this term can be used, depending on the context, to define either of 2 things
a) a ghetto (socio-economically disadvantaged
neighborhood populated, mainly, by ethnic minorities) public school where most, if not all, of the kids have or have had problems with one or more or even all of the following, among other things: being a run-away, truancy, the law, hard core drugs,
prostitution, alcohol,
teenage pregnancy pacts and curfew violations
b) an offensive term for either the psychiatric ward of a regular hospital, the local half-way house, or for a specialized mental health facility (such as Insitut Pinel in Montreal, Canada).
a mother finds out her eldest daughter is doing marijuana.
mother: Anna, you know, I don't really see the point of paying for your private education anymore, since, in my
experience, once you have started on marijuana, the snow-balling effect won't stop until you crash and you will just keep going deeper. What i can do if you want, is send you to continue your education at the local monkey-house; Ecole Secondaire St Luc is right next door to our place.
Anna: roflmao. I started actually,
smoking pot, because I broke up with my boyfriend Evan. And because of my breakup, Ill either crash, as you mentioned, or I guess I can check myself into a monkey-house, since I am just so bloody
depressed, I feel like removing myself from society.
