New Page 2

COUNTDOWN TO JUSTICE
10 Deaths in 9 Months - Abuse / Neglect Facility-Related Deaths (click here)

(Pictured below are some of the children who have died in the name of treatment, including some of the 10 who have recently died)

COUNTDOWN TO JUSTICE
11 Deaths in 9 Months - Abuse / Neglect Facility-Related Deaths (click here)

May 23, 2006
By Isabelle Zehnder

Today an article about Martin Lee Anderson "138 days later and no one is being held accountable" made me think about several
other children who have recently died in youth facilities.

Giovanni "Joey" Aletriz died 108 days ago - no one has been held accountable for his death.

Martin Lee Anderson died 138 days ago - no one has been held accountable for his death.

James White died 162 days ago - no one has been held accountable for his death.

Daniel "Danny" Matthews died 1088 days ago - no one has been held accountable for his death, either.

These boys suffered and died because those who were there to help them failed them.

       ▪ Martin was beaten, suffocated, and died.
       ▪ The county coroner initially concluded he died of natural causes.
       ▪ A second autopsy proved him wrong.

       ▪ Joey was beaten, restrained, and died.
       ▪ The county coroner initially concluded he died of an enlarged heart and natural causes.
       ▪ Under pressure, he later change his mind yet still rules his death an accident. Joey's mom believes he is wrong.

       ▪ James allegedly died while he was exercising at SummitQuest in Ephrata, PA, the same facility where Joey died.
       ▪ The same county coroner concluded he died of an enlarged heart and natural causes.
       ▪ According to a news article his death is still being investigated.

       ▪ In May of 2003, Danny was being held at the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Florida. A trainee detention
          worker allegedly mistakenly opened Matthews and another inmate's cells. A child allegedly attacked Danny and with a
          single blow to the head killed him. However, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding Danny's death.
      ▪ The incident was recorded on tape, but the tapes came up missing after a break-in into the cabinets where the tapes were
          stored. The detention center superintendent was aware of the break-in but did not report it or investigate. She was fired.
      ▪ To date, justice has not been served and Danny's death is still under investigation.

We must not allow these children's stories to die with them. Let us continue to seek justice for these children. There are hundreds more who have died, and if things do not change, if the people in charge are not held accountable for their actions and the actions of their staff, then the deaths will continue. Let us all be a voice for these children.

June 24, 2006 - UPDATE

It saddens me deeply to have to add another name to "Countdown to Justice". Last month, a beautiful little 7-year old girl, Angellika "Angie" Arndt, died after she was put into a "control hold" restraint. A news article dated May 31, 2006, indicated that Police were called to the Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic in Rice Lake, the facility Angie attended 5 days a week, and that their report indicated she was unresponsive when they arrived. Denison Tucker, president of the clinic's board of directors, said they've done an internal review and determined their staff, which is trained and licensed, followed proper procedures for the hold. He couldn't comment specifically on the girl's situation but said the hold is used only if a child is in danger of harming him or herself or another person.

I just learned in a news article dated June 24, 2006, that Angie was restrained, and ultimately died, because she was "gargling milk!"

I would like to pose a question: what would happen to me as a parent, or you as a parent, if we restrained our child for two hours because she gargled milk? Would we be held accountable for her death? You bet we would.

All of these children have died at the hands of others. Too often they not only get away with it but the facilities usually continue to operate, business as usual. These people need to be held accountable for their actions, as do the companies who hire them.

One mom, Cynthia J. Allen, posed a very good question: "Where is the outrage?"

July 5, 2006 - UPDATE

Recently we learned of three more deaths.

Kerry Layne Brown died on June 6, 2006 just weeks before his story would be told - again - in Joanne Green's June 22, 2006, article Rough Love. He never got a chance to read it. His parents grieve his loss, as do many others who loved him. I personally know his family and his death has really hit home for many of us. Layne was severely abused when he attended Tranquility Bay in Jamaica as a teen. During his nine month stint there he was pepper sprayed on a daily basis, multiple times a day. He was forced to wear a plastic garbage bag around his waist and to defecate and urinate in the bag. He was restrained almost daily, and he was beaten. He spent two years in a mental hospital when he left Tranquility Bay. He was never the same. He suffered from severe PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Finally, on June 6, 2006, his body gave up and he died. His death is being investigated and we await the results of the autopsy.

Carter Lynn died on June 7, 2006, the day after Kerry Layne Brown died. Ironically, Carter had been interviewed just weeks prior to his death for the same article written by Joanne Green, Rough Love. He, too, never got a chance to read it. He, too, attended Tranquility Bay in Jamaica. Carter was taken from his bed in the middle of the night and transported by a "teen escort" service, as many children are, to Tranquility Bay, a facility that houses about 500 kids, a facility that is known to be the most abusive of all. He had to ask permission any time he wanted to stand up, sit down, use the bathroom, to talk. Carter was found hanging from a rafter in his home. His death has been considered a suicide.

Dillon Tyler Peak died on June 17, 2006, while attending Peace River Outward Bound camp in DeSoto County. He was set to be released that afternoon. Instead, his mother began her month-long bedside vigil that ended with his death. Dillon has suffered from strep throat and was taken to the hospital twice while he was there. He had a fever of over 104, was given Tylenol, and was released back to Outward Bound. His illness worsened and he was taken again to the hospital. This time he slipped into a coma and died a month later. His mother was shocked when she saw the condition her son was in on the day he was to graduate from Outward Bound. He was wearing only a T-shirt, boxer shorts, one sock, and two shoes. She saw her son laying there with his eyes open but he did not recognize her. The doctors said he sustained a rare type of encephalitis in addition to his strep throat. An official of cause is still pending. His family is now convinced Dillon died because he failed to receive appropriate medical care. Outward Bound should have notified the boy's parents the first time he became ill. He could have been treated for the strep throat, and he could still be alive today.

July 15, 2006 - UPDATE

Please note there have been 10 facility-related deaths in the past nine months. Several have been added to the chart above. Two boys who had attended the same facility and who suffered from serious forms of abuse there died - one on June 6th, the other on June 7th - just one day from each other (see above). Both of these boys, along with the others, suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to be there to help them.

All of these children have lost their voice, so let us continue to be their voice.

Written by Isabelle Zehnder