atlanta_women_05_girls_0109

Carla was moved to Metro Regional Youth Detention Facility. By this point, she was seven months pregnantand diagnosed with several STDs. Not only was Carla pregnant by her pimp, he also infected her with HIV.Carla remained in DFCS custody but because she was pregnant, Carla was fitted with an electronic monitorand sent back to her father’s house. Determined to keep her child, Carla began going to school, taking care ofher health and following the rules. She gave birth to a baby girl. Carla was 14 years old.Her father refused to take custody of Carla’s baby, so she was placed in DFCS custody and sent to a fosterhome. Carla was sent to a treatment facility for medically fragile youth, from which she quickly ran away. Shewas on the run for four months.Carla was locked up in Metro almost five months. Metro and DFCS failed this child on several levels. First,she met with a mental health counselor about why her baby was not brought to Metro to see her. The counselorcalled DFCS multiple times regarding the situation but the calls were never returned. Three months later, thebaby was finally brought to Metro to visit Carla.Second, Carla did not receive any medical treatment for her condition while at Metro. Nor was Carla givenany specialized mental health counseling for her HIV infection, even though she was put on suicide watchseveral times because of her bouts with depression. Finally, Metro held up paperwork for several months thatwould have allowed Carla to be placed in appropriate facilities.Carla’s father separated from his wife in 2001 and moved in with his mother. Carla’s grandmother agreed totake in Carla and her daughter. Carla was released to her grandmother and father.She began 9th grade. Her goals were to graduate from high school, prove everyone wrong and become a nurseor lawyer. Carla joined ROTC and quickly earned the role of unit leader. She made friends and did well inall of her classes. Carla also got an after school job to buy things for her daughter. She was granted visitationwith her daughter, who was still in foster care. Her father has played a very active role in his daughter’s andgranddaughter’s lives.Sharlene –18-year-old African AmericanSharlene has two younger siblings, and her father is dead. In 2000, her grandmother was given custody of thechildren. Sharlene was an A student in elementary school, but she rarely attended middle school and wasexpelled from high school.When Sharlene was 13, she was caught shoplifting a pair of sneakers. At 14 years of age, she stole her mother’scar. A few months later, she was hospitalized after using cocaine.Sharlene was extremely promiscuous, staying out on the street all night. At one point, her mother took herfor a pregnancy test but did not follow-up. At 15, she was charged with pimping one of her schoolmates(a 13-year-old African American).Sharlene had been pimping Licia from a parking lot on Metropolitan Parkway for about four months. She wouldtransact with men who pulled up and then advise Licia to get in the car with them. Other times, Sharlene woulddrive Licia to a hotel to perform sexual acts with men. Licia would turn over the money she received to Sharlene.Sharlene went before Judge Sanford Jones, Fulton Juvenile Court. Sharlene was found guilty of pimping.She was placed on probation and referred to CEASE, but Sharlene violated probation by running away. Herwhereabouts were unknown until after her 17th birthday when she aged out of the juvenile system. Sharlenewas expelled from school and to date has not completed her GED.48