From the independent producer project of KCRW, this is Here Be Monsters.

A quick warning to listeners, especially if there are kids nearby.

This episode is largely about sexual violence towards

children. Most of the descriptions scattered throughout the piece are fairly

clinical, but one in particular is quite graphic and disturbing.

That description comes from court tape that we recorded.

So if you don't want to hear that, listen for the beginning of the court tape and then

skip ahead about a minute and a half. What is McNeil Island?

It's an island that's in the Puget Sound.

It takes about a half hour boat ride to get out to it. It had its origins as actually a kind of a small community, had its own post office.

Then they opened a federal prison there, which really kind of was when it embarked on something very different than what it used to be.

This is Andrew Morrison. He's a public defender in Washington State.

Andrew often goes to McNeil Island to visit some of his clients.

They live there in a facility called the Special Commitment Center.

Today, the only thing on McNeil Island is the Special Commitment Center, which is

located somewhat centrally a little bit north part of the island. Once you take your

half-hour boat ride you then take another 10 to 15 minute bus ride to get

into the interior of the island where the facility is.

I think it's in the range of 260-ish people that are in total confinement out on McNeil Island.

The Special Commitment Center is not a prison.

It's a treatment center.

There are a couple of layers of razor wire fencing.

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