Authorities say Polk teen killed himself

[Anonymous]

The 14-year-old in a juvenile-justice program had been visiting home for the weekend.


Amy L. Edwards | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted April 10, 2007

A 14-year-old on a weekend home visit from Florida's only STAR program -- the state's replacement for the controversial youth boot camps -- apparently killed himself after stealing a truck in Polk County, according to sheriff's officials.

Joseph Malcolm Freeman of Lakeland was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside a Dodge Dakota pickup Sunday afternoon. The truck was reported stolen hours earlier from the Auburndale Nature Trail.

Freeman entered the STAR program, operated by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, in September and would have graduated this month.

On Monday, sheriff's officials said Freeman was a model cadet with a 3.7 grade-point average who talked about becoming an engineer and was recently baptized at an area church.

"For this to have occurred is shocking to all of us," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "Every indicator we had . . . shows that he was progressing well and was on track to graduate from our program."

Freeman was sentenced to STAR by the Department of Juvenile Justice and went into Polk's program in Bartow. The STAR program was created after the Martin Lee Anderson Act, named for a teen who died after being beaten by guards, abolished youth boot camps last year.

Other than Judd, each of Florida's sheriffs who operated a boot camp closed their programs and did not re-open under STAR, which emphasizes education, community service and vocational training.

STAR counselor Eric Holm said he spent a lot of time with Freeman, who appeared to be "very happy."

Holm said fellow cadets who were notified about the suicide Monday shared the same sentiment.

"There was no indication by anyone that he would have done something like this," Holm said.

Freeman's mother, Penny Culver, said she is waiting to see if her son --"Jay" -- was on drugs because she doesn't think he would have killed himself with a clear mind.

"He was in great spirits Saturday. He was happy. He was helping his grandfather rebuild his mobile home because it caught on fire last November," she said. "He worked tremendously hard Saturday."

Sheriff's officials on Monday released the copy of a note reportedly written by Freeman in his home-visit journal.

In it, Freeman wrote to his family: "I'm sorry things aren't working out for the best right now but I cannot go through with this. Things are crazy and I cannot adapt. . . . I'm leaving now and I don't know when I'll be back or even if I'm coming back. Please forgive me."

He signed the letter and ended with a P.S.: "We will all meet agin (sic) soon."

Sheriff's officials said Freeman was signed out of the STAR program Saturday morning by his mother and taken to his uncle's home in Lakeland.

The uncle told deputies he last saw Freeman about 1 a.m. Sunday. When he awoke about 7:30 a.m., the teen was missing.

When Culver called the Sheriff's Office to report her son missing, deputies and K-9s were dispatched to search for the teen, Judd said. Deputies also checked Freeman's friends' houses.

Meanwhile, Polk County resident Franklin Woessner reported his 1998 Dodge Dakota pickup stolen about 8:40 a.m. from the Auburndale Nature Trail. Several hours later, Woessner's relatives spotted the stolen truck near Saddle Creek Road and began to follow it, the Sheriff's Office reported.

Woessner's relatives told detectives Freeman rammed the vehicle on Hickory Road, and then he drove the truck through a barbed-wire fence and crashed into a tree. After the crash, the relatives, who were on the telephone with Polk County dispatchers, waited inside their vehicle until law-enforcement arrived.

Deputies found Freeman locked inside the truck, the music playing loudly. The preliminary investigation indicates Freeman shot himself with a .45-caliber handgun Woessner said he stored in the center console.

Sheriff's Office records show Freeman has been arrested on multiple criminal charges, including grand-theft auto, battery on an education employee, marijuana possession and the use or display of a weapon during a felony.

Culver said the state's juvenile-justice system repeatedly failed her son when she tried to get him help, but she had nothing but praise for Polk County's program.

Now, Culver said, she wants state officials to issue monitoring bracelets to track cadets in the STAR program while they are on home visits.

"I couldn't save my son like I wanted to. He's dead now. But if I can save another child . . . then his life is not going to be in vain," said Culver.

source

Dead teen was on STAR furlough
Last Edited: Monday, 09 Apr 2007, 10:42 PM EDT
Created: Monday, 09 Apr 2007, 4:26 PM EDT

LAKELAND - The death of a teenager this weekend has left his family grieving and the sheriff's office reviewing its policies.

Joseph Freeman was a cadet at Polk County's STAR (Sheriff's Training and Respect) program - a residential camp for troubled kids. Everyone thought he was getting his life together, until he stunned everyone by ending it all.

