Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS)
Level System
Badpuppy:
You might consider getting a better lawyer. Mr. DJ is 100% correct in what he is telling you. If it were my kid I'd rather have him go to the CA Youth authority than a WWASP program. WWASP programs are systmatic brutalization with the added liability of harmful therapies like rebirthing, emotionaly cathartic therapies, LGAT's which in the mental helth community are considered in the same breath as say Alien Abduction Therapy.
There should be no reason why your attorney and your paid expert witnesses, mental health experts, cannot come up with an accpetable alternative,other than incarceration anyplace, particularly since you are going willing to pay for it. The DA may go for one to three but judges also consider the cost and the amount of places that are available.
You are a little hard on therapy. Try to think of it not so much as what you did was wrong, but how I can make the communication between me and my son better. If nothing less than incarceration for a year or more will do for this judge there are programs that are a lot easier time to do than a dispicable WWASP program. But understand that programs are just about doing easier time. Residential treatment is therapuitically ineffective and possibly harmful according to the US government. So it is about finding the least damaging program. Involve your son in the decision process. It is his life, he needs to have some responsibity for the choices. Be good
Worried Dad:
--- Quote ---On 2006-05-03 21:05:00, Three Springs Waygookin wrote:
"How the hell a kid gonna get 3 years for ripping off a pickle jar full of change?
What else is on his rap sheet?
Sounds to me like you ought to spend your money on a better lawyer.
...
I would strongly suggest going to the judge and finding out exactly where your boy is going to be doing time, or if there is some alternative that can be found.
...
--- End quote ---
The only other thing on his rap sheet is truancy citations. The DA is basing their decision on his school record mainly. They have some theory that if kids aren't doing good in school, that they'll be future criminals. The theory is to keep it from happening while they're young. Plus my lawyer said there were other tip jars taken in town so they want to make an example out of my kid for it. Like I said though they let a caucasian kid that was with him off with a lesser charge even though he's clearly doing poorly in school.
The judge may give him a lesser sentence yes, but he might not either. I'm fully expecting my kid to get at least a year. He'll have a felony conviction on his record too. Hopefully that can be removed when he's older.
I suppose I can ask the judge about alternatives. I'm not going to hold my breath though.
Sylvia:
Worried Dad:
This sucks! Especially that the caucasian kid got a lesser charge.
If your son gets a felony conviction, he can get it overturned/erased if he stays on the straight and narrow after this.
I share your realistically powerless view about what an individual can do to protect his/her offspring from the various vagaries of the court sytem.
I think it might mean a lot to your son that you are trying to fight for him, however lost this particular cause might be. A year in jail would truly be a horrible sentence for a $37 tip jar, but, I must agree, it all other arguments fail, jail is better than WWASPS. At least you'll get to see him, he can attend some classes if he chooses to. It's up to him whether he picks up worse habits, you can't control that.
You have my sympathy and I also think you are brave for coming on here, smart for checking it out, and even smarter for absorbing the message despite wincing at the delivery.
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2006-05-03 20:36:00, Worried Dad wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2006-05-03 20:20:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Worried Dad, Horizon Academy is NOT accredited. The link you posted leads to a list of programs/schools "accredited" by the Northwest Accreditation organization. Anyone who wants to get accredited by them has to pay a fee and be "reviewed" by a "team of peers"-- in WWASPS's case, their own executives. There is no REAL accrediting going on.
Read more here:
http://www.isaccorp.org"
--- End quote ---
Yes that's what I was afraid of, thanks. It sounds a lot like the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval." It just means they paid for it."
--- End quote ---
Look closer, Dad. This is the accrediting body that accredits ALL of the public schools in several states. All accrediting agencies charge a fee, and all include a peer review. The one conducted by NAAS is quite extensive, and includes a week-long campus visit. The "peers" are academic professionals.
Our school is accredited by NAAS, and our credits are accepted at every school and college in the country. Don't believe me. Look into NAAS and consider calling them for more information.
Badpuppy:
If there is no way that the judge will go for a sentence other than incarceration check out this Tyler Ranch in Oragon. THIS IS IN NO WAY AN ENDORSEMENT OF THAT PROGRAM OR PROGRAMS IN GENERAL. This comes under the heading of mitigation of damages. There are a couple of superficial facts that make me think this program might be less harmful than most. This program at least allows your kid to go to a normal public school. So of his sixteen waking hours 8 of them are spent with normal kids. If there was some horrible abuse, kids could tell a school counselor or split. It is run by a nonprofit agency so there is little more accountability. If they take in state placements they certainly would be subject to some sort of state oversight. Not that it is any great protection. Apparantly they don't force kids to open up. Therapy in that setting is usually ineffective because kids are captive,and to get out,they learn to say what the therapist wants to hear. It doesn't appear to be an "emotional growth school" so there is a reasonable chance it is a traditional type of therapy, not whacky like rebirthing, beating a towel against the floor while screaming at picture of relatives, or your son. This place also takes kids in from 6 to 18, which means that your kid is going to be one of the bigger ones, less likely he is going to be physically intimidated. Of course there are always minimum wage poorly trained houseparents, and an overabundance of chores, but the kid is likely to survive with his body and soul intact. I don't know this place or have any affiliation of any kind with it. I suggest it only in the sense of your kid mabbe doing some easier time if he has to be incarcerated someplace. A pragmatic lesser of the evils. Of course mabbe the place is the worst shithole on earth. Just a place to research. Pick up the book "Help At Any Cost"
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