Teen ‘boot camps’ get congressional scrutiny--October 10th, 2007--WASHINGTON | The death of 15-year-old Roberto Reyes at a “boot camp” for troubled  teenagers in rural Missouri three years ago drew the attention of Congress on Wednesday.  Thousands of teenagers have possibly been abused and many have died as a result at similar residential disciplinary treatment programs, a federal investigation has found.  The report by the Government Accountability Office addressed problems at several disciplinary programs across the country. Concerns included withholding food, drink and medical care, as well as reckless practices by untrained staff. Its findings, that more than 1,600 employees at treatment centers in 33 states had been linked to incidents of abuse in 2005 alone, were the subject of a House hearing Wednesday.  The GAO echoed some of the findings of a 2005 Kansas City Star investigation, which uncovered several alleged instances of abuse at the Thayer Learning Center in Kidder, Mo., north of Kansas City. The owners have denied any wrongdoing.  The focus of the hearing was also on parents, forever haunted by choices they’d give anything to take back.  “His mother and I will never escape our decision to send our gifted 16-year-old son to his death,” testified Bob Bacon of Arizona, whose son, Aaron, died at a Utah wilderness therapy camp. “We were conned by their fraudulent claims and will go to our graves regretting our gullibility.”  The GAO said that during three weeks in 1994 when Aaron was constantly forced to hike, he complained of severe abdominal pain, lost 20 percent of his body weight and lost control of his bodily functions. He received no medical care.  It also found little oversight. Some states license the centers. Others, such as Missouri, don’t.  “These allegations range from neglect to torture, a word that I don’t use lightly,” said Democratic Rep. George Miller of California, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.kansascity.com Date: October 10, 2007)

CBS, you've got to be kidding me--September 28th, 2007--WASHINGTON — When they write the cultural history of childhood in 21st-century America, I hope they leave room for a few unkind words about "Kid Nation."  CBS' latest new reality show is about 40 kids from 8 to 15 years old who are dropped into a ghost town in New Mexico with only a production crew to call their own. The kids' task, we are told, is to "try to fix their forefathers' mistakes and build a new town that works."  Their real job, of course, is to attract viewers who want to see what happens to the "first ever kid nation." Will kids left to their own devices create a democratic idyll or a savage anarchy?  There is nothing particularly new about the conflicting images of children as innocents and children as beasts. It's as old as mythology. It lives on in the heart of every parent who's seen her child turn from a screaming sociopath at the supermarket checkout to a philosopher king at the beach: "Who painted the sky blue?"  But the real founding fathers of "Kid Nation" leave little to chance or choice. It's the producers, not the so-called "pioneers," who determine the structure of the town called Bonanza. It's the adults who lay the cultural grid down the main street. And this makes "Kid Nation" an entry into the annals of childhood as it's now lived and argued about in America.  You see, this is what the adults brought with them from Hollywood to Bonanza: competition, class and consumerism. In the very first episode, the children were directed to form four armies for color war. They were told that victory would determine their class status. And it did.  In a scenario Karl Marx couldn't have made up, the winners of the war were dubbed "upper class," the runners-up were labeled "merchants," then "cooks," and finally "laborers." The little capitalists were allowed to use their very unequal paychecks for very unequal chores to pay for goodies at the town store. The producers did everything but deny the lower-income children their health coverage.  Cutthroat competition, class divisions, unrelenting consumerism. Maybe it is reality programming after all. Aren't these the basic three C's of the culture in which we are all raising children?  Parent bashing is the favorite indoor  sport these days. It's behind the voyeurism that makes "Supernanny" popular and Britney Spears unpopular. It's why we cheered the judge assigning the sinking celebrity a parenting coach.  Ordinary parents are held responsible for protecting their children from every imaginable danger. They are fed a high-anxiety diet of horror stories about lead paint in toys, Crocs on escalators and killer cribs. If you Google "danger" and "children," you get 21 million hits of everything from online predators to junk food.  Yet, even the most watchful parents are not immune to criticism. The latest villains are the helicopter parents. See them hover over their children's lives! Watch them pull the invisible apron strings of a cellphone, book their children's playdates and write their college entrance essays while squashing their sense of imagination. Parents even have to protect kids from overprotection.  The back story is that America has privatized child-raising. We regard children as the wholly owned subsidiary and responsibility of their families. Parents, in turn, can become so absorbed in worrying about the side rails on cribs that we lose focus on the cultural environment that encases all of us. And there is no bike helmet that can protect our children's brains from the three C's.  Before it premiered, "Kid Nation" itself was charged with endangering the children by violating child-labor laws and even child-abuse laws. Indeed, the consent form that the parents signed is as creepy as the ones you don't read before you go into surgery. Even creepier was the scene when two homesick children cried and not one adult had the impulse to drop a camera and offer comfort.  Nevertheless, the real trouble in Bonanza is not that the cast of mini-survivors was exposed to "serious bodily injury, illness or death." It's that the children urged to build a better town (read "world") than their forefathers were manipulated into the copycat media culture. The reward is a gold star literally worth its weight in gold: $20,000.  The only hero so far is 8-year-old Jimmy, the New Hampshire boy who had the good sense to go home. As for the rest?The children of Bonanza didn't make the rules. They inherited them. It's not a kid nation. It's our nation.  (Webmaster Note:  Sometimes it pays  to write a letter to the editor.  Tell CBS  "Shame on You".   Also see:  http://www.cbskidnation.blogspot.com/  )  For complete story, click here.

Award reduced in Mormon church abuse case--September 19th, 2007--The state Court of Appeals has overturned a portion of a 2005 civil court verdict that found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints financially liable after a church member sexually abused his two stepdaughters.  The appellate court ruled on Tuesday that while the Mormon church still owed the two stepdaughters a little more than $1.2 million because a bishop kept one from reporting the abuse, the church was not financially responsible for the stepfather's liability in the case. That decision will reduce the amount that was awarded to the girls in 2005, although attorneys were not immediately sure by how much.  The two sisters, Jessica and Ashley Cavalieri, had originally won a $4.2 million award in a King County civil trial that held the stepfather, Peter N. Taylor, and the church liable for the years of abuse.  (Webmaster Note: Don't send your child to Utah!)  For complete story, click here.

Should teachers be able to bring guns to school?--September 18th, 2007--ASHLAND, Ore. — In court documents, she's known as "Jane Doe." Innocuous enough, but the woman behind that pseudonym pushes one of the nation's hottest political buttons: guns and school safety.  What Ms. Doe wants to do is take her Glock 9-mm pistol to the high school in Medford, Ore., where she teaches.  She's licensed to carry a concealed weapon, and she has what many supporters say is a legitimate reason for being armed: a restraining order against her ex-husband based on threats he's allegedly made against her and her children.  But district policy prohibits anyone except a law-enforcement officer from bringing a weapon onto campus. When word got out that she had a concealed-carry permit, administrators reminded her of that policy...  "Jane Doe," who agreed to be interviewed by phone on condition of anonymity, says she does not want to be viewed as an "Annie Oakley." Trying to extricate herself from an abusive relationship led her to buy her first gun just a few years ago, she says.  Before that, she had not been a gun-rights activist... According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 37 states have laws specifically banning guns at schools. In Washington state, the law prohibits teachers from carrying firearms on school property.  In general, administrators, teachers organizations and law-enforcement agencies favor such laws. In the confusion of a school shooting, police officials have said, adding guns to the situation just makes it more dangerous.  The state panel investigating the April 16 shootings by a mentally disturbed student who killed 33 people at Virginia Tech University, the nation's deadliest school shooting, agreed.  "If numerous people had been rushing around with handguns, the possibility of accidental or mistaken shootings would have increased significantly," the panel wrote... In Michigan last week, 16 state lawmakers sponsored legislation allowing teachers, administrators and other school employees to carry concealed weapons on school property. Ohio has a similar bill pending. South Carolina, Alabama and Virginia are among several other states that have considered lifting school-campus gun bans this year, according to Stateline.org, which tracks state issues... So far, just one state — Utah — allows concealed weapons on campus.  Utah's law applies to public colleges and universities. The University of Utah opposed the 2004 legislation that allows weapons on campus, but lost in the state supreme court.  For complete story, click here.  

Friends Talk About Teen Accused Of Capital Murder:  July 23rd, 2007--News of 17-year-old Joshua Loften's alleged involvement as the gunman in the murder of 40-year-old Dean Worden Sunday afternoon spread quickly through the Argenta District of North Little Rock.  “That's my homeboy and everything. I can't believe he did this,” said Lamar Tenner.  “I never thought he'd commit a crime like that or anything,” said Lashara Bryant.  But police believe Loften was capable of pulling the trigger outside the Wal-Mart on East McCain, killing Worden in cold blood.  They arrested the teenager Monday around 3 a.m. which is something his neighbor, who wishes to be known only as "Pamela," says she couldn't believe.  “I was in shock, like I am now,” she said. “He was a nice, respectable, caring young man.”  But "Pamela" says that kind, caring side of Loften wasn't always so easy to see.  “He was heading down the wrong path,” she said. “He went to boot camp for a couple of months.”  She says he'd been back home for about two months, showing a considerably different attitude.  “He was more mature, more grown, more stable and not rowdy.”  She says that change in behavior makes news of his alleged involvement as both purse snatcher and fatal gunman so difficult to understand.  “I don't know. Something clicked,” she said. “He's not that type of person, out to hurt anyone.” (Or, at least, he wasn't, until he survived a "troubled teen" boot camp.)  For complete story, click here.

The Police State Takeover Of Schools-Conditioning the kids for their future on the global plantation:  July 24th, 2007--Schools have become hi-tech prisons. Children all across America and the UK are being conditioned to accept that they are not free and that they must submit to draconian laws and measures for their own safety.  Soon enough children will not even know what it is like to act as a private individual within society. Don't believe this? Read on.  All over the United States and Britain children are increasingly being subjected to measures that wouldn't look out of place in maximum security prisons.  Everyday we post reports from mainstream news sources documenting this disturbing trend.  Today The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that schools across America are banning backpacks that are made of non see-through materials .  If students walking between classes want to use a backpack, it must be made of clear plastic or mesh so its contents can be seen at a glance. Cloth backpacks can be carried into the school in the morning but must be stored in lockers.  So the students should all now feel much safer due to the fact that they can all see each other's personal items right? Wrong.  The move has unleashed a torrent of protest from some Wissahickon students, who say high schools are coming to resemble "prisons or police states," in the words of one. Brandon Hemmen, a senior, said the clear bags will make it easy for thieves who already rip off students every day. And "bags will get mixed up; we'll have to use name tags," he added. "This is wrong. They can't take all our freedoms away."  A second item today comes from Security tech website Security Park which reports that Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is to deliver the convenience and security of contactless payments by cell phone to students and the faculty.  Beginning in July, Slippery Rock University's 8,500 students, faculty and staff will receive a new official campus ID card and a separate contactless token designed for use with their mobile phones.  Using either the card or the phone, they will be able to make payments at on-campus locations as well as participating merchants in the surrounding community... .  The new mobile phone tokens incorporate the same standards-based contactless technology (ISO 14443) used worldwide by MasterCard, Visa and leading card issuers in the payment and identity sectors.  Good, prepare the kids first and then bring in the cashless society nationwide, with an ID card of course, which you will need to be able to buy and sell. We have long warned of the dangers of a cashless society putting total control into the hands of state regulated and private corporations and the break down of basic freedoms that it encompasses.  Still don't feel there is anything to worry about in schools?  Do a prisonplanet. com google search on the word "school", you will be confronted with literally hundreds and hundreds of news articles from the past few years that detail the police state takeover of schools all over the US and throughout the UK.  For complete story, click here.

Mississippi Sued Over Alleged Abuse at Girls Detention Center:  July 12th, 2007--JACKSON, Miss. — Girls at a Mississippi detention center were sometimes shackled for 12 hours a day and subjected to "horrendous physical and sexual abuse," a youth advocacy group claims in a federal lawsuit.  The Mississippi Youth Justice Project sued the state Wednesday on behalf of six girls, ages 13 to 17, and called for the shutdown of the troubled Columbia Training School.  For complete story, click here.

