American Arrested in Bolivian Bombings

by **anotherdrew** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:48 pm

well, it seems to me someone helped him develop a highly detailed personal backstory after the preston time frame. This "wiccan high priest" thing particularly, it would be interesting to find out what he understands that to mean. I would suspect someone fed him that and reinforced that idea as part of his rapidly expanding theory of himself. and what's with those wikipedia edits about the historical woman with the same name as the woman he was arrested with? It was an abuse story about a communist dentist who was real, but the abused woman seemed to have been grafted in from imagination. That has to be a piece of stage dressing, but for who's benifit? Would be great to be able to find who created those since redacted pieces of information on wikipedia, it may not have been amero, and I bet it wasn't.

by **hmm** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:19 pm

it is a bit odd about the name, but that website refers to him as lestat in the reports, and mentions he prefers to be known as lestat so maybe this is the mother wishing to please those that are helping her and her son. I have no idea who is writing letters to him, i have never heard of this support group but i understand it is not unusual for complete strangers to become penpals with someone in prison.

by **hmm** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:55 pm

whats important to note about the "communist" dentist killed by OAS trained deathsquads is that, according to wikipedia, it was those in power at the time who tried to discredit him as a pedophile before they killed him. and that it looks to me as if someone (amero?) edited the article to add the name Alda Ribiero Acosta and expand on or repeat what was essentially an old psychological operation by what i will call the oligarchs for want of a better definition or more facts. given the language in the wikipedia edit i think its fair to assume amero wrote this himself: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>ALDA RIBIERO ACOSTA (9 July 1960 -- ) Sacred woman and victim of Eduardo Roslik, brother of Communist child molester Vladimir Roslik. Alda was born in the Brazilian city of Santa Anna do Libramiento, on the Uruguayan frontier and lived her youth in Venezuela, until 1980 when she was sold as a cow to Eduardo Roslik, who forced her to bear two children of his blood. Ultimately, Political Philosopher Lestat Claudius De Orléans y Montevideo rescued her and took her to Bolivia, where Communist insurgents funded by Eduardo Roslik continue to try to kill them both. A reward for the death of Eduardo Roslik of one million Paraguayan Guaranies (Gs. 1,000,000.00PYG) has been posted for the head of Eduardo Roslik, as he continues to rape the two children which Alda was forced to bear by him. Alda is currently pregnant with the child of Lestat Claudius De Orléans y Montevideo.<hr></blockquote> i know its conjecture, but i can picture "someone" persuading him his sacred love alda was abused as a child by evil communists and given the indications regarding his own childhood this could be all that was needed to set him off on his path of destruction. his plan to bomb the embassy makes more sense then since it is "the communists" who have taken over in bolivia, chile and argentina? if wikipedia wasnt acting up right now i would be having a look at the history of those edits..

by **Gouda** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:21 pm

Thanks for the contribution Nem. I am curious if have you been in touch with any of your colleagues at Preston regarding the Amero matter - could they, within legal/ethical boundaries, help fill in some of the pieces to the puzzle? These little visits are especially interesting: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>I might be stepping out on a limb here, as there were several wards at Preston, who were "visited" by Secret Service agents because of death threats they made to the President at that time, but I do believe that he was one of them. I cannot say this with any authority though.<hr></blockquote> Of course, they would have also visited his mother and aunt; and of course Amero would be permanently on the Secret Service "watch list." There is really something bad funky about Amero's relationship with both his mother and the state department (and we know the state department, especially via its embassies abroad, is often cover for CIA and other agencies). From what we know, Amero spent a lot of time living with his mother Dawna. We know from media reports that he dropped out of school in or after the 2nd grade, and there are no records of his having attended high school: <a href="http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_082172612.html">cbs5.com/topstories/local...72612.html</a> <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Amero's mother, Dawna Scheda still lives in Placerville. CBS 13 spoke with her this morning. She told us Triston Jay Amero is his real name and that he had lived with her in Placerville, but moved out several years ago. Scheda did say he did not attend high school in Placerville, but would not elaborate further. She also told CBS 13 she's spent the morning trying to get more information about her son and the case from the U.S. State Department. "I really have no idea what's going on," Scheda told the AP. "Of course we [And who are "we"?] don't believe he would do something like this. He's my son."<hr></blockquote> From previously posted media: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>As a teenager, Amero was sentenced in October 1996 [14yrs old! - my note] to three years and six months in California Youth Authority custody after being convicted of assault on a public official and battery for spitting on an El Dorado County juvenile court judge and court clerk, court documents show... Amero, who had a prior conviction for leaving the scene of an accident, was later ordered to stay in juvenile prison until August 2001, though officials declined to say when he was released because Amero was incarcerated as a minor.<hr></blockquote> I thought Preston wards were aged 16-25. Was he placed somewhere other than Preston by the CYA after he was 1st convicted at the age of 14? From the age of seven until his first incarceration at the age of 14, who is caring for him and his education? Home schooling? That's a big gap. I am still not sure if Amero officially renounced his US citizenship, or if that was required for him to obtain his WSA world passport. We know he was trying to renounce US citizenship. Yet, the State Department seems to have been very helpful to Amero during his times of crisis in South America. The State Department must really treat every case like this with pure neutrality, with complete professional care for each american citizen abroad - even the ones who try to renounce citizenship, threaten to kill the president of the united states, and repeatedly threaten to spark international incidents via big firecrackers. But it seems Amero is warmly supported by those he has threatened and hated: his mother and the US government.

