Checks totaling $20 million will soon be hitting the mail to compensate more than 900 victims of an infamous state-run reform school.
The Dozier School for Boys operated for more than a century and was fraught with accusations of abuse.
Charles Deas Jr. attended Dozier School for Boys from 1966 to 1968.
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56 years after he left, the Florida Legislature approved $20 million to be awarded to victims who suffered unspeakable abuse at the infamous state-run reform school.
Now, a year later, Deas’ share of that compensation fund is on the way.
“I still got to live with this thing, but you know, I thank God that I’m still here and I can see some results,” said Deas.
Action News Jax has learned checks could be hitting the mail as early as next week.
The pot of money will be split evenly between all qualified survivors.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, each victim is expected to receive $21,251.98.
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928 victims were validated by the state, and 96 applicants were denied.
Giving those who were denied an opportunity to appeal has prevented the fund from being disbursed until now.
But Deas wishes it could have happened faster.
“We are not young boys anymore. We’re old grown men. You know? And our health is failing,” said Deas.
He wonders how many victims may have passed while waiting for compensation to come.
“I mean, it looks like, okay, they’re just waiting on some more of us to pass away. You know? That’s the way it seems like to me,” said Deas.
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Now armed with the knowledge that compensation is just around the corner, Deas may still have some time left to wait for the moment he expects will be bittersweet.
“Cause it’s going to bring back some memories that I don’t care to remember. You know? But it is what it is. It happened, you know? I got through it, but I still don’t know why it happened,” said Deas. ”And I probably never will. That’s probably something I die with, that question. Why did you do me like that?”
The Attorney General’s Office told me that of the 96 applications that were denied, 13 of those cases are still pending on appeal.
Depending on the outcome of those appeals, survivors could see a second round of checks totaling up to about $300 coming at a later date.
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