"He could make laugh. He could take the saddest moment and turn it into the happiest moment of your life," said Freeman's mother, Penny Culver.

She can't believe her son's gone. She says he got caught up in gangs, and lost his way. But she never thought he'd take his own life at just 14-years-old.

"He was a good kid. He just made some bad choices. He got caught up in the wrong situation with the wrong people. He didn't deserve to die," said Culver.

Freeman had been in the STAR Program since September of last year. In recent years, he'd been arrested for drugs, grand theft, and battery. Yet his mother, deputies, and even the sheriff say Freeman seemed to be turning his life around.

"From every indication, he was moving along remarkably. In fact he was scheduled to graduate in two weeks," offered Polk Sheriff Grady Judd.

He was doing so well, that deputies allowed him to spend Easter weekend with his uncle. But early Sunday morning, he snuck out.

Investigators say he stole a truck in Auburndale, along with the registered gun that was left in it. By noon, the family of the truck's owner spotted Freeman and followed him. Eventually, they collided. But Freeman kept going, driving off the road, and into a tree.

Then, investigators say, he used the gun to kill himself.

"You don't ever want to lose one of these kids. Even this kid who had a criminal background was progressing well. But it's not a perfect system," said Judd.

He's now reviewing the program to see what, if anything, could've been done differently. Although deputies with the STAR Program say Freeman never showed any suicidal tendencies.

He did leave behind a note saying:

"I'm sorry things aren't working out for the best right now but I cannot go through with this. Things are crazy and I cannot adapt. I want to thank you all for everything that you have done for me. I'm sorry for all the things that I have put you all through. I'm leaving now and I don't know when I'll be back or even if I'm coming back. Please forgive me. I love you all and remember things happen for a reason. P.S. We will all meet again soon."

His mother believes he may have been afraid to leave the STAR program.

"I guess that he didn't have enough confidence built up in himself and he was scared he wasn't going to make it with graduation just two weeks away," said Culver. "He told me Saturday morning he was scared of being recycled. He was scared of failing, and I told him then, 'son, I'm proud of you. You've accomplished a lot. You've come a long ways.'"

But the next day, on Easter, Culver's son took his own life.

"All I wanted to do was save him and I couldn't," said Culver. "I was proud of him no matter what he did because he was my son and I loved him."

source

[hanzomon4]

This may be off topic but....

Have any Straight survivors contacted any of the news papers covering the Anderson case, and now this one, to enlighten them on Florida's troubled history with "helping" teens? Maybe it's just me but any reporter worth a damn would be shitting whole galaxies all over the news if they knew about Straight with stories like this and the Anderson case still in the social consciousness.

[ZenAgent]

This may be off topic but....

Have any Straight survivors contacted any of the news papers covering the Anderson case, and now this one, to enlighten them on Florida's troubled history with "helping" teens? Maybe it's just me but any reporter worth a damn would be shitting whole galaxies all over the news if they knew about Straight with stories like this and the Anderson case still in the social consciousness.

This is the guy I thought would be digging into this, since he's well-versed in STRAIGHT:

http://gorenfeld.net/john/?p=5

Who knows, he may be getting it together.

[Antigen]

Yeah, come to think of it there was a flurry of mentions of all the ties between all of the principle characters in Bay County Boot Camp and Straight. Maia Szalavitz probably has done the most that I know of to bring attention to those ties. I've posted, commented and written a couple letters to editors and to journalists covering the Martin Lee Anderson story. But as soon as the Rainbow Coalition came on the scene, the real story disappeared behind the nice, simple, two dimensional racism story, followed by a $10M settlement.

Reading the articles, I was just now thinking how I should get around to checking the BOD, program designers, primary and exec staff, funders and other such affiliates of STAR academies. In that particular state, with a recently elected honorary Seedling for governor, I'd be shocked beyond all belief if it doesn't turn up a whole lot of connections back to my coven of origin.

[Anonymous]

http://www.polksheriff.org/detention/star-pgm.html

Aw, isn't that sweet, the sheriffs are teaching the kids how to stand in a single file line without any expression on their faces. And look, some of them are wearing different colored hats!

Mornin', G! It's a special day, day after day in Florida!