by **Gouda** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:27 pm

William Sherrick Duncan-Binns & the "shadow objectivists"…From what Hmm has found, I wonder if it is possible that this guy and Amero are the same person, an alter identity slipping hints about secret government torment and mind control? The handler possibility is also intriguing. Now, it may seem like I want there to be this connection, which is really not the case, but the case itself will not let this idea rest.

by **Nemysyssss** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:31 pm

Yes Gouda, I have discussed Amero's bombings in Bolivia with many of my colleagues at Preston. As expected, they were not as shocked about the violent acts perpetuated by Amero in Bolivia as those who did not know him. They knew that he had the potential to act out violently, but were very surprised that he targeted hotels in Bolivia with innocent victims inside. We all were expecting some type of action against those he had already threatened in the US. Concerning any additional information which could help this discussion board, I am sure there are those who do know much more than I about Amero's specific information, but at this time I have not discussed this site with them.

by **Dreams End** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:15 pm

Sorry. I don't trust nemysysss too much. CYA facilities are not good places. Abuse is common. They create as many "lestats" as they cure, I'm sure. In fact, they provide no decent mental health care to speak of. Be curious about Vacaville type programs in there. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>OTHER VIEW: Figure Out a New Way to Deal with Youthful Offenders Sacramento Bee February 20, 2006 By Allen Feaster Two years ago, I went through every parent's worst nightmare. My 18-year-old son, Durrell Feaster, and his 17-year-old roommate, Deon Whitfield, were found hanged on Jan. 19, 2004, in a California Youth Authority prison cell. My son dreamed of going to college and starting a landscaping business. Instead, I believe CYA treatment drove him to take his life. Durrell and Deon were incarcerated in Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione, one of eight CYA prisons. Durrell was in for a property crime, and he was supposed to get help. The Legislature, courts and other agencies for several years have scrutinized the CYA. Report after report points out serious problems with the CYA, now known as the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Division of Juvenile Justice. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has failed to do the right thing: Replace these abusive prisons with rehabilitation centers that can help the wards, who are between 12 and 25 years old. (Editorial note: A-freakin'-men.) <a href="http://www.ellabakercenter.org/page.php?pageid=11&contentid=370">www.ellabakercenter.org/page.php?pageid=11&contentid=370</a> <hr></blockquote> <blockquote>Quote:<hr>ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE BEING INVESTIGATED - Scathing report on Youth Authority By Karen de Sá Mercury News, January 28, 2004 Juveniles sentenced to California Youth Authority facilities for serious crimes are regularly locked in cages, over-medicated and denied essential psychiatric treatment, according to a report commissioned by the state Attorney General's Office. The report, obtained Tuesday by the Mercury News, found that the nine institutions examined were more like prisons than facilities designed to reform and rehabilitate youthful offenders, and that conditions there worsened the problems of wards who suffered from mental health disorders and substance abuse problems. ``The vast majority of youths who have mental health needs are made worse instead of improved by the correctional environment,'' according to authors of the report, University of Washington child psychologist Eric Trupin and forensic psychiatrist Raymond Patterson of Washington, D.C. Teenagers, both male and female, are sent to CYA for serious and violent crimes. But unlike adult prisons, CYA institutions are legally required to reform and rehabilitate. Word of conditions at Youth Authority facilities, specifically the high-security Chaderjian facility in Stockton, has reached federal investigators. The U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division is investigating abuse in that facility, a department spokesman said Tuesday. The scrutiny of juvenile institutions comes at a time when California's adult prisons are under intense pressure over their failure to police abuses by prison staff. The report is yet another challenge for the Schwarzenegger administration and for Walter Allen, the new director of the CYA. Lawmakers plan to examine the CYA in hearings Feb. 28. ``It's going to get worse unless we have the courage to look at this,'' said Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Rosemead, who has been co-chairing hearings on problems in the state's correctional facilities. ``It's fair to say CYA has a crisis.'' Experts sent in Last year, in response to legislators' inquiries and a lawsuit filed by the Prison Law Office, the Attorney General's Office sent national experts into the sprawling network of CYA facilities, which house 4,421 young people up to age 25 and cost the state $450 million a year to run. At least six reports are expected, the first of which is reaching legislators now and focuses on mental health and substance abuse treatment in CYA facilities. ``Rehabilitation is impossible when the classroom is a cage and wards live in constant fear of physical and sexual violence from CYA staff and other wards,'' said court documents filed by the San