Life in an Alternative to Juvenile Detention

The Apartment Living Program in Virginia Beach, Virginia, rents a block of apartments to divert youth out of juvenile detention. Darrynun Mabry, who was arrested for bringing a gun to school, lives there. “It’s like a second chance,” he says. “It’s a chance to be independent and learn how to be on my own.” When Mabry sees his peers released from juvenile detention, he says they often wind up locked up again. “If it weren’t for this program, I would have gone back [to prison].”

This VR series from The Atlantic is part of a larger reporting project on juvenile justice reform in Virginia. As the population of incarcerated young people has declined, the state has closed all but one center, Bon Air Correctional Center. Approximately 200 inmates are serving out their sentences there, many of them far from their families and communities. Follow The Atlantic for more, including an inside look at Bon Air and perspectives from inmates, staff, and advocates.

These three VR films explore firsthand experiences of three young people in the system. Blending interviews with 3-D animation, each film presents a perspective from a different stage in the detention process. For an optimal viewing experience, watch the film in VR180 with a VR headset.

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