LARGO - They were parents and grandparents with similar stories: Their children had been committed to juvenile detention facilities in the Tampa Bay area and they were not happy with the treatment.
Six of them stood outside the parking lot of the Pinellas County Juvenile Detention Center on Wednesday night holding signs that said "justice4kids.org."
They were angry that 17-year-old Daniel Matthews died Saturday after a fight with a 16-year-old inmate inside the Pinellas juvenile center.
"I was just waiting for this to happen, just waiting," said Cassie Riley. She said her son was hurt during an incident involving an officer two years ago at the facility.
Cathy Corry, who runs the Web site justice4kids.org, which helps parents file complaints about abuses in the juvenile system, organized the rally to protest conditions at the 120-bed juvenile facility.
Three officials from the center stood outside the front entrance, ready to intervene if the protesters stepped onto the facility's property.
The average monthly population of the Juvenile Detention Center was 143 between May 1 and May 15, up from 127 in March and 126 in April, according to statistics provided by the Department of Juvenile Justice. It has a capacity of 120 beds.
