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Guest
Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs - and Congress wants to
know why
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 10/11/2007 06:14:12 AM MDT
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7144845
WASHINGTON - Teens were beaten, tortured and denied food and water.
Some were forced to eat their own vomit. One had to clean a toilet with
a toothbrush and then clean his teeth with the same tool.
This may sound like human-rights violations in a Third World
country, but it took place in the United States, much of it in the
deserts of southern Utah, according to Greg Kutz, an investigator with
the Government Accountability Office.
Kutz studied abuse accusations in wilderness therapy programs for
troubled youth as part of an ongoing congressional probe into this
loosely regulated industry. He presented his findings - thousands of
cases of abuse or deaths since 1990 - to a House committee Wednesday. He
also presented details of 10 deaths, five of which took place in Utah,
one of the nation's leaders in wilderness therapy.
Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., called the findings
"absolutely astonishing" and "outrageous."
"The federal government has completely failed to grasp the urgency
of this situation," he said.
Miller says Congress needs to wade into the oversight of these
programs, though some of his Republican counterparts and the program
owners want to see regulation remain at the state level.
The only Utah representative on the committee - GOP Rep. Rob Bishop
- did not attend because he was at another hearing.
Advertisement
For family members of these dead teens, Tuesday's hearing was an
emotional triumph.
Cathy Sutton's daughter Michelle died of dehydration in a Utah
program in 1990, which led the state to start regulating wilderness
therapy groups. The state has closed three programs since then, but
teens have continued to die.
While Cathy Sutton still remains a bit skeptical, she said she has
never been so full of hope that the government would rein in bad programs.
But any congressional action will move slowly. The GAO expects to
release a broader study early next year and more hearings are planned.
The GAO report released Wednesday could not determine the frequency
of abuse or deaths because no organization compiles such data. After
scouring court records, state investigations and news accounts, the best
investigators could say is that thousands of complaints have been alleged.
Kutz acknowledged many programs are above-board but he also said
abuse is "widespread" with "negligent" program owners manipulating
desperate parents with false advertising.
The 10 cases he highlighted showed a disturbing pattern of medical
neglect, with counselors repeatedly assuming the teens were making up
their symptoms.
"It seemed that the only way program managers would believe they
were not faking it is if they stopped breathing or did not have a
pulse," Kutz told the committee.
That appears to be what happened to Aaron Bacon in 1994. He was
taking drugs and running with a bad crowd in high school, so the
16-year-old's parents enrolled him into the North Star Expeditions'
nine-week program in Utah's Escalante Wilderness Area.
He died a month later, having lost a fifth of his body weight. His
body was covered in bruises, rashes and open sores. His father, Bob
Bacon, told the committee that his son was a "grotesque skeleton."
Journals kept by Aaron and counselors shows he received no food for
14 of 20 days and when they did let him eat it was small quantities of
"undercooked lentils, lizards, scorpions, trail mix and a celebrated
canned peach."
Aaron Bacon, complaining of major stomach pain, wanted to go to a
doctor. Counselors refused until they found him without a pulse. He died
of a perforated ulcer. They thought he was acting sick to get out of the
program. North Star Expeditions is no longer in business.
After Aaron Bacon's death, Utah beefed up regulations, as it has
after wilderness therapy deaths since then.
Hikes can't take place when the thermometer tops 90 degrees. Each
teen has to have six quarts of water a day. Medical personnel must check
out each teen every two weeks.
"There are a lot of good rules in place and we keep making them
better every year," said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for the Utah
Department of Human Services, which regulates the therapy programs.
But that isn't enough, said Bob Bacon. "Regulations by themselves
won't do anything."
Utah lacks the resources to provide constant oversight, he said.
And the state can't do anything about problem owners moving from state
to state.
Bacon wants to see federal mandates for training and for on-site
medical personnel. He wants to see the government go after people who
market themselves as experts when they have no actual expertise. And he
wants the federal government to create a data clearinghouse to help
regulators and parents alike.
Right now, it is all up to the states and some have no rules and no
oversight.
It usually takes a tragedy for a state to revoke a company's
license, Kutz said.