Psychiatrists, Children and Drug Industry's Role:  When Anya Bailey developed an eating disorder after her 12th birthday, her mother took her to a psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota who prescribed a powerful antipsychotic drug called Risperdal.  Created for schizophrenia, Risperdal is not approved to treat eating disorders, but increased appetite is a common side effect and doctors may prescribe drugs as they see fit. Anya gained weight but within two =years developed a crippling knot in her back. She now receives regular injections of Botox to unclench her back muscles. She often awakens crying in pain.  Isabella Bailey, Anya's mother, said she had no idea that children might be especially susceptible to Risperdal's side effects. Nor did she know that Risperdal and similar medicines were not approved at the time to treat children, or that medical trials often cited to justify the use of such drugs had as few as eight children taking the drug by the end.  Just as surprising, Ms. Bailey said, was learning that the university psychiatrist who supervised Anya's care received more than $7,000 from 2003 to 2004 from Johnson & Johnson, Risperdal's maker, in return for lectures about one of the company's drugs. Doctors, including Anya Bailey's maintain that payments from drug companies do not influence what they prescribe for patients.  But the intersection of money and medicine, and its effect on the well-being of patients, has become one of the most contentious issues in health care. Nowhere is that more true than in psychiatry, where increasing payments to doctors have coincided with the growing use in children of a relatively new class of drugs known as atypical antipsychotics.  These best-selling drugs, including Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Abilify and Geodon, are now being prescribed to more than half a million children in the United States to help parents deal with behavior problems despite profound risks and almost no approved uses for minors.  For complete story, click here.

The great ADHD myth: The psychiatrist who identified attention deficit disorder - the condition blamed for the bad behaviour of hundreds of thousands of children - has admitted that many may not really be ill.  Dr Robert Spitzer said that up to 30 per cent of youngsters classified as suffering from disruptive and hyperactive conditions could have been misdiagnosed. They may simply be showing perfectly normal signs of being happy or sad, he said.  'Many of these conditions might be normal reactions which are not really disorders,' he continued.  Dr Spitzer developed the bible of mental disorder classification in the 1970s and 1980s, which identified dozens of new conditions including ADD and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Since then hundreds of thousands of children have been diagnosed with ADD, a behavioural disorder linked to poor attention span, and ADHD, which adds an element of hyperactivity. The disorders describe disruptive and restless behaviour that results in children having difficulty focusing their attention on specific tasks. ADHD is most commonly noticed at the age of five, and as many as one in 30 British children is said to have it. It is often treated with drugs, with Ritalin being the most commonly prescribed.  Some scientists say ADHD is a genetic disorder that does not disappear with adulthood.  But sceptics believe the diagnosis is a 'biobabble' label, which has evolved from a soundbite culture that is too prepared to medicalise anti-social human traits.  Dr Spitzer, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York, now says the classification led to many people being diagnosed as medically disordered when their mood swings and behaviour were simply normal feelings of happiness and sadness.  For complete story, click here.

TYC Abuse Scandal Continues To Unravel:  The Texas Youth Commission abuse scandal could have been going on for years in secrecy. Dr. Ben Raimer heads UTMB's program to provide medical care to kids in the TYC and brought attention to unusual fractures in TYC inmates three years ago. "We saw a trend and were told corrective action was being taken." The UTMB's findings have been published in a medical journal and turned over to the Inspector General investigating the case. The first top official to be arrested is Jerome Parsee, Superintendent of the intake facility in Marlin. He is accused of lying to a Texas Ranger about activity in his facility.  There are more than 1000 active investigations underway into abuses of TYC kids by prison guards, including over 200 cases of sexual abuse.   For complete story, click here.

Girl's Overdose Death Raises Questions:  HULL, Mass. (AP) - In the final months of Rebecca Riley's life, a school nurse said the little girl was so weak she was like a  "floppy doll." The preschool principal had to help Rebecca off the bus because the 4-year-old was shaking so badly. And a pharmacist complained that Rebecca's mother kept coming up with excuses for why her daughter needed more and more medication. None of their concerns was enough to save Rebecca.  Rebecca - who had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity and bipolar disorder, or what used to be called manic depression - died Dec. 13 of an overdose of prescribed drugs, and her parents have been arrested on murder charges, accused of intentionally overmedicating  their daughter to keep her quiet and out of their hair.  (Webmaster Note: See www.ablechild.org for alternatives and opposition to ADD/ADHD/ODD diagnoses and medications.)  For complete story, click here.

ADHD drug use for youth obesity raises ethical questions:  ...Several pediatricians contacted by CNN say they suspect other pediatricians are prescribing ADHD medications off label for weight loss. "No one admits it," says Dr. John Lantos, professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago. "It's morally and medically questionable, so I don't think anyone's proud of doing this."  The Food and Drug Administration warns that some patients on ADHD drugs with pre-existing heart problems have suffered sudden death. The agency also warns that some on Adderall develop psychiatric problems, such as hearing voices and becoming manic. Pediatricians like Lantos say it's wrong to prescribe Adderall for weight loss when risks are known and the benefits are questionable. The drug has never been studied for weight loss, so they suggest that Ziai's success stories may be anecdotal. "Doctors who prescribe this could end up killing kids by giving them a medication that doesn't work for the reason they're prescribing," Lantos says.  (Webmaster Note:  Parents and pediatricians put kids on amphetamines as "treatment" for quack diseases of ADD/ADHD (see www.ablechild.org), yet, punish their children for using amphetamines recreationally...  Hmmmm...  Hypocrisy?  Are parents and doctors creating lifelong addictions through pharmaceuticals as opposed to environmental/social/psychological/nutritional solutions?  Let's stop introducing kids to addictive substances and creating confusion...  Okay?)  For complete story, click here.

Teen terror? British society confronts its fear of the young: ...The government has its own lexicon for dealing with troubled teens, from NEETS - young people "not in employment, education or training" - to ASBOs, or "anti-social behavior orders," used to control the wayward... With such an attitude, children's advocates say, it's no  surprise Britain placed last in a recent UNICEF survey of children's well-being in 21 developed countries.  A British think tank has a catchy term for it: pedophobia.  "There has always been a culture in Britain that's a bit anti-children," said Julia Margo, one of the authors of a report on British youth for the Institute for Public Policy Research, a center-left think tank. "In the newspaper letters pages, you see constant debates about noisy children on trains."  "There are (also) a great number of children on the streets without anything to do," she said. "This is what's contributing to pedophobia."  The institute's research found that British adults, more than those in other European countries, view teenagers as a menace. Britons were much less likely to intervene than those in other countries if they saw teens vandalizing a bus shelter - 34 percent said they would try to stop it, compared with 65 percent of Germans and 52 percent of Spaniards.  Surprisingly, many kids share that view. It turns out that they're afraid of each other.  The group of hoodie-wearing skateboarders honing their skills on the concrete steps and sidewalks of London's financial district may appear just the type to annoy their elders...  The UNICEF report, released in February, said Britain's young people were the unhappiest in the developed world. While Britain sat in the middle of the table for health and safety, it came second from bottom - just above the United States - for child poverty, and last in "family and peer relationships," which measured indicators such as single-parent families and time spent with friends and family.  In the UNICEF study, only 40 percent of British respondents said they found their peers "kind and helpful," compared with more than 80 percent in Switzerland.  British youth scored on top for risky behavior such as drinking, drug use and sex. Almost a third of 11- to 15-year-olds reported having been drunk twice or more, the highest level of any country surveyed.  The report claimed a country's wealth was not a sufficient guarantee of happy children, saying there is "no strong or consistent relationship between per capita GDP and child well-being."  Britain's poor performance may be one of the downsides of the country's embrace of American-style free-market competition - a move that has unleashed enormous economic energy since the 1980s, but widened inequalities and left many without a safety net. The countries that scored highest - the Netherlands and the Nordic countries of Sweden, Denmark and Finland - displayed relatively low poverty rates with supportive networks of family and friends and low levels of risky behavior by teens.  (Webmaster Note:  So, basically, a sick over-capitalistic society that puts profit over people creates unhappy, unhealthy, and therefore "troubled" children and families.  Let's keep that in mind and stop the "pedophobia" and scapegoating of society's ills onto those most powerless to change things, our children.  See "Reclaiming Our Children" by Dr. Peter Breggin for solutions.)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.azcentral.com  Date: March 20, 2007)

Abuse trial ends deadlocked:  A Charlottesville jury deadlocked Monday on the question of whether a former mental health specialist at Whisper Ridge sexually abused  two girls receiving treatment at the facility for troubled teens.  After three and a half hours of deliberation, the 10-woman, two-man panel revealed it was hopelessly deadlocked in the case of Bryan Antwann Vaughan, one of five former Whisper Ridge employees charged with misconduct.  Vaughan, 32, faces 10 years in prison if he’s convicted on two counts of custodial sex abuse in December 2005 and January 2006.  Prosecutors will seek to try Vaughan again for the charges, according to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Elizabeth Killeen.  Vaughan’s was the first of five cases stemming from allegations of abuse at Whisper Ridge, a facility that had previously changed names but remains plagued by allegations of misconduct in recent years.  Formerly known as the Brown Schools, Whisper Ridge is a 60-bed facility on Arlington Boulevard that provides psychiatric care for 13- to 17-year-olds suffering from mental health or drug abuse problems.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.dailyprogress.com  Date: March, 2007)

Ivy Ridge students run away:  Police went door to door, even buggy to buggy, looking for the missing boys.  "If you see them, let someone know," a trooper said.  Early Monday morning, four students ran free from the Academy at Ivy Ridge, a school for troubled teens.  Tom Nichols, Academy at Ivy Ridge Spokesperson, said, "These individuals forced their way out of the building and the dorm parents tried to stop them and there were just a few individuals who managed to get outside the building."  (Webmaster Note:  Run boys run!)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: http://news10now.com  Date: March 19, 2007)

Ex-employees question safety for troubled teens at rehab facility:  PHOENIX A lockdown rehabilitation facility for troubled teens in north Chandler is under fire from former employees who claim the place is plagued by violence, poor management and lax care.  Several say they are in talks with child advocates at the Arizona Center for Disability Law and are seeking legal action against the facility.  Also named is the facility's operator, Austin, Texas-based Youth and Family Centered Services.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: http://kvoa.com  Date: March 17, 2007)

Area teen learns tough lesson through door-to-door sales: Pope spent six months in an industry under growing scrutiny for allegations that its young sales people are encouraged to spin stories to meet quotas and are either induced or coerced to stay on the job by easy access to drugs, limited access to their paychecks and mental and even physical abuse from managers.  Earlene Williams, whose organization Parent Watch Inc. filed a racketeering lawsuit against the door-to-door magazine sales industry in 1982, says she has been trying for 25 years to get Congress to end the industry's exemption from labor practices laws.  For complete story, click here.

High-powered therapy targets troubled teens, families :  ...Unlike detention centers, boot camps or some other youth programs, multi-systemic therapy doesn't isolate the teens. Rather, it deals with them in their own environment.  Therapists visit the juvenile's family, relatives, neighborhood and school several times a week, keeping the youths away from undesirable peers and making sure they stay in school. The therapists also help the parents set rules.  It's a tough job that puts them on call 24 hours a day. Sometimes they respond in the middle of the night, often in unsafe neighborhoods.  In about 60 percent of cases, officials say, a single parent is raising several children while overburdened with two or three jobs, leaving little time or energy to deal with a difficult teen.  "A lot of these children do not have good relationships with their parents," said Linda Baker, who supervises the four therapists in the Bergen County programs...  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.northjersey.com  Date: March 14, 2007)

ACLU lawsuits seek release of kids from immigrant detention center:  The American Civil Liberties Union said today that it has filed lawsuits on behalf of 10 immigrant children, challenging their detention at the T. Don Hutto Family Residential Facility, an immigrant detention center in Taylor.  The lawsuits filed in federal district court in Austin charge that the children are being held under inhumane and prison-like conditions while their parents await immigration decisions. They name U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and five officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  "There is simply no justification for imprisoning innocent children who pose no threat to anyone," Vanita Guptaan ACLU lawyer, said at a press conference in Austin. "This is an affront to our core values as a nation. We need practical, realistic immigration policy, not draconian methods that are harming vulnerable kids."  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source www.statesman.com  Date: March 7, 2007)

Police investigate claims of sexual abuse at 22 Texas youth prisons:  AUSTIN, Texas — Police were sent to 22 Texas Youth Commission facilities and  the agency headquarters Tuesday to investigate claims that young inmates were sexually abused and that agency officials covered it up.  Jay Kimbrough, appointed by the governor to look into the allegations at a West Texas youth prison, said the officers would conduct interviews at the prisons and halfway houses, secure equipment and collect documents if necessary.  He also issued a warning to agency employees.  "If you are part of this gig, you need to move on or we're going to find you and prosecute you," Kimbrough said.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.usatoday.com  Date: March 6, 2007)

Claims about 'orphans' key in shady adoptions:  ...Federal authorities say the FOC scam involved more than 80 children - eight to 10 of whom were placed in Utah - and began no later than March 2002 and operated until June 2005. The birth parents believed the youngsters were being temporarily placed in U.S. homes and would return when they reached adulthood, according to the indictment. Instead, FOC placed the children permanently with U.S. parents, the indictment says.    Facing federal charges are Scott and Karen Banks, of Wellsville; Dan Wakefield, of Utah; Tagaloa Ieti, of Samoa; Julie Tuiletufuga, of Samoa; Coleen Bartlett of Evanston, Wyo.; and Karalee Thornock, of Tooele...The defendants are charged with conspiracy, immigration violations - including visa fraud - and money laundering. The maximum prison terms for the offenses range from five years to 20 years. Wakefield, who for years lived in Samoa, will have an initial appearance Monday at 9:30 a.m. in U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Alba's courtroom.  FOC charged adoption fees of $13,000 for one child and $20,000 for two. In addition, adoptive parents had to pay other expenses, including the cost of traveling to New Zealand to file immigration forms at the U.S. consulate there.  The agency reportedly persuaded Samoan parents to turn over their children to FOC, offering money, food and other "humanitarian assistance" and promises the children would be educated abroad and later returned home.  The agency also allegedly claimed to be affiliated with the U.S. government or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the indictment said...At least one of those charged has ties to another troubled venture. Wakefield was a partner in New Hope Academy, a residential treatment facility set up in Apia, Samoa, in mid-1998. It closed just months later, stranding five teens.  Wakefield blamed the failure of New Hope Academy on a consultant it hired, Steve Cartisano, who left Utah after a teen died in a wilderness therapy program he founded.  The indictment alleges Wakefield lied to Samoans and adoptive parents about the circumstances surrounding the adoptions, the conditions in which the children lived and why their birth parents would relinquish them. Allegedly, he and other recruiters also actively solicited and pressured Samoan parents to give their children up for adoption...  (Unable to locate complete story at time of archiving.  Source: www.sltrib.com Date: March 3, 2007)

O'Malley criticizes juvenile officials: Gov. Martin O'Malley sharply criticized juvenile authorities yesterday for failing to respond to a school nurse's formal complaint last year about mistreatment of youths at the Bowling Brook Preparatory School, where a Baltimore teenager later died.  "It's just unacceptable that a health professional would notify authorities there were problems and they didn't follow up," O'Malley said...The Sun reported yesterday that Bowling Brook's nurse notified the state Department of Juvenile Services in August that a youth had been badly bruised and scraped while being restrained by staff members.  Five months later, 17-year-old Isaiah Simmons of East Baltimore died after being similarly restrained at the privately run residential program for juvenile offenders.  Bowling Brook officials responded to the publication of nurse Janis Miller's complaint by imposing a gag order on the school's employees, threatening to fire any who speak to the press...Nancy Forster, the state's chief public defender, urged Bowling Brook employees to speak candidly to police and investigators, even if workers choose to abide by the gag order.  "Whether or not employees of Bowling Brook speak to the press is inconsequential, " Forster said. "What is important is that those employees feel free to ... cooperate fully with those investigating Isaiah's death and the reported mistreatment of other children there."  For complete story, click here.

Three Teens Arrested for Rape at School for Troubled Kids:  MOUNT PLEASANT, N.Y. (AP)  -- Staffers at a school for the emotionally disturbed conducted their own investigation of a 13-year-old girl's rape and even tried to collect evidence before reporting the attack, a police chief said Tuesday.  "I'm not certain it's criminal but it's certainly not advisable,'' said Mount Pleasant police Chief Louis Alagno. "They should be calling, notifying the police and calling in the professionals.''  He said the school delayed calling police for nearly four hours after the Monday night attack at the Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls School in Hawthorne, about 25 miles north of New York City. Three teenage boys were arrested and charged as adults.  For complete story, click here.

Committee looks into sex abuse claims at youth prison:  AUSTIN — Allegations that troubled youths at a West Texas juvenile prison were sexually preyed on by staff members despite repeated warnings to supervisors are "the tip of the iceberg" in a system where "wrongdoing is becoming the norm," a state senator said Monday.  Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said his office has received 90 allegations of Texas Youth Commission staff members sexually assaulting juvenile offenders since 2000, with only a few instances of disciplinary action taken.  "This is a problem all over the state," said Hinojosa, vice chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, which today will hear testimony on the sex abuse allegations in the state-run facilities.  For complete story, click here.

Chinese clinic treats teen internet addicts with hypnosis, shock therapy:  According to the Post, one clinic in the Beijing suburb of Daxing keeps some of its 12 to 17-year-old patients locked in rooms with barred windows for most of the day, treating them with a combination of counseling, medication, and military-style discipline. While some residents clearly have no need for such a facility -- one young man who only surfed four to five hours a week said he came to Daxing to "get away from my parents" -- there do seem to be more hardcore cases of lonely individuals spending all their free time online at the expense of their careers and social lives. At the Daxing clinic, these troubled teens whose "souls are gone to the online world" are housed together on the third floor of the building, where they are subjected to hypnosis and even mild shock therapy in an attempt to rid them of their love of surfing. It's not really clear from the article what the success rate is for veterans of the clinic, but we imagine many of them find the conditions so distasteful that they swear off technology altogether simply for fear of being sent back.  (Webmaster Note:  It's happening in the U.S. too!  Manchurian Candidate, try Manchurian World!)  For complete story, click here.

Davenport boot camp scrutinized for resident treatment:  DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- A boot camp for delinquent boys is under scrutiny after a state investigation showed its juveniles often went hungry, were subjected to corporal punishment and were sometimes denied timely access to the bathroom.  SUMMIT's troubles come five years after former director John Bolsinger was charged with molesting teenage boys under his watch. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence scheduled to end in 2012.  The camp's latest problems were documented in a state report based on interviews and an onsite inspection last month.  For complete story, click here.

Troubled indeed:  In his State of the State speech, Gov. Martin O'Malley reserved just two words for Maryland's juvenile justice system - "deeply troubled" - and the governor isn't usually a man of few words. The juvenile offenders in state custody deserve more than a mention, especially after the questionable death Jan. 23 of a 17-year-old boy at the private facility in which the state had placed him. The state's juvenile services system isn't only deeply troubled, it's dysfunctional, understaffed, overwhelmed, inefficient, poorly funded, ill-equipped and, most alarming, impervious to change.   (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.baltimoresun.com February 4, 2004)

Sex Allegations Prompt Methodist Youth Home to Move Teens:  VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) - Officials said a central Kentucky church-affiliated home for troubled youth has moved more than 30 teenagers to other facilities after accusations that a worker had sex with a girl in the home's care.  The Rev. Alex Carmichel said the incident between a male employee and the teenage girl led to the firing of that employee as well as another employee who did not immediately report "indicators" that something had happened.  Carmichel is the president of the Kentucky United Methodist Homes for Children & Youth in Versailles.  Janis Stewart, spokesman for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, confirmed that the state Inspector General is investigating the home.  For complete story, click here.

Boot camp ordered to pay Seymour men $900G:  A Mississippi military boot camp has been ordered to pay $900,000 in a case involving a Seymour man who said he was tortured at the camp.  Joseph Peter Paolillo and his son, Joseph Gabriel Paolillo, 25, sued the Bethel Baptist Church boot camp of Lucedale, Miss., in 2002 claiming the younger Paolillo was tortured while at the boot camp in 1998.  The claim states Paolillo was denied medical treatment for two weeks for a broken bone that was protruding through his flesh.  While injured, Paolillo was beaten, rolled through the dirt and interrogated until he could not remember who he was, the claim states.   During Paolillo’s time at Bethel, the claim states his Italian heritage and sexuality were repeatedly insulted, and that school leaders encouraged the abusive behavior. School leaders owned a pit bull trained to attack students by biting them in their crotch area, the claim states, if they could not outrun the dog. The dog was also allowed to urinate and defecate in the student barracks, the claim states.  For complete story, click here.

Youth restraint challenged: The head of a Maryland association of juvenile programs said yesterday it would be "indefensible" for staff to sit on a struggling youth for three hours to restrain him - something at least four youths have told their lawyers happened last week in the death of a teenage boy at Bowling Brook Preparatory School.  But Jim McComb, executive director of the Maryland Association of Resources for Family and Youth, said it isn't clear that such behavior by staff at Bowling Brook - a private residential program for juvenile offenders - would have violated state law.  "We have regulations that prescribe what is doable and not doable in every private and public school, and in treatment centers for children with mental and emotional problems. But we don't have anything comparable for children's residential programs," McComb said.  The death of Isaiah Simmons, 17, after being restrained by staff at Bowling Brook has raised questions about state law governing privately run facilities, the training required of their staff and the way the state monitors and regulates such programs. The Carroll County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death.  For complete story, click here.

Staff Thought Teen Was Faking In Prep School Death:  WJZ/AP) KEYMAR, Md. Staff at a private residential school for juvenile offenders where a 17-year-old Baltimore youth lost consciousness and died after being restrained, initially believed he was pretending to be asleep, according to the school's report to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.  As WJZ's Mike Hellgren reports, Isaiah Simmons was pronounced dead at Carroll Hospital Center last week after staff at Bowling Brook Preparatory School, about 40 miles northwest of Baltimore, placed him in prolonged physical restraint confrontation with staff.  The death is being investigated by the Carroll County's sheriff's department amid allegations from some witnesses that staff restrained Simmons inappropriately.  (Webmaster Note:  Just one of hundreds of deaths in this industry. When will the excuse "we thought he was faking" be revealed for what it is?  A rationalization for murder.)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: http://wjz.com Date: January 23, 2007)

The REAL School?:  Brian was so doped up on something that he could not keep his head up. He slumped over the desktop. The bottom line was that he had taken too many Valium before coming to the REAL School.  "REAL" equals "Regional Educational Alternative Learning" and the building is located in South Windham, ME. That’s where I tried to teach.  The school’s director phoned Brian’s mother at her work. That meant she had to take time off, drive to the school, and somehow get her son to slosh himself into her car for a ride home. Was this the first time she had been called at her work about her son? No.  Of course if Brian had been in his clear head, I had no teaching materials by which to see through another day at this alternative learning school. It was alternative learning all right. It was so alternative that it fell off the charts.  As teaching staff, we had a shared stapler, some chalk, erasers, no textbooks, no teachers’ manuals, no supportive supplies, a meager stash of lined paper, pencils and pens. There were a few cast off computers that tried to work.  No wonder the Superintendent of Schools praised the director for being the most outstanding alternative learning head in the state. That was even printed in the local newspaper. After all, he kept below budget.  There was rarely a visit from anyone close to the Superintendent’s office. We basically were left to warehouse these troubled teens on our own.  If one of the bureaucrats came into the school, it was a swift in and out. I would see the car drive up to the building, a well-dressed individual disembark, and then climb the stumps for stairs. (The school was a very old brick building buried in a residential neighborhood). Then that educator would click heels down the hallway, disappear into the director’s office, and in short order reappear for exiting.  When I was hired at that school, I actually felt that I could make a difference in teen lives. So I gave it my all. It takes some time for naivete to strip away until there is nothing left but bald, needling facts. With that, I trudged on.  Because there were no teaching supplies, I went to the shopping mall where homeschoolers bought their materials. I purchased the paperback math, English and spelling texts. Then I duplicated the pages on the school’s copy machine to use as handouts to pupils. That’s how I managed to get through lessons.  When I presented the receipt for the purchases to the director’s secretary, she looked up with a scowl to ask if I really needed to spend that much. The amount was less than fifteen dollars.  The director was an Australian. He sported quite the charming accent as well as packaged his own brand of vulgarity. Somehow his potty mouth did not seem to turn off the Superintendent’s office. With such charisma, he managed to hoodwink the officialdom, slip far below budget, and thereby hoist the teaching burden sans materials onto frazzled teachers.  When I asked him one day how I could teach with nothing to teach with, director responded by saying that that was what made the alternative learning school so marvelously different from other schools. We were left with our own unique creative skills, our sparkly imaginations by which we could manufacture our own curricula.  So it was that teachers daily bent their brain cells in attempts to create something from nothing. Most of the time it did not work. That’s why the police cruisers drove up to the school several times a week. When desks flew across rooms, doors were punched through and teachers were told to go to hell, there were occasions when the cops had to be called in.  Yet this was the REAL School. There was no other school quite like it. We were the example for other schools to follow. The director reminded us that we were a model showcase.  That’s when I drove out to Pineland estates to investigate their Collaborate School, another term for alternative learning. The director took me on a tour. There I noted rooms laden with supplies, teachers smiling as they went about their daily routines, nary a sound from the students, and well-lighted rooms, carpeted floors and a staff kitchen. The student population was composed of the same troubled sorts as those enrolled at the REAL School.  We had a kitchen at the REAL School. The problem was that its sink was crudded over with mold. Dirty trays lined the counter tops. Pots and pans were left to clean themselves. Fill in the blanks.  After three-plus years on the job, I appealed to the teachers’ union. I was told that my union representative would go to bat for me. In short, she did nothing of the sort. Nothing but stall. I provided her with copious detail as to what was actually going on at the school. She rarely responded to my appeals.  Keeping hope alive, I believed that when it came down to the final push, she would be there to hold me up. Not.  As finally the message was coming through loudly and clearly that I was standing alone in the middle of a dark warehouse for messed up adolescents, I prepared my voluminous copy for the governor’s desk. Then I mailed it to his office, telling no one.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source:  www.theconservativevoice.com Date: January, 2007)

Pregnant Girls Attack Group Home Director, Escape:  Three pregnant teens living in a group home in Utah whacked the director in the head with a frying pan, tied her up and fled in a minivan, police said.  According to a report by CBS affiliate KUTV-TV in Salt Lake City, the girls, two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old, are from California, Texas and Illinois. Police believe they left the state after restraining the director with power cords Tuesday and tying up another pregnant teen.  The director "was able to break free and then she went up and untied the 17-year-old female and then they contacted the police," American Fork police Sgt. Shauna Greening said.  New Hope, a privately owned maternity home in Utah County, is a place for struggling pregnant teens, 30 miles south of Salt Lake City.  Girls attend school in the area and are taught prenatal care, child birth, adoption and parenting skills. A call to a phone number listed for New Hope went unanswered Thursday.  But the owner, Spencer Moody, tearfully told a Salt Lake City TV station that he would close the rural home. He said about two dozen girls had given birth after living at New Hope.  (Webmaster Note:  Rumor has it that the directors of New Hope are affiliated with WWASP.  WWASP is notorious for torturing children.  No wonder these girls felt desperate to escape.)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.topix.net Date: January 19th, 2007)
 

Troubled times at youth facility:  The Berkshire Farm residential center for troubled teens is under investigation by the attorney general's office as former staffers and at least one former resident claim the institution continues to be plagued by sporadic violence and, some say, poor supervision of the residents there.  Among the problems: One youngster's parents went days before they were told he had tried to commit suicide.  In another instance, a grandmother didn't learn for months that her grandson had run away from the facility.  "I was worried sick. I thought maybe he was dead," said Elaine Fiske.  Located in rural Canaan, Columbia County, Berkshire Farm has long been known as a progressive facility for young men aged 12 to 17 who have been sent there by family courts across the state. The farm includes residential and educational programs.  Some of the clients are juvenile delinquents; some suffer emotional disturbances or were chronically truant. Others may come from unstable families. Approximately 150 youngsters live there, although there have been as many as 250.  The farm made headlines in 2005 when the board of directors said it had hired a former federal prosecutor, Zachary Carter, to investigate allegations of drug dealing and sexual abuse at the center.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: http://timesunion.com  Date: January 21, 2007)

Randall Hinton Arrested:  Randall Hinton, who has long history of working with troubled youth, was arrested last night. In a telephone interview with Jeff Worley, an Investigator with the Canon City Police Department in Canon City, CO, ... learned a search was done on the premises of Royal Gorge Academy, formerly Royal Peak Academy. According to Officer Worley, a vast majority of the students were interviewed.  Officer Worley also stated that, “Hinton was arrested on charges of false imprisonment, which is a felony because it was accomplished with the use of force. He was also arrested on multiple counts of third-degree assault and for reckless endangerment. In Colorado, that means he placed another person, in this case, at risk of serious bodily injury.”  There is an ongoing investigation.  This is not the first time we have heard about Randall Hinton abusing children. In a June 22, 2006, Rough Love article written by Joanne Greene of the Miami New Times, Hinton was quoted as saying, “I think I can remember Layne being pepper-sprayed more than once a day. I know he was pepper-sprayed more than two times a day. I don’t think it would have been more than three times ... and from somebody on the outside looking in, I would say it would be abusive.”  Hinton was formerly employed by Teen Help, Tranquility Bay, Carolina Springs Academy, and Academy of Dundee Ranch (which was closed due to allegations of child abuse and neglect). All of these programs were associated with the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP aka WWASPS).  (For more on this story, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-szalavitz/abuse-history-no-bar-to-f_b_38435.html and http://www.krdotv.com/story.cfm?nav=news&storyID=1985)   For complete story, click here.

Police ponder arrests of teens:  ..."That's why it's important for parents to listen to their children. Be involved with them. Watch them. Watch their friends. Be respected as a parent. Give then a deadline, and make them stick to it."  About 21 percent of the more than 2 million juvenile arrests in 2003 were for burglary or larceny-theft, according to the 2006 National Report of Juvenile Offenders and Victims, published by the U.S. Department of Justice.  The study defines juveniles as ages 10 through 17.  Smith said troubled teens could benefit from parental attention...  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.myrtlebeachonline.com  Date: January 8th, 2007)

The Trouble with Troubled Teen Programs--How the "boot camp" industry tortures and kills kids:  ...Every time a child dies in a tough love program, politicians say—as Florida Gov. Jeb Bush initially did on hearing of Anderson’s death—that it is “one tragic incident” that should not be used to justify shutting such programs down. But there have now been nearly three dozen such deaths and thousands of reports of severe abuse in programs that use corporal punishment, brutal emotional attacks, isolation, and physical restraint in an attempt to reform troubled teenagers.  Tough love has become a billion-dollar industry. Several hundred programs, both public and private, use the approach. Somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 teenagers are currently held in treatment programs based on the belief that adolescents must be broken (mentally, and often physically as well) before they can be fixed.  Exact numbers are impossible to determine, because no one keeps track of the kids in these programs, most of which are privately run. The typical way to end up in a government-run program, such as the camp where Martin Lee Anderson was killed, is for a court to give you the option of going there instead of prison. The typical way to end up in a private program is to be sent there by your parents, though judges and public schools have been known to send kids to private boot camps as well. Since they offer “treatment,” some of the private centers are covered by health insurance.  For complete story, click here.

Woman kidnapped teenager by seducing him, prosecutor says:  NASHUA, New Hampshire: A woman who ran off to Florida with her teenage lover entrapped the 16-year-old with sex, a prosecutor said as her trial on kidnapping charges opened Tuesday.  A national search for the couple ended in June when a worker at a bus depot saw them "making out."  "This case is about a 32-year-old woman enticing, befriending and seducing a 16-year-old boy," Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Justin Shepherd said.  Jennifer Malone is charged with kidnapping Christopher Cole, whom she met while working as a teacher's assistant at a residential school for troubled teens.  For complete story, click here.

Emancipation request splits family:  OREM - "Kaye" has no shortage of family members looking after her.  There are her mother and stepfather, who, in the wee hours of the morning on Nov. 1, paid a company to forcibly transport her to Turn-About Ranch, a Utah boarding school and residential treatment center for troubled teens.  And there are her two maternal aunts who, seeking to free their niece, secretly arranged to have her sign legal papers in the restroom of a Baptist church that Turn-About students attend on Sundays.  Those papers triggered an emancipation hearing Friday before 4th District Juvenile Judge Sterling Sainsbury, who will evaluate whether Kaye, 16, is capable of deciding for herself what's best.  Utah's new emancipation law wasn't created to give adolescents an avenue to fight confinement at therapeutic schools and wilderness programs. Proponents pitched it as benefiting homeless, runaway and other "throwaway" youth.  But child advocates are pleased to see the new statute so cleverly applied.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.sltrib.com Date: December 16, 2006)

Camp censured for Seymour teen's torture:  SEYMOUR — A town man sentenced to 20 years in a psychiatric hospital for trying to kill his parents by burning down their house has won a $900,000 judgment against a Southern Christian military boot camp where he said he was tortured. Joseph Gabriel Paolillo and his father, Joseph Peter Paolillo, won the judgment in Mississippi federal court Monday against the Bethel Boys Academy of Lucedale, Miss.  The elder Paolillo was awarded $59,709 in damages.  Routine beatings and mental abuse from a drill instructor with a pit bull trained to bite in the crotch were alleged by the younger Paolillo, who was 17 when he went to Bethel in 1998.  "They beat him viscously," his father said. "I feel relieved that some satisfaction was given to my son, so he can seek professional treatment and counseling."  The judgment against Bethel and William Knotts, a drill instructor there, was issued by Louis Guirola, a Republican judge appointed by President Bush."The judge called the abuse something reminiscent of 'medieval torture,' " said George Yoder, a Jackson, Miss., attorney for the Paolillos. Yoder added that collecting the settlement will be difficult because Bethel has closed, although the facility has reopened under a new name.  (It's now called "Eagle Point Christian Academy"--webmaster note)   (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.connpost.com  Date: December 18th, 2006)

Second suit hits juvenile facility:  As one major lawsuit against the Sacramento County juvenile hall nears an end, with millions of dollars promised to teens who were strip-searched, another suit is gaining momentum that claims a culture of abuse and neglect prevails at the hall.  Together, the suits highlight a history of problems at the crowded, understaffed and aging facility on Kiefer Boulevard, say the civil rights lawyers who filed the complaints.  So far, nearly one-third of the 8,000 juveniles who were strip-searched have applied for payments under a $6.28 million court settlement, a response rate that Sacramento attorney Mark Merin, who filed the suit, said is unusually high.  The deadline for applying is Jan. 8. Search practices have been changed, but Merin said serious problems persist at juvenile hall.  "They're overwhelmed, and they don't have a good, productive method of dealing with the kids who are incarcerated, " Merin said. "Instead they're just sort of warehousing them, and it doesn't lead to positive results."  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.sacbee.com  Date: Uncertain--Likely Late 2006)

Mother sues school, says son was assaulted:  PROVO — A mother of a former student of a boarding school for troubled youth is suing the school, claiming her son was sexually assaulted by other students.  The mother, from Aliso Viejo, Calif., seeks at least $200,000 in damages against the Discovery Academy, 105 N. 500 West, in Provo, and the parents of students identified as John and Jane Does 1-10, according to the suit filed Aug. 14 in 4th District Court.   For complete story, click here.

