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[cherish wisdom]

Stettler must go - I agree. The people of Utah need to take action to prevent these atrocities and human rights abuses. It's their state and they need to do something about it. The people need to get some control of their government and the corruption involved in this industry.   [ This Message was edited by: cherish wisdom on 2004-06-15 18:00 ]

[Anonymous]

The boys could have broken down the door and rescued Anson.  Why didn't they?  As for the pay-phone, even without one, these boys could have run next door (the home is in a residential neighborhood) and asked someone to call 911.  Why they ran all the way to AhQuin's home wasting valuable time (90 minutes) is very troublesome.

[Anonymous]

No one walked away from this unscathed. Anson is dead and his family will grieve. The two boys may loose their lives and freedom. Their parents have essentially lost their sons to the abusive Utah prison system. The boys who witnessed this will be traumatized for years to come.
This could all have been prevented if this facility had been closed due to the numerous violations that were discovered prior to this. It could have been prevented if parents were notified of the violations and could have had the option of removing their children from an unsafe and potentially dangerous situation.

There are many troubling questions that have not been anwered.
Why only one staff member? (to save money?)
Why was the bat accessable to two troubled boys who were distressed about having to stay in a private prison for a longer time?
Did the boys have any counseling after they were told they had to stay for several more months?
If they were distressed why wasn't there additional supervision?
Where the boys locked in? Was this why they couldn't get out?
Was there an available phone?
Were the boys afraid of being punished if they went to a neighbor for help?
Was Anson required to carry through with the punishment of these two boys? Reports indicate that they were being punished for something.  

There are so many questions that have gone unanswered.

[Deborah]

We need a thread dedicated to reports of counselors being attacked. Remember this one:

----------------------------------------------
 http://www.mormonstoday.com/991212/D2Stock01.shtml

LDS RM Recovers from Wilderness Attack (Last of Runaway Teens in Custody)
Salt Lake Tribune 9Dec99 D2
By Kelly Kennedy and Greg Burton: Salt Lake Tribune

BERYL JUNCTION, UTAH -- An LDS Returned Missionary serving as a youth counselor to a program for wayward youth, is unharmed after the eight youths he and a co-worker were leading on a wilderness camping trip overpowered them and escaped. Kirk "Marty" Stock was beaten with juniper sticks and bound with duct tape along with his co-worker, BYU student Sunshine Fuller. Both Stock and Fuller were otherwise unharmed and all eight youths have been found and accounted for.
**************************

If word got around perhaps some would choose a different career path.

[Anonymous]

Whoever the DHS licensor is that was responsible for monitoring this program, they should be looking at some sort of punitive action, themselves.  

 :flame:

[Deborah]

That would be Mr Ken Stettler.
Google his name. And here's a few links where you can learn more about him.

Articles containing Stettler?s admissions of ?overlooking? violations:
http://web.outsidemag.com/magazine/1095/10f_deth.html
http://www.sltrib.com/2002/Jul/07172002/utah/754298.htm
http://www.sltrib.com/2002/jul/07192002/utah/754809.htm
http://departments.bloomu.edu/crimjust/BOOT.html

A real gem. For the industry that is.

[Anonymous]

Kelly Husbands, Licensing Specialist from Nephi Utah resigned soon after this incident - perhaps this is why he resigned from his post.

[Anonymous]

More on Ken Stettler:

Ken Stettler, who helped develop the rules for the Utah Department of Human Services, conceded that state officials only responded after several children had died, saying, "States tend to be reactionary, rather than proactionary."
 

In the last few years, Mr. Stettler said, he has worked with officials in Nevada and Idaho to draft similar regulations. Other states where adolescents have died in outdoor programs, including Florida, Texas and Oregon, have also tightened their regulations, he said. The West Virginia Legislature is expected to debate new laws when it convenes next year.

But monitoring these camps poses a fiscal burden for states. For that reason, Hawaii has banned outdoor camps, and some states with regulations do not have the resources to enforce them

Does anyone wonder what's going to happen this summer in Wildernesss "therapy?"

[cherish wisdom]

People of Cedar City:  What happened at the meeting in Salt Lake City? Was it well attended? Hopefully the state of Utah will do more to regulate and monitor these facilities. Many children have been abused and some have died as a result of violations of rules and regulations. The authorities do very little to correct problems when former students or parents of those children report violations and abuses. This is a huge problem that must be corrected. Most of these residential programs are violating laws and codes. If you knew what goes on in the name of teen therapy you would not be able to sleep.

Take a look at the photos of the Iraqi prisoners.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/30/iraq.photos
 Some of these tactics are used on 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 year old children who have been placed in private prisons AKA "residential treatment." The children have no way to contact the authorities when they are being abused and when their rights are being violated.  They often can not speak to their own parents. Infrequent communications with parents are often monitored. The children are severely punished for trivial reasons.

Hopefully your comments and actions will not fall on deaf ears.  You folks need to get control of your government. In California citizens have the right to place initiatives on the ballot. This is a great way to get the government to respond to the desires of the people.  

