What to get 14yr old nephew who is in a boys reprimand 'home' in USA?

[trulyscrumptious43]

My sister's boy (adopted but that's not really the point) has been voluntarily put (by my sis and her DH)into some kind of penitential boys home in California, as a solution for his 'inappropriate' sexual behaviour at home. He was abused as a small child and they think that's the underlying cause.
Anyway he isn't allowed TV, computer or CDs in there. He's not allowed out overnight so won't be able to go home for xmas, it's too far to travel.
It seems a bit extreme but that's the way it is, I'm not sure how long they'll keep him in for.
What do I get him for Xmas then? I don't think he's a big reader, I wondered about something James Bondish, like a photo book, but I don't know if that really caught on in the USA.
So no computer games, shopping certificates, or anything relating to outdoor pursuits which he won't be able to partake in.....

fooooooooookin ell.

errr sneak an mp3?

comics.

games - board games, outdoor games.

Oh, Blimey!

A T-shirt?

Very difficult one - hamper of UK candy?

is he arty, pens paper pens
small football
bop it

I mean a box of cadbury stuff and English sweets which are so different from UK stuff.

Superhero books or comics?

By the way, he is a lovely boy, he's been in our family since he was 6, and he's had holidays with us and all the kids a few times, I only wish he would be alllowed over here for his aunty to give him a break!

What do they actually do in this penitential boys home?n Does he have any hobbies at all?

Super hero v good idea, I used to love those books in my 20's- and I'm a girl!

I don't know what they do in the home there Lesanimaux, I get the feeling it's all boot campish stand by your beds stuff. He goes to lessons there and is allowed to be a mentor to the younger ones if he does well - which he was for a while then it all went wrong because he didn't hand in his homework and he's back to the bottom of the pile again. So sad.

Something food related like the UK chocolate selection already suggested.

Board game also a good suggestion. Something like pictionary?

God, is really hard to think of suggestions. It sounds really harsh. Some sort of indoor exercise equipment. Hacky sack kind of thing, Or juggling balls.

Blimey, what a situation.

I hope the poor kid is getting counselling as well as the boot camp stuff. As far as presents goes my 13 yr old godson would like trendy clothes, manga type comic books (Bleach I think they're called), drawing stuff.

Subscription to a comic or magazine?
Difficult if you don't know what he's into but it's something that is a bit longer term than one book IYSWIM ...

I hate to say it, but what he was actually doing at my sister's before they sent him away didn't sound like the end of the world -he had spied on my sister in the shower twice and she found that he'd pinched some of her knickers and had put them in his drawer. Now call me crazy, but my experience of boys when I was that age wasn't that different...they are sent insane by their hormones and I remember some horrible boy at a party stealing knickers out of the hostess's bedroom. He certainly wasn't sent to boot camp.

Poor kid

I had a thread for my nephew for present ideas, had a life journal book on it, I will just find it, may be a good way for him to express himself, record dreams and goals for the future etc. You cold send a pen with it and also maybe some charcoal pencils or something?

here nice suggested by sleepycat

Is that all he did?? WTF! He just sounds curious and hormone addled to me! Aw I really feel sorry for him.

Art supplies and some how to draw books my ds loves these and spends hours laying in his bed drawing .

Thank you all for such brillaint suggestions. My own boy is just 11 so it's hard to know what he'll be into at 14 - althought he lego theme has been central to our lives for at least 6 years now.
I'm going to go for Superhero books, cadbury chocs and board games so far - I'm really inspired to send him a a HUGE parcel!

A word of caution - if it is as bad as it sounds, might everything just get taken away from him?

When does he get to go home? Are you sending it to his house or to bootcamp?

Poor boy.

I feel for this boy, Crap start by all accounts and first time you step off the very straight line due to your hormones you are effectively packed off.

Make sure its a big parcel

He doesn't get to go home for a long time, definitely not for Xmas. I'm sending stuff to my sister's house as they are travelling down to visit him on Xmas day (a 7hr round trip). Crazy, huh? They are the ones that put him there....
I do have his address at the home from my dad, who writes to him every week, but I think my sis wants stuff sent via her.
This conversation is making me so sad for Steven, surely there is another way. All of my family over here think it's too much but what can you say?

God Americans are allowed to be so cruel to their children. People can set up these private hellholes and nobody can say anythign when evil parents condemn their children to them. In some of these places children with severe learning difficulties and disabilities are ELECTROCUTED as punishment! And other families are allowed to send their teenagers to really cruel 'camps' in Jamaica, and they can't escape. It's awful like Guantanamo for kids
Have you suggested to your sister that your nephew comes to you? I certainly wouldn't be buying her a present

I think you should buy him a medal

This is so sad

WTF! That is the sum total of his inappropriate sexual behaviour? And for that he has been institutionalised by his own parents.

There just aren't the words....

I wonder whether you could send something via your sister and something direct to the home, too. Poor kid, it doesn't sound like much of a crime, more hormones and teenage curiousity. I'd have thought being packed away would do far more damage.

Anyhow, I teach piano and have a few pupils in this age range. They seem to mostly like football, cars, nintendo, japanese drawings/ animation etc.
I'd go with magazine subscriptions(even if he can't play computer games he might like to be kept current with what's going on for when he gets out - and might find an English mag quite interesting), manga drawing books with drawing stuff (hobbycraft do great ones), books you can look at rather than have to go to lots of reading effort such as ones with info about racing cars etc. Top trumps? - if he has anyone there he's allowed to play them with, that is.

Failing all that, I reckon the hamper of sweets is a good idea - maybe a huge cadbury selection box?

I think it would be great for him if your sis would let you have him for a while...poor kid.

I've been looking on Amazon for manga books, but I'm worried that there might be sexual content and he wouldn't be allowed it. Does anyone know of any reliable titles, also any good superhero comic books, as I'm right out of touch there and it will have to be an online purchase as we live in the sticks.