Prison for Children (1987 TV Movie)

Raphael Sbarge: John Parsons

Quotes 

• Bea Saunders : [John has arrived at Bea's cabin, he has Chris' body over his shoulders in a fireman's carry... she answers the door]  What happened, boy?

  John Parsons : My brother's dead.

• John Parsons : [Brannon walks into her darkened classroom and stares out a window, John is sitting at a desk]  Tell me about Dennison.

  Angela Brannon : [moving towards door]  I think I should go get David Royce.

  John Parsons : Why? He doesn't know who I am... or what I am. Nothing.

  Angela Brannon : John...

  John Parsons : Chaser runs this place... not Royce. He put Joey in the hole and he put Tyrone in the hospital.

  Angela Brannon : You told me you wanted to go to college. You said maybe become a veterinarian. That's what your brother wanted.

  John Parsons : My brother's dead.

  Angela Brannon : But not what he taught you!

  John Parsons : Doesn't work here! I'm nothin'! I'm a bed, and I'm bad, and I'm nothing!

  Angela Brannon : That's not true!

  John Parsons : Then why am I here?

• Angela Brannon : [to John]  You were put into this place for the wrong reason. And people started telling you that you were worthless, and you're starting to believe it! You know better than that! You know who you are! And we can work through this.

  John Parsons : What works is Chaser.

• John Parsons : Where'd you grow up?

  Boise : Fosters. My mom had all these guys... it was a sex thing, you know? Couple of them with me. So the school found out about it and they put me in homes.

  John Parsons : What was that like?

  Boise : I think it was OK, I guess. Unless you didn't like something, then they get kind of weird. This one guy threw me down a flight of stairs, so I ran. They put me somewhere else, then they finally ran out of places.

• Thomas Holmes : How old are you?

  John Parsons : Sixteen.

  [Tom shakes a small baggie in front of him] 

  John Parsons : What is that?

  Thomas Holmes : It's gold, dude! Scrounged cigarette butts! It can keep you from getting cut. You're a big one for 16.

  [lights one of the butts] 

  Thomas Holmes : I doubt they keep you in the 15 to 16 cottage. I bet you end up in the rat shack like me... 17 to 18s. Some of them's 19 and 20!

• Mr. Platt : John, I've tried to consider all the options open for this case. And I regret that I must... I must find you guilty of willful and malicious destruction of private property. So you will be committed to the Boys Industrial School at Sierra Mesa.

  John Parsons : [shocked]  No.

  Mr. Platt : ...for an indeterminate period not to exceed the attainment of your eighteenth birthday. I will direct Mrs. Groves to make the necessary arrangements.

  [gets up and leaves]