Francisco-based non-profit Prison Law Office. As many as 65 percent of the wards suffer from mental disorders, and 85 percent battle drug and alcohol addictions, studies show. In the facilities, guards used highly potent pepper spray on recalcitrant youths, and treatment staff members were inconsistent in prescribing and overseeing powerful psychotropic medications. The report states some youths received three to eight different psychotropic drugs without ``adequate justification,'' while others were given no medicine when they needed it. Nighttime medications were not available in some facilities, a practice the report states is ``especially egregious because needy youths are deprived of appropriate care.'' The authors singled out a few CYA practices for praise. The CYA regularly provided information on the risks of medication and followed guidelines on obtaining informed consent from minors. The authors found the substance abuse program at Dewitt Nelson exemplary. But the authors added that this program was ``the exception, rather than the rule.'' Officials with the Attorney General's Office and the Youth Authority did not dispute the findings. Findings confirmed ``The observations of the state experts in these areas are substantially correct, and our department is reviewing each of these reports to develop a plan to correct the issues raised,'' Youth Authority spokeswoman Sarah Ludeman said. Deputy Attorney General Steve Acquisto, one of the lawyers defending the Youth Authority in the lawsuit, said: ``To the extent problems have been identified, the YA is working diligently to address those problems, and to the extent that the solutions require additional financing, we're going to be working to get that.'' The December report was followed quickly by a tragic example of the need to act quickly. On Jan. 19, two teens, 17 and 18, were found hanging in their rooms in Ironwood Lodge at the Preston facility in Ione. Ironwood came under special scrutiny in the December 2003 report, with investigators determining that guards using pepper spray were ``exacerbating symptoms of mental illness'' and youths were kept ``isolated and away from staff observation or interaction.'' Ironwood houses youths in a 60- to 90-day Special Management Program where they receive only an hour a day of education outside their cells. From December 2001 to June 2003, statewide, 56 young people attempted but did not succeed in committing suicide, because of staff intervention. The experts found CYA failing in 21 of the 22 measures posed in question form by the Attorney General's Office. The report states that there was no evidence that the punitive strategies brought about a desired change in a youth's behavior. Other specific problems: * Inconsistent and substandard practices on the use of psychotropic medications, including little measurement of the effects. * Inappropriate use of punitive strategies, lack of staff skill in de-escalation techniques and overuse of chemical restraints. * Psychiatric histories that are not comprehensive and do not include developmental or family information. * Inadequate coordination of mental health professionals and routine lack of involvement of families in treatment plans, making it virtually impossible for the youths to re-enter society. Even with word now getting out, Laura Belmont, a Folsom mother, said she's skeptical that things will ever change at CYA. ``These are throwaway kids, out of sight out of mind,'' said Belmont, who described her 20-year-old son as ``destroyed'' by three years at CYA facilities. ``He went in 17 years old with his whole life ahead of him, and he came out without one shred of self-esteem or self-worth,'' Belmont said. But Senate leader John Burton, D-San Francisco, said he would act on the reports, which he called devastating. ``It sort of paints the picture of a department incapable of straightening itself out despite years of legislative oversight and scrutiny,'' Burton said. ``We'll probably have to do it for them one way or another. <a href="http://www.nospank.net/n-l35r.htm">www.nospank.net/n-l35r.htm</a> <hr></blockquote> <blockquote>Quote:<hr> Youth Prisons in California Called Abusive A suit filed in federal court in Sacramento against the California Youth Authority on behalf of 11 prisoners, contends inhumane conditions are pervasive. It describes such practices as the use of cages as classrooms and the forcible injection of mind-altering drugs to control the behavior of inmates. . . It contends that prisoners with disabilities are sometimes isolated in dungeon-like holes splattered with feces and blood and that the inmates live in fear of physical and sexual violence. Instead of rehabilitation and education, the system of 11 prisons and four camps, with about 6,300 prisoners, had become known for brutality and other abuses. Reports that mentally ill youths were stripped to their underwear and isolated in cages 23 hours a day, that prisoners were subjected to biomedical experiments and sexually and physically abused by guards, and other problems led the state inspector general, Steven White, to conclude that "it would be impossible to overstate the problem." As a result, the California Board of Corrections ordered a review of the Youth Authority by more than 100 experts. (New York Times, 1/26/02, Internet) <a href="http://cultsandsociety.com/csr_news/children_2002_02_15.htm">cultsandsociety.com/csr_news/children_2002_02_15.htm</a> <hr></blockquote> There's plenty more. So Nemesysss, could you start with an outline of the brutal conditions you witnessed in the CYA facilities since you kinda left that out of your other postings? That might help us get a handle on this. