Voicemail: 303-444-1383.
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MEGAN AND THE "STARVING GIRL"
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On April 20th a caseworker, Laurie Williams, visited a Snakepit school
called Tranquility Bay in Jamaica to assess the condition of a teen
named Megan. Her report to the Santa Clara County Court noted: "Megan is
having some disturbing physical symptoms although she has been told that
they are "all in her head," so she never complains. …Megan has been
having moderate to severe headaches for most of this time, … feels
bloated, and has severe stomach aches frequently and has not had a
period for over six months. Because Megan initially complained of
irregular bleeding and cramping, Tranquility Bay put her on birth
control pills. After one month on them, her period was so severe that
she bled through the equivalent of one super tampon every half an hour
for several days. Megan stopped taking the pills on her own and has not
had a period since. Megan’s gums are also swollen."
Megan stated that the residents must eat at least 50% of all meals
because the staff are afraid of the girls starving themselves. Ms
Williams notes: "There is evidently a young woman there now who is doing
just that even though the consequences are pretty severe (isolation for
periods of time). – Megan believes that isolation is terrible (you
cannot talk to anyone, etc.)
After reviewing her situation for two days, the caseworker decided to
bring Megan back to California. "Initially I thought of leaving her
until after the court hearing but after what happened when we went to
get her things I am convinced that there would have been serious
consequences for her if I had decided to leave her there for any length
of time…." According to Ms Williams, when Megan went to get her bags and
leave "the staff was very rude to her including yelling at her, telling
her she was not ready to go, she could not succeed, …etc." As she
summarized to the court: "If Megan had stayed," it would have become
more and more toxic for her."
[Experts say: These teens may also be at risk for long term health
problems due to parasites and untreated tropical infections. Remember
the Hanoi Hilton? These off shore "Rehab Resorts" are little more than
prisoner of war camps for exiled teens.]
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DISPATCHES FROM THE FIELD
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WHO IS WATCHING OUR KIDS? (Part I): Would a cocaine-dealer make a good
custodial parent?
"I was abducted by The Seed, in Miami Fla. when I was 15," says D. "My
parents gave custody over to them, I was removed from school & turned
into a ‘good kid’ & remained ‘good’ until I turned 18."
"My parents friends had a daughter who I'd met once. She told them she
*knew* I was on drugs & that The Seed could help me. I was using drugs
but IMO, was not outta control. I had a part time job at the time that
my dad used to drive me to. He told me one day that he had to pick up a
couple people to drive up there.
He stopped at a house & picked up these two HUGE guys, & they both got
into the back seat with me, one on either side, me in the middle. It was
at that point that my dad told me there was a change of plans. They took
me to a Blimp Hanger (Goodyear) where this Org. had been donated space.
It had about 1000 kids in it on metal folding chairs. Boys on one side,
girls on the other. They talked to us 12 hours a day, made us sit in
these chairs the whole time, with no bathrooms.
They gave us BP&J & bug-juice (peanut butter and jelly and watered-down
kool-aid) for breakfast, lunch & dinner. I was put into a foster-home
with about 12 other boys. The foster-folks kept us up for more hours,
talking to us. I ran away the 2nd day & was captured by the
foster-folks, They grabbed me in a public place & nobody did nothin' to
stop 'um. It was at this point that I became VERY untrusting of ANYBODY!
I acted very sorry for running, had my hair cut short that day &
‘became’ one of them to survive. I was allowed to go back to school
after about 3 weeks. I was forbidden from speaking to my old friends
except to say, "I love you, or The Seed loves you." I was watched very
closely by everyone...there were about 16 other ‘seedlings’ in my
school. We talked very little. It was impossible to confide in any of
them because we didn't know who was a spy.
I ‘graduated’ after 5 mos & 8 days. I stayed straight until I turned 18,
then became an alcoholic. I kicked booze at 20 & started shooting
drugs.., never did BEFORE the Seed! I kicked coke & heroin at 24. -- The
Seed was closed down because the owner was busted for selling cocaine.
His name was Art Barker."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
WHO IS WATCHING OUR KIDS? (Part II): Would a man charged with 5-counts
of sexual abuse and grand larceny make a good custodial parent?
A parent of a teen writes: "After reading the entire American Gulag
story, I was struck by the similarity to the camp in Baja, Mexico, to
the one that my son attended last fall. It was originally called Teen
C.A.R.E. Camp, and was located in San Bernardino, CA.
For 3 months, this camp took "tours" in motor homes. They went up and
down the coast supposedly attending (12-Step) AA meetings along the
way. We were not real comfortable with that, but quite honestly, we
were recovering as humans from the hell we had been through. I guess our
own needs were more crucial at that point.
During one phone conversation with our son while they were on their way
back to the home base, he said that they were moving around because it
was not a licensed facility in the state of California and Child
Protective Services were after them. There were allegations of sexual
abuse, but my son claimed these were false. (Keep in mind he LOVED
being there...the kids called the shots. They got to smoke, cuss, eat
at fast food restaurants all the time...)