Ken Stettler, the director of Utah's licensing office, said the
only meaningful federal role he sees is a requirement that states have a
standard set of regulations. After that, he said, state regulators are
in a better position to keep an eye on the outdoor programs.
The parents and members of the committee also expressed frustration
that in many of these cases no criminal charges are filed and in those
that do go before a judge, the punishments appear to be minimal.
"There is really no teeth behind the investigations," Kutz said.
"There is really no action on the criminal side here."
The Aaron Bacon case was one of the few exceptions, but even in
that instance the punishment was not severe. Seven North Star staffers
were charged with some form of child abuse.
One was convicted of a felony and served two months in jail. The
others pleaded to lesser charges and received probation.
mcanham@sltrib.com
Michelle Sutton,
15, of California, died May 9, 1990, from altitude sickness,
dehydration and heat exhaustion while hiking south of St. George with
Summit Quest. Sutton's death led the state to start regulating
wilderness therapy groups.
Kristen Chase,
16, of Florida, died June 27, 1990, of heatstroke on a hike in Kane
County with the Challenger Foundation program of Escalante. Owner,
Stephen Cartisano, was charged with negligent homicide but a jury
acquitted him.
Aaron Bacon,
16, of Arizona, died March 31, 1994, of peritonitis and a
perforated ulcer, while on a wilderness trek in Garfield County with
North Star Expeditions of Escalante. Supervising counselor Craig Fisher
was sentenced to a year in jail.
Katie Lank,
16, of Virginia, died Jan. 13, 2002, three weeks after she fell
about 70 feet into a crevasse while hiking with Redrock Ranch Academy of
St. George in Washington County. No charges were filed. Lank's parents
sued and settled for an undisclosed amount.
Ian August,
14, of Texas, died July 13, 2002, of heat exhaustion while hiking
with Skyline Journeys program in the Sawtooth Mountain area west of
Delta. Owner, Mark Wardle, the parent company and a staffer were charged
but the charges were later dismissed.
Susan Pinson, Ian August's birth mother, reflects on his death
nearly one year after he died in the Sky Line Journeys wilderness
program in Utah.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
Perpetrators of Maltreatment
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
know why
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 10/11/2007 06:14:12 AM MDT
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7144845
WASHINGTON - Teens were beaten, tortured and denied food and water.
Some were forced to eat their own vomit. One had to clean a toilet with
a toothbrush and then clean his teeth with the same tool.
This may sound like human-rights violations in a Third World
country, but it took place in the United States, much of it in the
deserts of southern Utah, according to Greg Kutz, an investigator with
the Government Accountability Office.
Kutz studied abuse accusations in wilderness therapy programs for
troubled youth as part of an ongoing congressional probe into this
loosely regulated industry. He presented his findings - thousands of
cases of abuse or deaths since 1990 - to a House committee Wednesday. He
also presented details of 10 deaths, five of which took place in Utah,
one of the nation's leaders in wilderness therapy.
Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., called the findings
"absolutely astonishing" and "outrageous."
"The federal government has completely failed to grasp the urgency
of this situation," he said.
Miller says Congress needs to wade into the oversight of these
programs, though some of his Republican counterparts and the program
owners want to see regulation remain at the state level.
The only Utah representative on the committee - GOP Rep. Rob Bishop
- did not attend because he was at another hearing.
Advertisement
For family members of these dead teens, Tuesday's hearing was an
emotional triumph.
Cathy Sutton's daughter Michelle died of dehydration in a Utah
program in 1990, which led the state to start regulating wilderness
therapy groups. The state has closed three programs since then, but
teens have continued to die.
While Cathy Sutton still remains a bit skeptical, she said she has
never been so full of hope that the government would rein in bad programs.
But any congressional action will move slowly. The GAO expects to
release a broader study early next year and more hearings are planned.
The GAO report released Wednesday could not determine the frequency
of abuse or deaths because no organization compiles such data. After
scouring court records, state investigations and news accounts, the best
investigators could say is that thousands of complaints have been alleged.
Kutz acknowledged many programs are above-board but he also said
abuse is "widespread" with "negligent" program owners manipulating
desperate parents with false advertising.