Busy, curious, thirsty fly, Drink with me, and drink as I.
-- William Oldys (1696-1761): On a Fly drinking out of a Cup of Ale.

[ This Message was edited by: cherish wisdom on 2004-06-16 21:24 ]

[Anonymous]

Stettler is not the problem, the problem is UTAH needs jobs.  This is ecomonics 101. Getting rid of Stettler is like putting a band-aid on a severed artery.  It ain't gonna stop the bleeding.

[Anonymous]

CW- the people in Cedar City don't care about the kids safety as much as they care about their own.  Anson Arnett's death is what triggered the outrage, not the death of Aaron Bacon, Michelle Sutton, Ian August, Katie Lank, etc.  If the citizens want change, they will have to concede that their long indifference to the safety and well-being of children in Utah-based programs is what led to the death of Anson Arnett.  That's the bottom line.

[cherish wisdom]

UTAH NEEDS JOBS...That's fine - but these jobs involve human lives - the lives of children. These children must be protected by the rules and regulations that have been established to safeguard their health, dignity and basic human rights. These rules and regulations are not being followed. In fact, many of the reports of abuse from children and their parents would be considered TORTURE. So - something needs to be done in the State of Utah.  This is an embarrassment to the state, the predominant religion in the state (LDS-Mormon) and all the governmental leaders and agencies that do nothing until someone dies as a result of all of the ignored violations of rules, treaties, codes and laws.  What is going to happen this summer? How many children will die or be injured this year as a result of dehydration, starvation, denial of medical care and heat exhaustion? How many staff members and children will be injured when abused and frieghtened captive youth try to escape? More will die if nothing is done.  

There are many things that can be done to make these programs safer. #1 - install pay phones for student/patient use. #2 - post the patient rights in a prominent location with a toll-free number that can be called if these rights are violated.#3 Allow visitations every day for one hour. #4 Allow children to speak to parents and family at least twice per week. #5 allow students to have access to the child abuse toll free number and 911 for emergencies.

These children are extremely vulnerable for abuse and feelings of isolation since they have no contact with the outside world.

This industry is abusive because unlicensed staff are practicing dangerous behavior modification using confrontation and punishments.  They have little to no training.  People undergoing behavior modification can be irrational and dangerous.  If a program uses BM then this must be disclosed to the consumers (parents). These programs are fraudulent because they do not disclose what is going on.  The case of Aaron Bacon is a perfect example. Here he was complaining of severe abdominal distress and had physcial symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy. The day before he died his parents were told that he would probably have to start the program over again. Never were they told of his illness.
These programs routinely deprive children of necessary medical care and evaluation. This must end.  

The people of Utah must do something about it because this is happening in their State.  They need to hold their representatives and leaders accountable.  

The sadist cannot stand the separation of the public and the private; nor can he grant to others the mystery of their personality, the validity of their inner self...in order for him to feel his maximum power, he wants the world to be peopled with concrete manipulatable objects...
-- ERNEST BECKER, The Structure of Evil, 1968.

[Anonymous]

The people of Utah must do something about it because this is happening in their State. They need to hold their representatives and leaders accountable.

This in a state that only recently decided to hold polygamists "accountable" for abusing women and children for decades?  What a joke.

[Anonymous]

CW - You really don't get it, do you?  In Utah, women and children are second class citizens.

 :flame:

[cherish wisdom]

People of Cedar City don't care...Perhaps you are right. A local member of their community died this time - not some out-of-state problem child.

These violations of rules and regulations lead to death.  This is what all of this is about.  The rules, codes, and laws are being ignored.  This is why Anson is dead and it is why all of the other children died.  In Aaron Bacons' case many rules and codes were not followed (mainly the codes involving deprivation of food and sleeping gear). Rules and codes were ignored in the deaths of Ian and Michele and Anthony.  

Probably codes and rules were ignored in the treatment of these boys.

When I reported the abuse and code violations that involved my own child and others - the authorities did nothing - they refuse to even respond to questions. This is how the government in Utah responds to people who make reports of abuse and code violations.  They don't care. Until someone dies and the press starts writing about how lax they are.  Unfortunately it takes the death of someone to get any type of responce from the authorities. When they do make some rules and regulations they do absolutely nothing to those facilities that are in violation.  

Also the staff members do not report violations of laws, rules and codes. They do not report child abuse - which is a violation of law and duty.  Those who want to be seen as "good staff members" are as guilty as those who abuse the children because they should be reporting what they witness. It really makes me sick when these kids come out of these programs and say how wonderful so and so was. Well if that person was so wonderful - then why are they violating the child abuse reporting laws?  

Anson knew that the facility was violating laws and codes - in fact he had told his family about it before his untimely death. The sad thing is - if he had gone to the authorities - they would have done nothing.  This is probably why he continued to work - knowing that this was a violation.  The authorities do not do anything at all until someone dies.

Now that Anson has died - the program has been closed for the violations. If he had not died - the program would be in full operation.

The authorities need to respond to these reports of abuse and they are not.  More will die as a result of this.  Apparently the citizens of Utah will only get involved when one of their own dies.

The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture
is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin
to understand me?

--O'Brien to Winston Smith