My husband and I decided to pull him out of the camp after that
conversation. They were scheduled to be back that week. The camp was
planning to move it's permanent location to Baja, Mexico, and we were
not comfortable with him being out of the country. Lo and behold, we
got a call during the middle of the night that he was being kicked out
of the camp for a variety of reasons. They brought him home at 3 am.
The day after his return (one that NONE of us was ready for) we got a
call from the San Bernardino sheriff’s department. Evidently the
director had 5 counts of sexual abuse charges pending...grand larceny
charges...plus a variety of licensing charges from the state. He said
they have been trying to shut them down for years, but couldn't get
cooperation from the students to testify. The kids liked being there.
Long of the story...we were told the camp was shut down and all kids
sent back to their families. Found out, though, that the camp is alive
and well in Baja...many families sending their kids back there. I also
found their website that gives with wonders of their program:
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IF YOU’RE A TEEN
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Should teens have the right to be free of the fear of abduction? An
expert advises:
If you are a teen or know of a teen who feels they may be abducted,
follow these seven steps.
1. Call the local juvenile court and file an "emergency child in need of
services" report. Kids can do this and it will get you an attorney.
2. Get a copy of your transcripts from school, your medical records, and
check with child protective services to see if they have an open file on
you.
3 Give this information to a trusted friend or neighbor along with a
letter that you would not consent to this action.
4. Make an appointment with the local law enforcement and let them know
that you will not consent and will fight for you life, if your life is
threatened. Teens have the right to refuse forced transfer. Forced
transfer, using "deadly force" is considered Kidnapping 1 in Washington
state. There is no parental exemption. Kidnapping 2, according to a
legal expert in Washington state, occurs when there is unlawful
imprisonment without the use of deadly force.
5. File a copy of the letter stating your refusal to be transferred to a
private behavior modification facility with the Sheriff’s department.
6.Move out of your house, if possible to a neutral location, and be
pro-active about counseling for your family. If you wait, it may be too
late. If you are abducted, a lawyer representing your parents can easily
delay court hearings for three to six months before your case is heard.
7. Let your relatives know that this may happen to you, as well as any
others in your life. You may also want to post it in the Teen Registry,
linked to An American GULAG.
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PARENTS IN CRISIS
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Dear Alexia,
I AM WRITING TO YOU OUT OF CONCERN FOR MY DAUGHTER (name withheld), WHO
WAS TAKEN FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, BY HER MOTHER TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
AND PUT INTO THE MORAVA ACADEMY. ALL THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER
KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING ON VACATION TO AUSTRIA.
THIS HAPPENED ON MARCH 18, 1998… TO MAKE THE STORY SHORT, I WROTE MY
EX-WIFE BACK AND TOLD HER THIS WAS A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP , THAT I HAD
READ ABOUT TRANQUILITY BAY, AND SAW THE TV SHOW ABOUT THIS "PRISON
CAMP". I INFORMED MY EX-WIFE THAT I WOULD NOT CONTRIBUTE $1.00 TO THIS
PROGRAM. I FURTHER ADVISED HER IT APPEARED THAT MORAVA AND TRANQUILITY
BAY WERE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY OR AFFILIATED. PRESENTLY I AM TALKING
WITH AN ATTORNEY TO SEE IF THEY CAN GIVE ME SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO
GET MY DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC.
(Parent was advised by private correspondence)
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STORY LEADS
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SCORE ONE FOR TEEN RIGHTS: Arizona Boys Ranch closes one of seven
"campuses". Bob Thomas, chief executive officer of the Arizona Boys
Ranch, reported that one of the camp's seven campuses would be closed
and that a series of improvements would be instituted in the wake of the
March 2 death of Nicholaus Contreraz of California. -- The
boot-camp-style facility houses about 500 juvenile delinquents from
around the country. Arizona officials have pledged to close the entire
facility if pervasive abuse is found.
UNDER "NEW" MANAGEMENT?: Rumor has it that Utah’s Brightway Hospital,
closed due to allegations of abuse, is making plans to reopen in
Durango, CO.
DEATH BY RESTRAINT: Death-by-asphyxiation is on the rise at psychiatric
"mental rehabs". The Boston Globe and wire services report on three
recent deaths of "restrained" teens.
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JOIN TEENAID
---------------------------
Membership in TeenAid is $25. Members will be sent an (unabridged) copy
of An American GULAG. The expose can be donated to a local middle or
high school. Contributions to support the activities of TeenAid can be
sent to The Education Exchange Network (T.E.E.N) Box K, Eldorado
Springs, CO 80025.
Want to join? 303-444-1383 -- Alexia
Parks, author of An American GULAG, is executive director of T.E.E.N., a
tax-exempt, non-profit organization. Federal ID 84-1173215.
TeenAid promotes teen rights and the reform of "behavior modification"
facilities and schools that abuse the civil and human rights of teens.
This online newsletter links experts, the media, and interested members
of the public who are interested in this issue. Please forward it to
your list or post in relevant newsgroups.
*******
Teen-Justice promotes the reform of "behavior modification" facilities
and schools that abuse the civil and human rights of teens. This
newsletter links experts, the media, and interested members of the
public who are interested in this issue. Please forward it to your list
or post in relevant newsgroups.