Dozier School for Boys
Florida state reform school closed in 2011 after decades of documented abuse; survivors later received state compensation.
Florida · Closed 2011 · Compensation program 2024–2025
Overview
The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida — also known historically as the Florida School for Boys — was a state-run reform school. Survivors, journalists, and later state investigations documented decades of brutal physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
What happened
Survivors known as the “White House Boys” described beatings and other abuse in a building called the White House. Researchers later examined unmarked graves on campus. Public pressure and investigations into mistreatment contributed to the school’s eventual shutdown.
Outcome / status
The school closed in 2011. Florida later established the Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program (Fla. Stat. § 16.63) for living persons confined between 1940 and 1975 who were subjected to abuse by school personnel. The Florida Attorney General’s office states applications closed and compensation was sent to approved applicants on June 30, 2025.