Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy => Topic started by: odie on April 03, 2006, 01:32:00 PM
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Does anybody know how HLA gets around United States Postal Regulations by opening and screening resident's mail for content and appropriateness as they say they do on their website? As read the regulations this is forbidden and carries both fines and incarceration for each offense.
http://www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/usc18/ (http://www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/usc18/)I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say that one is an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow it was better to say one was a humanist or agnostic. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect that he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time.
--Isaac Asimov, Russian-born American author
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Short answer? They just do it. This is not the only law/regulation they flout.
They're well-connected with SACS (Len's four buddies just did a site visit and recertified HLA as a "traditional boarding school" even though they are obviously no such thing) and ORS, so even if complaints are made, they are derailed.
Do you have any suggestions on how to bring to bear the appropriate enforcement agency?
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Section 1702. Obstruction of correspondence
Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or authorized depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Section 1703. Delay or destruction of mail or newspapers
(a) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, unlawfully secretes, destroys, detains, delays, or opens any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail entrusted to them or which shall come into his or her possession, and which was intended to be conveyed by mail, or carried or delivered by any carrier or other employee of the Postal Service, or forwarded through or delivered from any post office or station thereof established by authority of the Postmaster General or the Postal Service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(b) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, improperly detains, delays, or destroys any newspaper, or permits any other person to detain, delay, or destroy the same, or opens, or permits any other person to open, any mail or package of newspapers not directed to the office of employment; or
Whoever, without authority, opens, or destroys any mail or package of newspapers not directed to them, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
The statutes being violated by HLA.
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Unless they are now also claiming to be a correctional facility nobody can open another person's mail without a federal search warrant. Oh and you can't force someone to sign one of those neat little consent to open forms either as a lot of these programs do as a requirement for acceptance into their program. Complaints can be made to the local post inspector or a report may be filed online at:
https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/m ... ntrcvd.htm (https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/mailthft/mlntrcvd.htm)I swear by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
* - ~ Galt's Creed ~ - *
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Thank you, Odie, for your research and responses.
The complaints will be forthcoming.
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Not sure this matters with the law but I wonder if it matters legally whether or not the person is a minor. I got the impression that it was only adults who's mail was not allowed to be opened by someone else. Anybody care to find out this aspect of it? im just curious because there are other parts of law that are moot if the person is a minor.
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not sure about minors, but the parents,siblings and grandparents letters were opened and edited..Packages were not given to children for weeks on end...Letters were late because
counselors held them up due to negligence...
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Also, for many of us, the complaint would be filed 'post' HLA...that would not work, would it?
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Okay, I just sent an inquiry to the USPS, they shall get back to me within 1 or 2 days...Hopefully, this branch of the Federal
Gov't Lenny B. does not have clout with...Although, as with the Semblers, knowing Bush reaches far...
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How about HLA attempts to violate lawyer client privlidge?
The staff worked hard to not only read but censor my letters to and from my attorney while there.
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That's weird. The postal inspector's office used to have the entire code available and searchable online. Now all you get is this stupid poster:
Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will [America's] heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.
--John Quincy Adams, Speech to the U.S. House of Representatives [July 4, 1821]
_________________
fka ~ Antigen
Drug war POW
Straight, Sarasota
`80 - `82
return undef() if /coercion/i;[ This Message was edited by: Eudora on 2006-04-03 16:53 ]
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our esteemed government changes inconvenient web pages all the time.
Since the King has declared he can do whatever he pleases, searching mail has got to be on his list of important things to do, to save us from "terrorists"
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Yeh, those teen "emotional terrorists" (Rudy Bentz)
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On 2006-04-03 15:50:00, Anonymous wrote:
"How about HLA attempts to violate lawyer client privlidge?
The staff worked hard to not only read but censor my letters to and from my attorney while there. "
Wow! If this is true then Q and Q really have their work cut out. Anybody else notice the HLA website is down?Peace and abstinence from European interferences are our objects, and so will continue while the present order of things in America remain uninterrupted.
--Thomas Jefferson
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I did, I wonder what thats about.
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On 2006-04-03 12:51:00, SHH wrote:
"Not sure this matters with the law but I wonder if it matters legally whether or not the person is a minor. I got the impression that it was only adults who's mail was not allowed to be opened by someone else. Anybody care to find out this aspect of it? im just curious because there are other parts of law that are moot if the person is a minor."
It doesn't matter, it is settled law. Molina v. Williams says it all. What HLA is doing is unconstitutional and there is no way around it.Cult: A religion with no political power.
--Tom Wolfe, American author
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The USPS did not give a satisfactory answer...queried again asking what exactly "legally" means.
Thank you for visiting our website. I understand you want to know if a
school can open the students mail. I apologize for any inconvenience
this may have caused.