[Anonymous]

No wait, don't slam your coffee down on the table yet, there's more, this one's for kids from ages 10 to 17.

http://www.polksheriff.org/detention/STAR/star.html

One-Day S.T.A.R. Program
An early intervention and prevention program for children with behavioral problems has been developed by the professional staff at Polk County's S.T.A.R. Program. The one-day S.T.A.R. program, is on Saturdays only, beginning at 5:30 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. The first day-long session was held in August of 1996.

The one-day S.T.A.R. registration form for Florida youths is available in Word, and PDF format. Once downloaded, these form can be completed and submitted by mail. Downloadable forms below

Since the opening of the Polk County Juvenile Boot Camp, now know as S.T.A.R., parents from throughout the County (and throughout the United States as a result of a Sally Jesse Raphael program which featured Polk County's Boot Camp) have called S.T.A.R. program staff asking how they could send their youths (who were having behavioral problems) to the one-day program.

Because the regular S.T.A.R. program is only for youths adjudicated guilty by the courts, the staff has been unable to help local parents with at-risk children who have not actually been in the Juvenile Justice System.

Knowing where to get help is difficult for parents of children with behavioral problems. In the current system, children often have to commit crimes and then be determined by the courts to be delinquent before they can be sent to a program to deal with their anti-social behaviors. Why not try to intervene with youth before they get a criminal record or before they go too far into delinquency?

The new one-day S.T.A.R. program is designed as an early intervention and prevention program for kids 10 to 17 years of age. The program is only for Florida youths.

The mission is to show these youth, who have gotten into trouble at home or at school, the consequences of their actions and give them an opportunity to make good decisions based on realistic information and self-discipline.   TAC (Teacher, Advisor, Counselor) Instructors from the Polk County S.T.A.R. program strongly emphasize personal responsibility and integrity throughout the program.

While participating in the one-day S.T.A.R. Program, the youth will:

Be treated as a S.T.A.R. program cadet. Learning will be by participation, rather than observation.
Fully participate in the structured environment of the program. This includes a search of the youth and his or her belongings; wearing of S.T.A.R. program uniforms, and instruction about the proper methods of addressing peers and adults.
Participate in physical training, close order instruction, and other relevant activities.
Participate in drug prevention awareness, life responsibilities, and victim impact education.
The One-Day S.T.A.R. Program is held on Saturdays only.  The Saturday schedule is as follows:

5:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Parent/Legal Guardian must transport their child to the program and check in
6:00 a.m. to 7:15 a.m Greeting by TAC Instructors and Program Expectations
7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Physical Training
8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Cool Down, Dress for Class (green uniform)
8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Period of Instruction by TAC Instructor
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Drug Prevention Awareness
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Lunch (Brought by Youth)
12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Period of Instruction by  TAC Instructor
1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Victim Impact Education
3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Close Order Instruction
4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Field Day (Clean Entire Area)
5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Certificates of Completion Awards

At 3:15 P.M. the parent/legal guardian is required to return to the S.T.A.R. program for parent strategies and consultation class.

Requirements of the program are as follows:

The age requirement is 10-years-old to 17-years-old.
Age appropriate exercises and a 1/2 mile jog are the basic training requirements that each cadet will experience. Any current medical condition that would affect this requirement such as asthma, heart problems, seizures, and allergies may make a youth ineligible for the program.
The following forms must be completed and signed by the parent /legal guardian:

 
 1.
 Registration Form
 downloadable forms below
 
 2.
 Liability Form - must be notarized
   
 
 3.
 Parent Questionnaire
   
 
 4.
 Authorization to Consent to Medical Treatment of Minor
   
 
 5.
 $50.00 Money Order nonrefundable (must call within 72 hours to receive refund), made payable to this One-Day S.T.A.R. Program (no checks accepted).
 

The dress code for the One-Day S.T.A.R. Program is shorts, plain T-shirt, athletic shoes, and white socks. No jewelry, watches, or other accessories are allowed.

The youth's family must provide a simple sack lunch--a sandwich and apple, for example (no junk food and no drinks). Water will be provided.

The Program will be held at the Polk County  Sheriff’s Training and Respect program.  The program will be operated by professional TAC instructors from the Polk County S.T.A.R. program. Each  TAC instructor is either a Certified Law Enforcement Officer and/or Certified Corrections Officer. They received an additional 120 hours of Instructor Training focusing on training and education for youth. They also have received an additional 40 hours of Juvenile Justice training, which includes crisis intervention techniques.