Ivy Ridge Academy accreditation rejected:  The Academy at Ivy Ridge will not be allowed to resume issuing high school diplomas.  The State Education Department has rejected the Academy's application, according to stories Friday in St. Lawrence County newspapers and The Watertown Times.  A letter from the State Education Department to Ivy Ridge quoted in the Watertown Times says, "The Department's review revealed that AIR is principally a behavior modification program and not a school..."  For complete story, click here.

Eight Charged With Manslaughter In Florida Boot Camp Death: PANAMA CITY, FLA---Seven former guards at a now closed Bay County juvenile boot camp and a nurse have been charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of Martin Lee Anderson, the teenager who died in January while in custody at the camp.  For complete story, click here.

Guidance counselor charged with molesting teen: A guidance counselor who, investigators say, molested a 16-year-old girl at a Hollywood center for troubled teens is now facing jail time.  Felman Reddick, 41, abused the girl at the Starting Point, the non-profit agency where he worked at the time, said Capt. Tony Rode, a Hollywood police spokesman. The center provides rehabilitation and counseling services for local youth. Reddick is charged with six counts of unlawful sexual acts with a minor, Rode said.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.miami.com  Date: 2006)

Just Listen: ..."You know," Elaine Roberts told Denton, "as parents we’re so used to staying positive. Instead stop and say, ‘What do you mean by that?’ How does that make you feel?’ They might not answer you because teens are very private. But just maybe they will."  In the flash of that remark, I saw my own shortcomings. I realized how guilty I have been at times of not really listening to people – my children in particular – but instead of simply jumping in with proposed solutions to their problems, or stock reassurances.  In this, I know, I am not alone: Roberts is right – parents want to stay positive and want to fix things. But there’s a lot to be said for simply listening, asking gently probing questions, and listening some more.  Unfortunately, many of us are not very good at it. And as a rule, we seem to be getting worse with each passing year.  I’m not just talking about listening to troubled teens or depressed friends. I’m talking about our capacity to listen in all spheres of life...  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.portfolioweekly.com Date: November, 2006)

Sexual exploitation trial begins for ex-youth worker:  A lawyer defending a former Batshaw youth worker charged with abusing his authority by having sex with troubled teens tried Wednesday to stop the media from publishing details of the trial, including her client's name.  But Quebec Court Judge Gilles Cadieux rejected the request, saying the argument that publication could damage Evon Smith's future career prospects could apply to anyone accused of a crime.  Smith faces charges of sexual exploitation, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching involving two teens from a Batshaw group home.  For complete story, click here.

Officials step up search for dead teenager's friend: ... Ramsey and her mother appeared on a Dr. Phil show about runaways. It aired Oct. 16.  According to the search  agency, "The Dr. Phil Show put Kimberlee in their Aspen Achievement Academy for Wilderness Therapy, which apparently didn't work."  A news release from the Aspen Education Group's Web site talks about Ramsey's appearance on the nationally syndicated talk show.  "As much as you're seen as the rebellious teen who's angry and bucking the system, and bucking controls, the truth is, you're really in a lot of pain," Dr. Phil McGraw said to Ramsey, according to the release Gibson said Ramsey and Vanegas had run away together in the past. She did not know whether there was any criminal connection, and the Galveston County sheriff's deputy in charge of the case couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.  "We're based in Dickinson, so it's on our home turf," Gibson said.  "If they have a killer on the loose (volunteers) just want to make sure their kids are accounted for."  "Obviously Kimberlee is easy prey. She's a runaway. She doesn't have any money. She doesn't have a car. She doesn't have a cell phone," Gibson said.   Ramsey was wearing blue jeans, a blue football jersey and black house shoes.  Ramsey has brown hair with blonde highlights. She has green eyes, is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 155 pounds. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call Texas EquuSearch at 281-309-9500.  Vanegas will be buried today.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.chron.com  Date: November, 2006)

Foster parent pleads guilty to sex assault:  Kenneth Charles "Ken!" Puhler, a Durango resident who trained adults who worked with troubled teens and took in at least 130 foster children, has pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a child in a position of trust. Puhler, 50, formerly sheriff of Dolores County, pleaded guilty to one of 10 counts and was sentenced Nov. 1 to 10 years to life in prison, according to court documents. If he is released, he will be placed on parole for 20 years to life. As part of the plea agreement, District Attorney Craig Westberg dropped the other nine counts, which alleged abuse of children younger than 15 as far back as 1993. In return, Puhler stipulated that he sexually abused a 14-year-old boy who was in his care as a foster child in February 2004, and that "there were various times, both previous and subsequent to this event, when the defendant had sexual contact" with the boy. (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: http://durangoherald.com  Date: November 7, 2006)

Teen Accused In Counselor's Death Finishes Testing:  SALT LAKE CITY A teen accused in the rape and slaying of a youth counselor has completed his  psychological testing.  However, 17-year-old Robert Cameron Houston's lawyer says he needs two more weeks to work out a trial schedule with prosecutors.  Houston is charged with capital murder in connection with the February killing of 22-year-old Raechale Elton. She worked for an agency that housed and counseled troubled teens.  The teen also faces rape and aggravated sexual assault. His next court appearance is set for November 14th.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.kutv.com  Date: November, 2006)

Teen referred to ex-officer as his girlfriend:  The former Elkhorn boot camp officer accused of having a relationship with a teenage cadet had a reputation for being  intimate with cadets at the juvenile facility, the boy told police in reports issued Tuesday.  Adriana Rivera pleaded no contest in August to a felony charge of accessory after the fact and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing police. She was sentenced to three years of probation and four months in a work-furlough program.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.fresnobee.com  Date: November 1, 2006)

School operators seek millions in damages: SANDPOINT -- The operators of a boarding school who were accused of pummeling a runaway student are seeking up to  $8 million in damages against Bonner County and the sheriff's office for negligence and wrongful prosecution.  The operators of Turning Winds, a school for troubled teens which used to be located in Cocolalla, filed the tort claim on Oct. 25.  The filing of the claim comes about 10 months after misdemeanor child endangerment charges were dismissed against John William Baisden Sr., John William Baisden Jr. and Carl Spencer Baisden.  The criminal charges stemmed from a March 17, 2005, incident.  Police reports said the 16-year-old from Walla Walla, Wash., fled school grounds by forcing his way through a fence. The teen made it to U.S. Highway 95 and began hitchhiking as school staff canvassed the area.  A passing motorist reportedly agreed to give the teen a lift. Unbeknownst to the teen, though, was that the motorist was actually John Baisden Sr., who joined the search for the errant student after learning of the escape, police reports said.  The elder Baisden kept the ruse up until they stopped at the Westmond Store, ostensibly for fuel. Baisden's sons then arrived at the filling station and a struggle erupted.  The teen told a sheriff's deputy he was attacked by the trio, dragged from the vehicle and held against the pavement while being handcuffed. The teen alleged he was then dragged by the cuffs to a grassy area near the convenience store and beaten.  For complete story, click here.

Parents of child-sex suspect ran youth home:  TORONTO -- Michael Stratton knew how to identify with troubled kids -- he'd spent a lot of time around them.  The Globe and Mail has learned that the man now facing almost 300 charges in connection with alleged sexual abuse of children spent several months living in a home for troubled children in Richmond Hill. Mr. Stratton, in his early 20s at the time, wasn't there because he was sent by an aid agency or because he was employed there, but because his parents ran the home and he needed a place to stay.  Police now fear the 39-year-old may have learned how to build trust with troubled children from his time at the home in the 1980s. His mother and stepfather, who ran the Richmond Hill home for 14 years until 2000, were described by those who knew them as exemplary foster parents to children over the years. And those who met Mr. Stratton during his time at the home had no suspicions he may have been involved in anything criminal.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.theglobeandmail.com  Date: October 26, 2006)

New claims of abuse at boys camp:  GREENVILLE - Three separate state agencies are investigating whether caretakers used banned, excessive and harmful restraints at a camp for delinquent boys, some of whom are mentally retarded or have other special needs.  At least one youth might have suffered a broken collarbone at the Greenville Hills Academy in Greenville just last week, according to records obtained by The Miami Herald. One 16-year-old claimed he was ``choked.''  And in another episode, guards also reported using a technique called a wrist lock that was banned two years ago by Anthony Schembri, secretary of the state Department of Juvenile Justice, an agency still reeling from the death of a 14year-old at another Panhandle facility earlier this year.  For complete story, click here.

School Says Police, Social Services Will Snatch Kids Of Late Parents Indiana junior high threatens prison custody if child not picked up on time from  mandatory homework class:  A junior high school in Indiana threatens parents with police and child protective service involvement if they fail to pick up their child on time after mandatory Friday classes for missed homework.  Outraged parents forwarded us a letter from the Tell City Junior High School in Indiana in which they were given a days notice that their child had to attend a Friday class to catch up on missed homework.  The letter stated in bold that if a parent didn't arrive at the agreed time to pick up their child, "arrangements have been made with the Tell City Police Department to have them housed at the police station."  The letter then states that intervention by the police will also necessitate involvement of the Perry County Office of Family and Children.  For complete story, click here.

Supporters rally for teen who killed grandparents:  A woman who says Christopher Pittman changed her life held a vigil on the steps of the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday night, the eve of the teen’s appeal of his murder conviction for killing his grandparents when he was 12 years old. “We’re going to show support to Chris, and his family and the attorneys,” said Janet Sisk, director of the North Carolina-based Juvenile Justice Foundation. “It’s kinda like it’s coming full circle.”  Pittman was convicted last year of murder in the 2001 shooting deaths of his grandparents in their Chester County home and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Defense attorneys argued that Pittman, who was 12 at the time of the slayings, was involuntarily intoxicated by the antidepressant Zoloft and did not know right from wrong.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.thestate.com  Date: April 9, 2007)

State Supreme Court says no right of jury trial for juveniles:  The Tennessee Supreme Court has overturned a 36-year-old ruling by a state appellate court that said juveniles can appeal their convictions to an adult court system and have the case decided by a jury.  The appellate court first issued the ruling in 1970. A year later, however, the U.S. Supreme Court opined that the U.S. Constitution did not guarantee a jury trial for appealing juveniles.  Despite that decision, Tennessee's courts continued to uphold a juvenile's right to a jury trial.  (Unable to locate complete story at time of archiving.  Source:  www.tennessean.com  Date: September 28, 2006)

Finding The "Straight Edge" In Fiji:  The $14 million psychological thriller "Straight Edge" starts shooting October 2nd in Fiji with Peter Stormare, Mila Kunis and Gregory Smith headlining reports Variety.  Story's about a group of troubled teens sent to a rehabilitation program housed in a remote camp on the island of Fiji.  What their parents believe is a state-of-the-art deluxe institution in a beautiful natural environment turns out to be a prison-like boot camp where they are abused and brainwashed. (Webmaster Note: Art imitates life.)  For complete story, click here.

Report: Girls Are Abused in Jail:  A new report says girls at New York's two detention facilities for juvenile females are sexually and physically abused by staff members.  They are also denied mental health, educational and other rehabilitative services. Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union released the report.  The inmates, ages 13 to 17, are in for offenses ranging from shoplifting to assault.  For complete story, click here.

Teens Killed By Train Identified As Azleway Runaways:  Officials confirm two teens, killed by a train in Hawkins, were runaways from Azleway Boys' Ranch, a facility for troubled boys in Chapel Hill.   Officials say they were Harry Rutledge, 15, of Bestrop and Chris Hill, 17, of Dallas. Officials say the teens had been living at Azleway for the past few weeks, but ran away last Saturday, hiding out behind Hawkins High School in a pine thicket.   For complete story, click here.

