Another teen facility has been raided for child abuse allegations - this time in Alabama.
Reclamation Ranch describes itself as a Christian program for troubled young people, and it has several facilities in that area. The one that was raided is called Lighthouse Academy and is for boys ages 12 to 17. Eleven boys were removed from Lighthouse Academy by authorities on Saturday after allegations of beatings and torture. Foster parents who housed kids from the program also say the teens were forced to eat spoiled cereal.
Reclamation Ranch denies the accusations. But other programs have also denied abuse accusations - even when abuse was confirmed. After being abused by another program, and after my involvement in investigating such facilities, I refuse to take any program at its word. If they're committing child abuse, do you really think they're going to admit it?
The center that was raided in Alabama calls itself a "minimum one-year program" that teaches kids "how to obey authority." This very description is enough to send chills up your spine.
At a hearing yesterday, the 11 boys taken from Lighthouse Academy were returned to their families.
One commenter on the Alabama paper's site says that Reclamation Ranch supports Kent Hovind, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who is serving federal prison time for tax fraud. I'm trying to be fair here, but frankly it doesn't look good for Reclamation Ranch. Then again, I don't know of many youth residential facilities that don't believe in right-wing conspiracy theories, so no surprise there.
You also have to consider the fact that it takes a lot for a program to be raided. At many facilities, abuse is obvious to anyone who might investigate for more than a few minutes, yet authorities never take action.
Also, there's a couple of TV news reports about the raid up on YouPube already:
And:
(Source: http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/statebriefs.ssf?/base/news/1227604555195750.xml&coll=2;
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/11/11_boys_returned_to_families_a.html)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Alabama youth facility raided
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Boss Hogg runs a group home now?
ReplyDeleteBe on the lookout for the typical brainwashed response from some of the kids, "It saved my life, this place helped me and it is great".
ReplyDeleteIf they talk to the kids who haven't been brainwashed yet, they'll get the truth about what happens in there.
The comment section of the Alabama paper has already been freeped with these standard stock responses.
ReplyDeleteWhat's not-so-funny is how much everybody believes the positive reports and disbelieves the negative. The pro-program (brainwashed) kids get praised and anyone telling the truth gets called a liar. Happened to me, happens to everybody. I hope the cult-mob doesn't influence the courts down there in Alabama.
ReplyDeleteThe people that talk about other people are busibodies, and are cowards that can talk about people they dont even know, and still not leave a email for people to respond. What a loser
ReplyDeletePeople come on know. Do you really even know Jack Patterson. No you dont. So why the gossip. And if you do you probily just a bitter person and need to be saved. People that leave messages on blogs and dont leave a way to respond are cowards.
ReplyDelete