiences in working for many years in two Juvenile Detention Centers in the Bronx, New York City, where all those youths who are arrested in New York City are sent to be detained while waiting the court disposition of their cases. Her experience working with these youths has made evident that they have a great deal of potential and humanity under their outer hard core formed by their sometimes difficult lives and experiences.

"The Child Inside" is an ideal read for adults and older teens. The author’s memoir and quotes tap into the humanity of all those who have children in their lives. Susan Lukin’s experiences can be shared and will evoke ripples of change in an area that is generally put aside and ignored.

"In every situation I know of, in which a resident refused to see his mother, that the situation was reversed in time, to the credit of staff, and a new, tenuous attempt at reconciliation was generated. During those new, fragile relationships, I used to observe both mother and son being very conscious about their dialogue, and both tried not to repeat old and warn out diatribes that they employed in the past. It was a struggle since both wanted to continue to express anger, tears and hurt out of habit and perhaps not knowing what else to do, but both also wanted to reconnect a relationship that they both vitally needed."

—Susan Lukin, The Child Inside

Press Release: ‘The Child Inside’ by Susan Lukin – a Memoir of Hope Regarding New York City Juvenile Detention Centers in the Bronx

Detention centers are usually considered to be undesirable and unsuitable, and are generally associated with a plethora of negatives. The memoir, ‘The Child Inside,’ however, proposes the idea that the longer a youth is detained, the better off he or she would be in the long run. Written by Susan Lukin, a Social Worker in the New York City’s Juvenile Justice System, the core of this book can be considered controversial. 

Read more here https://bit.ly/2FSZfF0

Susan Lukin shares her experiences working as a social worker in a Juvenile Detention in her book "The Child Inside". She wants to delete the misconceptions and misperceptions about this segment on society and change the view of an area that is generally ignored.

Very often, we wonder what happens to a youth when he leaves our facility, after he completes his time upstate and faces the street again. The temptations remain the same, or are even worse for him. The same pull of the old life is staring at him, wanting to wrap its hands around him again. Many come back to our facility to say hello to staff; they have grown, and often have children of their own. They are proud to show us that they have made it and have resisted the old temptations and habits. Many return to us on new charges and they again go through the Orientation process and counseling that they did not want to hear before. I believe that the record of resident returning to us as of this counting is sixteen times. In fact, he was one of mine and I greeted him each time with a ‘welcome home.’ Sometimes, we are all the structure they have.

—Susan Lukin, The Child Inside

In "The Child Inside," Susan Lukin shares her insights and draws our attention to an ignored and oft forgotten segment of society, helping us to see these children as nothing other than a person deserving of love.

"The Child Inside" written by Susan Lukin enlightens on how children in jail have the potential for growth and maturity. They should not be looked upon by society as the ignored and forgotten.