Governor planning a frugal campaign:  Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr...Since the last disclosure deadline, the special projects fund reported raising $40,000 from Utah's dietary supplement industry, $10,000 from Robert Lichfield, founder of a controversial chain of schools for troubled teens, and $25,000 each from Ian Cumming's Leucadia National Corporation and venture capitalist James Swartz.     Huntsman used the money to cover much of his out-of-state travel, the cost of holiday receptions at the Governor's Mansion, a state dinner for outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox and for china plates and coasters emblazoned with the Utah State seal for Asian ambassadors. After paying more than $8,000 in accounting fees, another $6,100 for a business summit at the Davis Convention Center and $15,300 to Huntsman for Governor, the special initiatives fund has $101,000 in cash on hand.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.sltrib.com Date:  September, 2006)

Guard accused of sex with juvenile girl is fired State Police will conduct criminal investigation of case at former Girls School:  A state prison guard was fired Wednesday after he was accused of having sexual contact with a girl at the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility on the city's Far Westside.  Octavious Tyler, 25, was terminated after an internal affairs investigation at the state-run facility, formerly called the Indiana Girls School. The case has been handed over to the Indiana State Police for a criminal investigation, as well as Child Protective Services.  The Department of Correction did not disclose when the contact occurred, whether it happened more than once or any details about the girl involved, including her age.   (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.indystar.com Date: September 22, 2006)

Congress Considering Strip Searching Students --Congress to vote on HR 5295 Tuesday or Wednesday 18 Sep 2006 (drugpolicy.org) The Student Teacher Safety Act of 2006 (HR 5295) is a sloppily written bill that would require any school receiving federal funding (essentially every public school) to adopt policies allowing teachers and school officials to conduct random, warrantless searches of every student, at any time, for essentially any reason they want. These searches could be pat-downs, bag searches, or strip searches depending on how far school administrators wanted to go.  For complete story, click here.

The Franklin Scandal Tried in Civil Court:  U.S. government mind control programs, like MK-Ultra and Monarch, directed against helpless victims--human guinea pigs--have been virtually ignored by the Big Media Cartel. On Feb. 27, 1999, however, U.S. District Court Judge Warren Urbom found former Franklin S&L manager Lawrence E. King guilty of numerous crimes committed against mind control victim Paul A. Bonacci.  King, serving a 15-year sentence for his role in the theft of $40 million from Franklin, an Omaha, Neb., credit union, was ordered by Judge Urbom to pay Bonacci $800,000 in compensatory damages and an additional $200,000 in punitive damages.  This legal judgement against a notorious perpetrator of satanic-ritual child abuse is unprecedented. In the Memorandum of Decision, Judge Urbom wrote, "King continually subjected the plaintiff [Bonacci] to repeated sexual assaults, false imprisonment, infliction of extreme emotional distress, organized and directed satanic rituals, forced the plaintiff to 'scavenge' for children to be a part of the defendant King's sexual abuse and pornography ring, forced the plaintiff to engage in numerous sexual contacts with the defendant King and others and participate in deviate sexual games and masochistic orgies with other minor children.  "He [Bonacci] has suffered burns, broken fingers, beatings of the head and face and other indignities by the wrongful actions of the defendant King," the judge declared. "In addition to the misery of going through the experiences just related over a period of eight years [1980-1988], the plaintiff has suffered the lingering results to the present time. "He [Bonacci] is a victim of multiple personality disorder, involving as many as 14 distinct personalities aside from his primary personality," wrote the judge.  "He has given up a desired military career and received threats on his life. He suffers from sleeplessness, has bad dreams, has difficulty holding a job, is fearful that others are following him, fears getting killed, has depressing flashbacks, and is verbally violent on occasion, all in connection with the multiple personality disorder and caused by the wrongful activities of the defendant King."  Franklin Cover-up--Bonacci's lawyer, John DeCamp, has waged a long, lonely and expensive legal campaign in exposing crimes involving an international pedophile-pornography ring.  In 1991, DeCamp filed a 12-count suit in federal court, charging 16 prominent individuals and institutions, including Lawrence E. King, Omaha World Herald Publisher Harold Andersen and the Omaha Police Department with conspiracy to deprive Paul Bonacci of his civil rights. DeCamp's suit detailed slander, false imprisonment, child abuse, assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress suffered by Bonacci.  The complex case also involved high-level politicians, business leaders, judges and police officials with connections to the drug distribution/money laundering operations known as "Iran"-Contra which goes back to then Vice-President George Bush. DeCamp, a former Nebraska State Senator, even wrote a groundbreaking book about the sordid history of the case called The Franklin Cover-Up: Child Abuse, Satanism and Murder in Nebraska.  Monarch Project--The horrendous Monarch Project "refers to young people in America who were victims of mind control experiments run either by U.S. government agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency or military intelligence agencies," writes DeCamp. "The story told by Monarch victims--one of whom was Paul Bonacci--is that they were tortured for the purpose of creating 'multiple personalities' within them," DeCamp continues from his book. "These multiple personalities could then be programmed--as spies, 'drug mules,' prostitutes or assassins."  An article by Anton Chaitkin, quoted in the book, states that "professionals probing the child victims of 'Monarch' say there are clearly two responsible elements at work: the government/military, and cooperating satanic  cults. These are multi-generation groups, whose parents donate their own children--who are proudly called 'bloodline' or simply 'blood' cultists--to be smashed with drugs and electric shock and shaped. Other children are kidnapped and sold into this hell, or are brought in gradually through day care situations.  For complete story, click here.

Behavior Modification Money Trail:  The controversial world of youth behavior-modification facilities intersects with a web of intricate political connections. And where the treatment industry sees cooperation with government entities, activists warn, these links could cloud the prospects for public oversight of the "teen-help" market.  The influence of the behavior-modification industry is felt on Capitol Hill. Four members of the House of Representatives and one senator serve as honorary board members of Kids Helping Kids, a company with corporate links to a now-defunct behavior-modification program for teen drug users known as Straight Incorporated. The various franchises of that program dissolved in the early 1990s following allegations of child abuse, as well as criticism for using cruel, prisoner-of-war-style brainwashing techniques on adolescents.  For complete story, click here.

Troubling Times for Troubled Teens: A jury will likely decide whether a counselor at the Ella J. Baker House raped a 17-year-old in one of the center’s bathrooms, as she alleges. But do we really need any more evidence to prove the Rev. Eugene Rivers has lost control of the ex-cons working at the Baker House under his supervision and serving as “role models” for troubled kids who come to the center for help?  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: http://news.bostonherald.com  Date: August or September, 2006)

Rights group sues youth hall-Suit claims abuse and neglect, asks for reforms:  A lawsuit filed Monday by a prisoners rights group claims that Sacramento County juvenile hall is filthy and overcrowded and that its staff members routinely douse teens with pepper spray and grind their faces into the floor.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.sacbee.com  Date: August 30, 2006)

Foster Boy's Death Ruled Homicide:  Foster Boy's Death Ruled Homicide The Wayne County Medical Examiner has ruled the death of a 2-year-old boy at a Detroit foster home was a homicide, Local 4 reported. Isaac Lethbridge suffered bruises to his face and burn marks to his chest, according to police. Police said there was also evidence that he was sexually assaulted. The child was dead on arrival at Children's Hospital Wednesday, according to police. Emergency crews said the toddler stopped breathing.  he child was living at the foster home for more than a month along with his 4-year-old sister, according to police. Child Protective Services removed the sister and several other children from the home, Local 4 reported.  No arrests have been made in connection with the boy's death.  For complete story, click here.

For parents and kids:  Summary: How does a parent deal with a child who has behavior, alcohol or drug problems?  Boot camp-style programs have tried to deal with these issues through participant isolation, hard labor, restraints, name-calling, humiliation, sleep and food deprivation and hiking into the wilderness or desert.  These programs often hire kids off the street to be counselors working for minimum wage.  Some workers, she discovered, had criminal records or little training, education and experience with troubled children.  She says it was rare if there was even a psychologist on the grounds.  Among the programs she tackles are Synanon, Tough Love, The Seed, Straight Incorporated, the Challenger Camp, Elan School, KIDS and World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP).  Public officials including Nancy Reagan promoted these programs in the 1980s as the solution to drug abuse.  Talk shows used them to teach ungrateful rich kids how to behave, and other media outlets publicized boot camps as a miraculous cure.  Some children were sent because they admitted to being gay. Parents thought the camps could "straighten their children out" and make them heterosexual.  Szalavitz examines these programs through the eyes of the children who endured them.  She also speaks to parents of children who died horrific deaths in these programs. There were about 30 kids who died, many of them because counselors had little training to deal with desert conditions and lack of water.  Szalavitz investigates the lack of education provided to these kids during camp.  She also looks at the way panic-stricken parents are manipulated into sending their children.  For complete story, click here.

Teen Boot Camp Cadet Dies During Orientation in Florida:  NORTH MIAMI, Florida — A 13-year-old cadet at a private military academy died during an orientation camping trip, the school's principal said.  Authorities rushed the child from Oleta State Park to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Saturday, North Miami police said.  The cause of death was undetermined, pending a medical examiner's report, police said. No additional information was released.  The boy was one of 33 cadets attending the Back to Basics .  For complete story, click here. 

Christian Military Academy's Training and Leadership Corps campout. The students, who are around ages 9 to 15, had been camping since Wednesday, Lynda Browne, the school's principal and owner, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for Sunday's edition.  The boy got out of bed in the middle of the night to tell a drill sergeant he didn't feel well, Browne said. He boy collapsed on the way to the restroom.  For complete story, click here.

WWASPS Back in Court:  SYRACUSE, NY (July 28, 2006) Attorney Christopher Todd of Hancock & Estabrook, LLP, confirmed their firm filed a class-action lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of 25 plaintiffs and against Academy of Ivy Ridge, WWASPS, Robert Lichfield, Lifeline Family Services, Premier Educational Systems, Jason Finlinson, among others (see link to Complaint below.)  Plaintiffs alleged in their Complaint that defendants fraudulently advertised Academy of Ivy Ridge (AIR) as an accredited boarding school licensed to issue credits and diplomas to its students.  AIR allegedly falsely and fraudulently certified to educational lending institutions, including Sallie Mae and Key Bank, that they were a licensed and accredited private boarding high school authorized by the State of New York to issue diplomas in order that parents could qualify for restricted educational loans to pay their monthly tuition of about $2,800 to $4,000.  Jason Finlinson, Alyn Mitchell, and Joseph Mitchell, allegedly failed to operate under the laws of the State of NY. Robert Lichfield 

allegedly purchased the property for AIR and used his personal connections with Ivy Ridge’s accreditation agency, Northwest Assoc. of Schools, to blindly allow WWASP to claim accreditation though they did not meet Northwest’s own standards.  For complete story, click here.

Police search for missing teens, 14 and 19:  NEWPORT, N.H. --Newport Police are looking for a 14-year-old boy and 19-year-old woman believed to have left the state together.  Chief David Hoyt said police are seeking leads on the whereabouts of Randy Gentner of Salem, who ran away from a group home in Newport on Wednesday.  Hoyt believes Gentner met up last week with Jennifer Newcomb of Croydon, a teacher's aide at his middle school. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Newcomb on a charge of interference of parental custody, taking a minor over state lines without permission.  Newcomb's car was found on Saturday night in Lime Rock, Conn. The two are believed to have traveled through New York City and on their way to Florida or Mexico, said Rodney Forey of New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services. Police in Ocala, Fla., were asked to check the bus and train stations for the pair.  Gentner's parents said they're worried about their son. The teenager had been receiving court-ordered drug and depression counseling at the Orion House in Newport, WMUR-TV reported.  Letters written by Gentner were found in Newcomb's bedroom, but authorities aren't sure what the nature of their relationship is.  "There's nothing we've uncovered that says they're involved in an intimate relationship," Hoyt said. "In fact, we have just the opposite -- that it's more a mother-son-type relationship."  For complete story, click here.

Rep. Matheson holds big money edge:  ...Christensen received $12,000 from the Lichfield family of southern Utah, owners of several treatment facilities for troubled teens. The Campaign for America's Future donated $5,000 to his campaign. And the two-term state legislator collected donations from several of his GOP legislative colleagues, including Draper Rep. Greg Hughes, Spanish Fork Rep. Mike Morley, St. George Rep. Brad Last and Kanab Rep. Mike Noel. (Webmaster Note:  With the GOP in the back pocket of child torturers, it's no wonder why more isn't done to stop this evil industry.)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source:  www.sltrib.com  Date: July 15, 2006)

Controversy surrounds Tranquility Bay:  Since 2002 the Cayman Islands Government has quietly been sending troubled youth to a high security privately run educational institution in Jamaica called Tranquility Bay.  The facility treats special cases as an alternative to juvenile detention on Grand Cayman.  The first young Caymanian was sent at the family’s request in 2001.  The Cayman Islands Government has since sent five young people; three boys and two girls over the past five years.  The last government–funded student left in July 2005.  Health and Family Services Minister Anthony Eden has confirmed that despite the fact that no students are currently at the facility, the Ministry has no intention of eliminating the just–in–case Tranquility Bay funding of $30,000 allocated in this year’s budget...Billed to have a positive effect on troubled young people aged 13 to 18 going through problems associated with the difficult teen years, the Tranquility Bay website states it is a “specialty boarding school and therapeutic behavioural modification facility, with an excellent academic program and therapy for kids who have been very defiant and hard to manage . . .”  The site describes how its program opens up new ways to help young people build character in order to achieve family peace and harmony.  The facility opened in 1997 and is in a remote area of Treasure Beach near St. Elizabeth, west of Kingston, on the premises of a former oceanfront hotel.  It is owned and operated by the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, a 19–year old organization that holds about 2,400 children and youth ranging from seven to 18 in facilities in the United States, Jamaica and Mexico.  The benign name masks a different reality: In the past four years, five WWASP facilities, Casa by the Sea, Sunrise Beach and High Impact, all in Mexico, Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica, Morava in Czech Republic, and Paradise Cove in Western Samoa, have all been shut down for child abuse and neglect.  The High Impact Mexico operation was shut down when investigators discovered children being held in dog cages in the desert, reported John Gorenfeld of AlterNet.  Chris Goodwin of San Francisco said his son was forced to stay outside in his underpants for three nights at the Mexico facility, lying on his stomach with his chin on the ground. If he moved to try to brush off fire ants that roamed over him, he was threatened with a cattle prod, said Goodwin. The punishment left scars on his son’s chin, he said in a news story in the Rocky Mountain (Colorado) News in January 2002.  For complete story, click here.

Man defied order, saw Youth Ranch girl:  A 20-year-old Nashville man accused of having sex with a female minor at the Youth Ranch in Lebanon had been ordered to stay away from her, court records show.  Christopher Carver is mentioned by name as the person barred from any contact with the 15-year-old girl during her stay at the privately run facility for troubled teens, according to court documents.  Carver was arrested Thursday on a charge of statutory rape, Lebanon Police Chief Scott Bowen said. Two other adults wanted in the case are: Amy Morrison-King, 40, a former Youth Ranch worker accused of bringing men to the workplace to have sex with teens; and Geary Jackson, 24, accused of having sex with a juvenile at the ranch.  "Apparently, there was some kind of involvement between the two before," Bowen said referring to Carver and one of the girls.  Youth Ranch is a nonprofit program that the state Department of Children's Services has used for several years to work with and house children and teens who were neglected or convicted of minor crimes.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.fairvewobserver.com  Date: July 14, 2006)

Comment: Bad discipline hits too many students: Texas may be known for its oil and gas pipelines, but the newest Texas pipeline funnels children from schools to prison, by way of alternative education programs and juvenile detention centers.  While students who present a danger to classmates must be segregated, too many students are falling into this pipeline. The Legislature must stem the tide of schoolchildren who are being unnecessarily written up and written off.  For complete story, click here.

Update: Highfields Reopens Doors:  Four months after closing its doors, Highfields is open for business. The residential treatment center finally re-opened. In February, claims of abuse forced Highfields to temporarily shut the facility down. The first new tenants are arriving.  (Webmaster Note:  This is the main problem.  Even when programs are proven to be abusive, after a slap on the wrist, they get to  re-open and continue harming kids.  This has to stop.  Real criminal and civil penalties should be imposed on these greedy child abusers.)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.wlns.com  Date: July 11, 2006)

WWASP Slammed by Federal Court:  SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (July 9, 2006) – The World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP), a highly controversial and monster-size corporation, with a reputation for crushing everyday moms and dads, lost yet again--this time in the U.S. Court of Appeals.   Jeff Berryman, a Pennsylvania advocate for children, was vindicated in his efforts to blow the whistle on WWASP for child abuse, neglect, and fraud. Robert Browning Lichfield, the founder and self-described consultant to WWASP, met those claims of abuse by dragging Mr. Berryman into Utah with a lawsuit designed to silence him once and for all. Mr. Berryman, however, prevailed.   The Federal Court of Appeals gave examples of news media description of child abuse and neglect at World Wide schools: “[T]he news magazine 48 Hours reported a child’s allegation that he had been handcuffed for two consecutive days and had his mouth covered in duct tape. The Miami Herald ran an article describing a mother’s report that her teenager came home from a World Wide school with ringworm scars and chemical burns. Forbes Magazine reported that children were punched, kicked, thrown, and forced to sit on cement floors for twelve hours at a time. The teenager quoted in the article also claimed that students who tried to flee from such punishment were locked in a small cell for days.”  For complete story, click here.

Youth facility faked records-Detention center workers missed required training, monitor reports:  Officials at a state-run juvenile detention center in Prince George's County falsified records for more than a year to make it look as if workers were getting training, required by law, on how to deal with the troubled youths housed there, an independent monitor has found.  In response to the findings by the state Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services said the training coordinator at the Cheltenham Youth Facility was dismissed last week and officials are reviewing training practices elsewhere to see whether similar problems exist at other juvenile jails and youth treatment centers.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.baltimoresun.com  Date: June 29, 2006)

State wards denied parole rights given to adult inmates, suit alleges:  SACRAMENTO (AP) - About 4,000 juvenile offenders are routinely denied the parole rights granted to adult convicts accused of violating their parole, lawyers said in a class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal district court in Sacramento.  An earlier court settlement requires the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and parole board to supply adult parolees with legal representation and probable cause hearings.  The settlement also requires officials to consider alternatives to sending adult parolees back to prison if they are found to have violated conditions of their parole.  But young parole violators can be sent back to youth prisons without those protections, the suit alleges. Nearly half of all young parolees are reincarcerated within two years, the inmate rights attorneys said.  "Youth can be warehoused at one of the terrible juvenile detention facilities for months before they receive any hearing, even for technical violations of parole such as drinking alcohol," Michael Bien, one of the attorneys, said in announcing the suit.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source:   www.fresnobee.com   Date: June 22, 2006)

Rough Love:  Shannon Levy-Rowley is 21 years old and five feet seven inches tall. She weighs 108 pounds. During the past five and a half years, she has endured three major surgeries and diets ranging from fourteen weeks of consuming only liquids to sipping blended meals through a straw.  But the brunet's meager weight has nothing to do with a tummy tuck or an eating disorder.  In December 2000, Shannon's parents, Jayne Levy and James Rowley of Coral Springs, enrolled their only child in Tranquility Bay (TB), a boarding school in Jamaica for troubled teens. "I was smoking pot, I was popping pills, drinking, doing acid, just experimenting with everything 'cause I was just really unhappy with my life," Shannon says.  Tuition would cost almost $40,000 annually, but after attending a support meeting in South Miami and speaking with families who claimed the school had done a lot for their children, Jayne signed an enrollment agreement granting TB custodial rights. "It got very good reviews, and Shannon needed to go somewhere," Jayne laments. "I was fearing for her life."  On a mild winter day about two weeks after the Rowleys signed up, three people Shannon had never met arrived at the family's home. "A lady and two big men came into my house and sat me down on the sofa," Shannon recalls. "They handcuffed me and said I could cooperate or they were gonna throw me over their shoulder." The group drove to the airport and boarded a plane. The journey ended in Treasure Beach, a remote hamlet on Jamaica's southern coast, where Shannon spent the next thirteen months. She describes it as an unforgettable nightmare and recalls being severely depressed, crying constantly, and within one week of arrival, trying to throw herself off a second-story balcony.  Shortly after her failed suicide attempt in early 2001, Shannon alleges staff aggressively restrained her when she took a swing at one of them. "One staff held my arms behind my back when I was standing up so I couldn't grab onto anything," she says. "Another staff ripped my feet out from underneath me so I fell with all my weight right onto my chin. I immediately started gushing blood everywhere, but that didn't stop them. They still continued restraining me."  Jayne Levy contends she wasn't told of the severity of Shannon's problems until school officials telephoned on Christmas eve 2001 to say, "You have to come and pick up your daughter; she can't open her mouth to eat. " Shannon could barely open her mouth wide enough to insert a toothbrush, mother and daughter agree. They claim the injuries were largely untreated and consequently Shannon's condition deteriorated. (She has lost about 40 pounds since sustaining the injury.)  (Webmaster Note: WWASP tortures children and should be closed down immediately!)   (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.miaminewtimes.com Date: June 22, 2006)

Juvenile center restrictions draw fire:  CHICAGO (AP) - When the school day ends at Cook County's temporary juvenile detention center, hundreds of students must leave essential  education tools behind: their textbooks.  Such centers commonly prohibit the unsupervised use of hardcover books and basic school supplies like pencils out of concern the youths could use the items for violence.  Child welfare advocates, however, say the rules can create a prison-like atmosphere that discourages rehabilitation. "Any facility ought to be safe and secure enough for kids to have books," said Betsy Clarke, president of the Juvenile Justice Initiative.  This month, a judge appointed a former state corrections official to oversee changes at the detention center, stemming from a 2002 settlement of a lawsuit that claimed the facility was mismanaged.  Juvenile advocates say some of the problems cited in the lawsuit extended into the center's classrooms.  "Teachers consistently said they do not assign homework because staff do not allow the youths to bring books or even pages to come back up the unit," the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative concluded after reviewing practices at the facility in December.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source:  www.fresnobee.com   Date: June 21, 2006)

N.Y. report denounces shock use at school; Says students are living in fear:  New York education officials issued a scathing report yesterday on a Massachusetts school that punishes troubled and disabled students with electric shocks, finding that they can be shocked for simply nagging the teacher and that some are forced to wear shock devices in the bathtub or shower, posing an electrocution hazard.  The report, based in part on an inspection last month of the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton, portrayed a school in which most staff lack training to handle the students and seem more focused on punishing bad behavior than encouraging good acts.  The investigators said some forms of discipline, such as a device that delivers shocks at timed intervals, appear to violate federal safety regulations, and students live in an atmosphere of "pervasive fears and anxieties."  For complete story, click here.

Psychologist's trial to begin on Tuesday--Group home operator accused of practicing medicine without license.:  PLYMOUTH --Associates in Clinical Psychology was supposed to be a safe place, where troubled teens could receive treatment for mental illness.  But prosecutors allege that the group home was the scene of improper physical examinations performed on patients, by a man who was not licensed to perform them.  On Tuesday, a jury in Marshall Superior Court will begin hearing the case leveled against psychologist Marc A. Zackheim, who is facing one Class C felony count of practicing medicine without a license and three Class B misdemeanor counts of battery for a series of incidents that reportedly took place at the home in 2004.   (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.southbendtribune.com  Date: June 10, 2006)

Woman distraught: denied visit with sister at Ivy Ridge Academy:  A Michigan woman drove nine hours to Ogdensburg to visit her 18 year old sister at Ivy Ridge Academy.  But Rachel Stachowicz says she was turned away at the door and told to leave the grounds.  "She was out of bounds," said Ivy Ridge Executive Jason Finlinson.  The Academy At Ivy Ridge calls itself "a boarding school for the future." Its website says "We are a passageway to assist in the forgiveness, healing and reconciliation of families."  Parents pay $30,000 per year to enroll their teenagers in the program, according to the Watertown Daily Times in a 2003 story.  Stachowicz said she wanted to visit her sister Lindsey for Lindsey's 18th birthday and thought that as an adult, Lindsey would be free to receive any visitor she wanted, especially a sister.  She also wanted to ask her sister whether she wanted to leave the facility.  "I'm her sister," she said, her voice trembling. "Why couldn't I see my sister? She's 18; she has the right to choose to see me or not and they're saying she can't."  (Webmaster Note:  Apparently, you can take Ivy Ridge out of WWASPS, but you can't take WWASPS out of Ivy Ridge.)   For complete story, click here.