The United States Postal Service delivers mail as addressed (including
to authorized agents in the case of accountable mail).
Keep in mind that a company, school or institution may legally have
policies in place regarding handling of mail items sent to the place of
business. If this is the case, you should try to work within their
company to resolve the problem.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don?t hesitate
to contact me. Thank you for using the United States Postal Service.
Stephanie
Hello...I would like to know if there are any regulations or statutes
that protect mail of 'minor age'children....I understand the statutes
as written, but does this apply to 'minor age' children, that are away
at Boarding Schools? Do these schools have the right to go through
mail sent to children from their families, edit them, hold them or
dspose of them? Also, do the schools have the right to hold USPS packages
from families and go through them? Or is mail to 'minor age'
children governed by the same Federal Regulations as granted to
adults.. Are children granted the same Federal Rights concerning mail,
as adults...?
Thank you for your attention.
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Thank you for writing again.
I apologize, I do not have the specifics regarding the schools
acceptance of mail. You will have to speak with the school directly. The
Postal Service responsibility for the mail ends when it is delivered (even
if it was meant for someone else).
You should try to contact the school and correct the error by working
it out with them.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don?t hesitate
to contact me. Thank you for using the United States Postal Service.
Stephanie
- 04/04/2006 09:12 AM
Dear Stephanie,
Thank you for your timely response. When you state the school may
"legally" have
policies in place regarding childrens mail received..can you explain
what you mean by
"legally"...
Thank you.
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Thank you for writing again. I apologize, via the email desk I do not
have information regarding the statutes governing mail.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don?t hesitate
to contact me. Thank you for using the United States Postal Service.
Stephanie
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Dah, why bother asking...I feel like I am dealing with the ORS or SACS....
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Molina vs. Williams....I cannot find it..What is it about...where can I access?
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This is unbelievable!! Until the next one...
Thank you for writing again.
For further assistance I am forwarding your inquiry to our Publications
office.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don?t hesitate
to contact me. Thank you for using the United States Postal Service.
Stephanie
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This is unbelievable!! Until the next one...
Thank you for writing again.
For further assistance I am forwarding your inquiry to our Publications
office.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don?t hesitate
to contact me. Thank you for using the United States Postal Service.
Stephanie
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On 2006-04-04 08:48:00, juniper2 wrote:
"Molina vs. Williams....I cannot find it..What is it about...where can I access?"
Have you seen this?
Post URL: http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=0#185358 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=14737&forum=9&start=0#185358)
http://www.heal-online.org/provocases.htm (http://www.heal-online.org/provocases.htm) If that fails try The Case Against Provo Canyon School This apparently is a HEAL link. The one bad part of the ruling is that this circuit feels the eight amendment only applies to people who have been convicted of a crime. But the fact that they upheld the constitutional rights of children to first and 14th amendment protection, and they are such a conservative circuit is good news. Best of luck.
More here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%2 ... gle+Search (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22MILONAS+v.+WILLIAMS%22&btnG=Google+Search)
[ This Message was edited by: Deborah on 2006-04-04 10:27 ]
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On 2006-04-04 08:45:00, juniper2 wrote:
"Dah, why bother asking...I feel like I am dealing with the ORS or SACS...."
You really can't blame her for that response. My suggestion would for the anon who said they opened mail written by the lawyer to file a formal complaint with the postal inspector. Once they have a specific complaint it will be investigated. I believe tampering with communications between a lawyer and client is a felony, I may be mistaken, but I know its a serious offense.I believe that human beings arrive on this Earth wanting to know absolutely everything, and the best thing we can do as parents is to get out of the way -- just be there to let them know what opportunities are there
-- Dorothy Werner, media liaison for the National Homeschool Association
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On 2006-04-04 08:32:00, juniper2 wrote:
"
Dear Stephanie,
Thank you for your timely response. When you state the school may
"legally" have
policies in place regarding childrens mail received..can you explain
what you mean by
"legally"...
Thank you.
"
I think maybe there may be wiggle room for the school if they state a policy and the parent authorizes the school to "help" (yeah sure) their child. Wouldn't the school be a defacto guardian at that point? I don't know he legalities of minors, but I believe the guardian of the minor is a key issue.
Found this gem from Milonas v. Williams articles:
" The State must provide minimum procedural safeguards before placing juveniles in disciplinary confinement. Milonas v. Williams, 691 F.2d 931, at 941-942 & n.4 (10th Cir. 1982). It must also not censor mail based on criticisms of the juvenile institution. Id. at 940-941. Finally, it must provide juveniles with adequate mental health care. Youngberg, 457 U.S. at 315."
This was regarding State run institutions, does anyone know how HLA would differ?
Criticisms? HLA? thin skinned?