Registration Form  Word Format PDF Format  
Liability Form  Word Format PDF Format
Parent Questionnaire  Word Format PDF Format
Authorization to Consent to Medical Treatment of Minor  Word Format PDF Format
All the files above  Word format zipped PDF Format zipped

Parents interested in sending their child to the One-Day S.T.A.R. Program can download all required forms now in Word, WordPerfect and PDF format or may call the Polk County  Sheriff’s Training and Respect program at 863-519-3995
 
 

[Anonymous]

Reading these articles caught my attention because of the similarities to another story of a kid who went home for a home visit and killed himself that I know of. From being someone who was in these places, it's possible to interpret the suicide as wanting to escape the pressures of the program... did anyone catch the quote by the mother at the end of the first article about helping more kids? It was the same with that kid from TB who shot himself on a home visit too. But I dont think it's a lack of program that caused these kids to suicide.

[mbnh31782]

they have a modified S.T.A.R. program here in the local schools.  The kids can be enrolled as young as 4th grade and it continues through 9th grade.  They have to wear black sweatpants with a black t shirt that says S.T.A.R. on it as well as a black Sweatshirt with S.T.A.R. on it for colder days.  Their days begin at 4:30 am where they're picked up from home and taken to a school where they do exercise.  then regular buses pick them up and take them to school where they attend a full school day.  The teachers and substitute teachers have to sign off on a behavior sheet that the student presents every class.  I've never had to give below the highest level of behavior, 5 on a 1-5 scale unless the kid was distracting to other students, then i rank them as a 4/5.  After school, they get picked up for more exercise and afterschool homework.  They return home around 5pm ish.  

The program is run by military type guys and girls who do come and check on the kids in class.  I've never had an issue, i've always given a thumbs up to the instructor then dealt with the kid later in class if he/she was causing a problem (which is very rare).  A kid's "time" in the program depends on how well they adapt and change their behaviors to reflect better behavior.  As an alternative to a residential treatment place, its best.  most of the kids are only in the program for a period of 90 days.  Some stay longer due to more severe behavior problems.  The kids are also evaluated to see if they belong in Cedarwood -- a psychoeducational day program.  The kids who are simply defiant and need some good structure are weeded out from the kids who need the psychological support program.  I've observed both programs and i think that those are some of the best alternatives to residential treatment.

In highschool theres the ombudsman program which is a day learning program that can be used in place of highschool.  Its a modified computerized highschool program which is good for those kids looking for a GED or a HS diploma, but have the behavior issues that prevent them from attending regular public school.

[Antigen]

did anyone catch the quote by the mother at the end of the first article about helping more kids? It was the same with that kid from TB who shot himself on a home visit too. But I dont think it's a lack of program that caused these kids to suicide.

My thoughts exactly. Anybody know where to find info on STAR creators and such? All I can find is reference to "professionals in th Polk County Sheriff's Dept" or some such. What profession? Military?

I tried to post last night, but I guess it was in the middle of a reboot (ok, wee hours of the morning, really) I'd be drop dead shocked if, upon inspection, we were to find NO ties back to DFAF and the spooky Bush people.

http://www.wcso.net/ComServ/starapplication.html
Hmmm...

Hmmmmmmm!

[Antigen]

mbnh31782, any chance you could tell some of those kids about this site? I'd really love to find out some firsthand info about what goes on in this particular program. Do you have any idea what the parents' involvement is? That quote from this boy's mother is really creepy! I can't imagine a mother coming to that degree of blind faith in a program w/o having been through a bit of slight of mind herself.

[Anonymous]

Reading these articles caught my attention because of the similarities to another story of a kid who went home for a home visit and killed himself that I know of. From being someone who was in these places, it's possible to interpret the suicide as wanting to escape the pressures of the program... did anyone catch the quote by the mother at the end of the first article about helping more kids? It was the same with that kid from TB who shot himself on a home visit too. But I dont think it's a lack of program that caused these kids to suicide.

my sibling commited suicide after coming back from a program- its the program that casues sucide. Inescable mind altering destruction, combined with emotional decimation can do that....can you contact that newspaper man...or that mother

[hanzomon4]

Is this STAR the same STAR listed on ISAC - Student Transition and Recovery (S.T.A.R.)

[Anonymous]

The Florida S.T.A.R. program stands for Sheriff's Training and Respect.

[mbnh31782]

the star you mentioned hanzomom... is probably and looks like the one thats being used/implemented in the school here in georgia

[Anonymous]

has anyone contacted the reporter or mother to clue them in on the reality of prgoram?