Prozac Found In System Of CYA  Teen Found Dead:  SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- An autopsy report on two teens who committed suicide in a California Youth Authority facility showed something that came as  a big surprise to one of teen's parents.  Deon Whitfield, 18, and former Stockton  resident Durrell Feaster, 17, were found  hanged inside a Preston youth facility dorm  room in mid-January.  Officials believe the  acts were suicides. The autopsy report  shows that at the time Feaster died, he had  significant amounts of Prozac in his system.  Feaster's mother, Gloria Feaster, said neither she nor her husband ever gave  the California Youth Authority permission to administer such a drug.  California Youth Authority officials did not comment specifically about the case Thursday, but they did explain their psychotropic drug policy for minors.  The CYA says it always sends out a consent form to parents.  If the parents  don't respond within 21 days, a parole agent visits their home to try and gain  consent. If that proves unsuccessful, the CYA can and does ask a judge to  grant permission to administer drugs --like Prozac -- without the parents ever  being notified.  For complete story, click here.

Do you know your teen?:  Navigating the teenage years isn't easy for parents or their children.  Adolescence brings major physical and emotional changes. Today's world has grown more connected, competitive and complex in the past generation, only adding to the challenges.  But two counselors at Quincy Junior High School say that's all part of growing up. Janice Pillay and Jackie Martin conducted independent research and came up with a snapshot of what life is like for a Quincy teen.  Inspired by an article in the Aug. 8, 2005, issue of Time magazine, the two counselors surveyed 1,344 students at QJHS, then compared the results with those from the magazine's online survey of 501 13-year-olds. They asked about home life, school, dating and whether they think their life is tougher than their parents' was.  The exercise was aimed at improving communication between the generations by asking parents:  How well do you know your teen? (Webmaster Note:  How dare any parent think of institutionalizing their child instead of communicating with him/her.  If you are so far removed from reality that you no longer see your child as an individual human being, you are the one who needs help.  Learn basic communications skills and take a parenting class!)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.whig.com  Date: May or June, 2006)

Families: Boot camp medical examiner covered up other deaths:   TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Some Florida families are accusing a medical examiner of botched work and cover-ups.  Doctor Charles Siebert is currently at the center of controversy for ruling that a teenager kicked and struck by boot camp guards died of a blood disorder. A second autopsy concluded the teen died of suffocation from having ammonia pills forced up his nose while his mouth was covered.  Another family accuses Siebert of covering up the 1977 death of a suspect allegedly beaten by police. At a news conference in Tallahassee, the families called for Siebert's license to be revoked.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.kxan.com  Date: May or June, 2006)

Hope Youth Ranch Responds To Allegations of Negligence:  "Our entire staff is heart broken and full of grief."  Those are the words from the ministry administrator at the Hope Youth Ranch in Webster Parish.  Eight former and current ranch employees were indicted Monday on charges surrounding the death a thirteen year old boy their care.  The death is reminding people of recent national tragedy's involving young children sent to youth camps.  In this case, the charge does not imply intent.  In other words the accused did not intend to kill the boy, but they did nothing to stop it.  The charge against the eight accused is negligent homicide.  The allegation is denying a young boy a drink of water after making him run for bad behavior.  For complete story, click here.

More Revealed About Teen Suspect Shot by Las Vegas Police:  Metro is investigating the connection between a body found in the desert over the weekend and the deadly officer involved shooting that claimed the life of a teenager.  ( Webmaster Note:  Swuave Lopez was handcuffed and not a threat to police at the time of his death by police gunshots.  Lopez was a survivor of Summit View, a "program" for troubled teens.  How many kids have to suffer before something is done to stop this torture industry?)  For complete story, click here.

Commentary: Behavior Modification Facilities Are Not Safe:  The nation was recently shocked by the beating death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson in a Florida boot camp. Sadly, this is not the first case of a death occurring in a “behavior modification” facility; in fact, there have been three deaths in such facilities throughout the country since December 2005. Although the camp that Anderson attended has recently been shut down, many similar ones are still in operation throughout the country. You’ve probably seen people from these programs on daytime TV. They’re the “drill sergeants” that yell at kids until they break down (at least that’s all they do on live TV). They say that their version of “tough love” is completely safe, and effectively treats problems such as defiance and drug use. The evidence shows otherwise.  One hundred 

and nineteen deaths have been reported due to treatment received in these facilities. Many are caused by asphyxiation due to the use of restraints. These are not typical handcuff restraints, as you may be thinking. Some of these cases have involved arms being twisted behind the back to the point of breaking and staff members lying or sitting on top of the child for upwards of 30 minutes. Restraints are commonly used to punish such horrendous offenses as talking out of turn and making eye contact with another student. It should be noted that restraints have caused at least 30 of the 119 deaths.  First-hand accounts from students and former staff members of these facilities are equally disturbing. Their statements and experiences make these facilities seem less like boot camps and more like Abu Ghraib. Stress positions, beatings, hog-tying, humiliation (including making students soil themselves), and sexual abuse are among the charges.  Fox News ran a three-part expose last year on one of the main groups of facilities that operates under the name of WWASPS, or World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools. The former president of WWASPS admitted under oath, in WWASPS v. PURE, that abuse “probably” happens. In the same court case the current president of WWASPS, Ken Kay, stated that most allegations of abuse are not investigated. He further explained that because these children are not the typical “college prep type,” sexual relations between staff members and students may not constitute abuse. For those who doubt this, the court transcripts are available at www.isaccorp.org. Much of the other information given above can also be verified at that site.  (Webmaster Notes:  You can also learn more at www.heal-online.org/childtortureusa.htm.)  For complete story, click here.

Tough love: Juvenile offenders say some discipline goes too far:  ...Unlike most government-regulated industries, Michigan has no clear outline of what is and is not accepted when restraining out-of-control kids in youth institutions.  A state administrative rule simply prohibits "cruel and severe discipline" and "excessive chemical, mechanical or physical restraint."  Nowhere does it detail what that entails.  "It leaves too much open for interpretation, and when you have a lack of policy, there is more room for error," said Fred Woelmer, director of the Genesee Valley Regional Center and vice president of the Michigan Juvenile Detention Association. "It makes a difficult job even more difficult."  But for the first time in more than 30 years, that rule is up for review this summer by state officials.  Those in the juvenile justice field hope to see 

significant changes made.  Adding weight to their plea are recent problems at the beleaguered Camp Highfields in rural Ingham County where the three above scenarios played out earlier this year.  Counselors' reactions in two of those cases and another led to the suspension of the residential program in February and uncertainty about whether the program will continue.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.lsj.com Date: May 7, 2006)

Lives Lost:  Brittani Head was set to graduate from Crossroads Christian Academy in May. Shortly before Brittani died, her mom just finished paying for her senior trip to Cancun, where Brittani planned to go with some local friends, and some friends from Florida.  She loved sports: soccer, softball and cheerleading, and was a big LSU tiger fan, said her dad, Glynn Head.  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.theadvertiser.com  Date: May 7, 2006)

License To Harm:  To be a manicurist in the state of Washington, you must take 600 hours of training and pass both a written exam and a skills demonstration.  To cut hair, you need 1,000 hours of training and the two tests.  But to be a registered counselor, someone who will help guide troubled clients through some of their most difficult life challenges, you need take only a four-hour AIDS-awareness class. That's it — that and a $40 registration fee. You don't even need a high-school diploma.  That sounds like an invitation for trouble — and it is.  In the past decade, the state has sanctioned 104 registered counselors for sexual misconduct. That's more than for any other health profession, and more than the cases involving doctors, dentists and registered nurses combined. It's just a fraction of the actual incidents of abuse, since, experts say, most go unreported.  "It's kind of scary," said David Kaplan, chief professional officer of the American Counseling Association, based in Virginia. "If someone who has an eighth-grade education can walk in and be a counselor, how in the world is Washington protecting the public?"  For complete story, click here.

Child Abuse for Profit is Occurring in America:  “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”-- Article 5, U.N. Declaration of Universal Human Rights…  “You wouldn’t believe the terrible things that were done to me,” says Alexia Parks’ niece in An American Gulag. [1] But she continues: “I know now it was for my own good.” Thus ends Parks’ account of her struggle to help her niece after she was enrolled in several behavior modification schools. The similarity to the end of 1984 is striking: a previously headstrong individual returns from months of torture as merely a shell of their former self, having learned to love their tormentors. The difference is that Parks’ story is true.  Usual definitions of torture include the use of practices such as solitary confinement, non-medical application of psychiatric drugs, unprovoked beatings, starvation, and verbal abuse as means to change a person’s behavior. Many Americans are reluctant to support the use these techniques even on criminals, much less teenagers with behavioral problems. Unfortunately, this is exactly what is being done on a large-scale basis as “tough-love” programs have become a booming industry. These programs come in several varieties, including boot camps, “therapeutic” boarding schools or academies, and wilderness programs. At the cost of several thousand dollars per month (up to $40,000/year), these schools supposedly provide a climate where troubled teens can continue their regular education while receiving treatments designed to improve their behavior.  In the philosophy of these schools, reform involves two goals: to break kids down through strict discipline and routine, then to build them back up through self-examination and therapy of various sorts. Usually, only the former is accomplished. So successful is the breaking down process that former inmates of these institutions often suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome, even years after being freed. Ex-students call themselves, with good cause, “survivors”.  For complete story, click here.

Students in governor's office protest boot camp death:  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A group of protesters is demanding arrests in the boot camp death of a 14-year-old -- and the protesters want to take that demand straight to Florida Governor Jeb Bush.  About 30 college students took over the foyer of the governor's office in Tallahassee today. Students from Florida State University, Florida A-and-M University and Tallahassee Community College also want Bush to apologize to the boy's family.  (For more on growing protests, visit:  http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/14399173.htm and http://www.wftv.com/news/8887440/detail.html)  (Unable to locate story at time of archiving.  Source: www.wlns.com  Date: April, 2006)

Military-style camps get boot after teen's death in Florida:  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Putting juvenile delinquents into a military-style boot camp would seem to be a logical means of transforming rough-and-tumble kids into young ladies and gentlemen.  Many camps were opened in the early and mid-1990s when corrections officials were convinced it was the best method to help troubled teens mature and stay away from further problems. But that idea has fallen out of favor nationwide in the wake of research by criminologists that indicates the programs simply don't work any better than normal juvenile detention facilities.  The programs faced increased criticism after 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson died in January after he was kicked and hit by guards at a Florida Panhandle camp -- an altercation that was videotaped by camp surveillance cameras and broadcast nationally.  That camp, run by the Bay County Sheriff's Office, was closed last month, but Florida still has four open, housing about 130 teens -- down from a peak of nine camps and 364 inmates about eight years ago. At the concept's peak in the mid-1990s, about 4,500 teens were housed nationally in juvenile boot camps.  Some expect that downward trend to continue.  "As we know boot camps today, they're not going to exist," said Florida state Rep. Gus Barreiro, chairman of the House Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee. "Intimidation-based programming ultimately has very short-term results, and what we want is long-term results."  But the boot camps still have powerful supporters who say the programs work, including Gov. Jeb Bush, who said he has no intention of closing any more camps or changing their methods. (Webmaster Note:  If you expect the Bush family to do anything to protect human rights or children's welfare, you are an idiot!  They are in partnerships and social relationships with the most notorious child torturers in the US.  They will never side with justice.  They must be impeached and removed from office now!) For complete story, click here.