The 10 cases he highlighted showed a disturbing pattern of medical
neglect, with counselors repeatedly assuming the teens were making up
their symptoms.
"It seemed that the only way program managers would believe they
were not faking it is if they stopped breathing or did not have a
pulse," Kutz told the committee.
That appears to be what happened to Aaron Bacon in 1994. He was
taking drugs and running with a bad crowd in high school, so the
16-year-old's parents enrolled him into the North Star Expeditions'
nine-week program in Utah's Escalante Wilderness Area.
He died a month later, having lost a fifth of his body weight. His
body was covered in bruises, rashes and open sores. His father, Bob
Bacon, told the committee that his son was a "grotesque skeleton."
Journals kept by Aaron and counselors shows he received no food for
14 of 20 days and when they did let him eat it was small quantities of
"undercooked lentils, lizards, scorpions, trail mix and a celebrated
canned peach."
Aaron Bacon, complaining of major stomach pain, wanted to go to a
doctor. Counselors refused until they found him without a pulse. He died
of a perforated ulcer. They thought he was acting sick to get out of the
program. North Star Expeditions is no longer in business.
After Aaron Bacon's death, Utah beefed up regulations, as it has
after wilderness therapy deaths since then.
Hikes can't take place when the thermometer tops 90 degrees. Each
teen has to have six quarts of water a day. Medical personnel must check
out each teen every two weeks.
"There are a lot of good rules in place and we keep making them
better every year," said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for the Utah
Department of Human Services, which regulates the therapy programs.
But that isn't enough, said Bob Bacon. "Regulations by themselves
won't do anything."
Utah lacks the resources to provide constant oversight, he said.
And the state can't do anything about problem owners moving from state
to state.
Bacon wants to see federal mandates for training and for on-site
medical personnel. He wants to see the government go after people who
market themselves as experts when they have no actual expertise. And he
wants the federal government to create a data clearinghouse to help
regulators and parents alike.
Right now, it is all up to the states and some have no rules and no
oversight.
It usually takes a tragedy for a state to revoke a company's
license, Kutz said.
Ken Stettler, the director of Utah's licensing office, said the
only meaningful federal role he sees is a requirement that states have a
standard set of regulations. After that, he said, state regulators are
in a better position to keep an eye on the outdoor programs.
The parents and members of the committee also expressed frustration
that in many of these cases no criminal charges are filed and in those
that do go before a judge, the punishments appear to be minimal.
"There is really no teeth behind the investigations," Kutz said.
"There is really no action on the criminal side here."
The Aaron Bacon case was one of the few exceptions, but even in
that instance the punishment was not severe. Seven North Star staffers
were charged with some form of child abuse.
One was convicted of a felony and served two months in jail. The
others pleaded to lesser charges and received probation.
mcanham@sltrib.com
Michelle Sutton,
15, of California, died May 9, 1990, from altitude sickness,
dehydration and heat exhaustion while hiking south of St. George with
Summit Quest. Sutton's death led the state to start regulating
wilderness therapy groups.
Kristen Chase,
16, of Florida, died June 27, 1990, of heatstroke on a hike in Kane
County with the Challenger Foundation program of Escalante. Owner,
Stephen Cartisano, was charged with negligent homicide but a jury
acquitted him.
Aaron Bacon,
16, of Arizona, died March 31, 1994, of peritonitis and a
perforated ulcer, while on a wilderness trek in Garfield County with
North Star Expeditions of Escalante. Supervising counselor Craig Fisher
was sentenced to a year in jail.
Katie Lank,
16, of Virginia, died Jan. 13, 2002, three weeks after she fell
about 70 feet into a crevasse while hiking with Redrock Ranch Academy of
St. George in Washington County. No charges were filed. Lank's parents
sued and settled for an undisclosed amount.
Ian August,
14, of Texas, died July 13, 2002, of heat exhaustion while hiking
with Skyline Journeys program in the Sawtooth Mountain area west of
Delta. Owner, Mark Wardle, the parent company and a staffer were charged
but the charges were later dismissed.
Susan Pinson, Ian August's birth mother, reflects on his death
nearly one year after he died in the Sky Line Journeys wilderness
program in Utah.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
Perpetrators of Maltreatment
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
