I followed the guard through a maze of security checkpoints, Hunter behind me, Quinn in front. The stark fluorescent lights cast everything in a harsh glow, making the already sterile environment feel even more lifeless. I’d never been inside a detention facility before, had never imagined I’d be visiting my own mother in one. I had thought I didn’t need this… but I did.

“Through here,” the officer said, stopping at a door marked Attorney–Client Room 3. “We’re making an ...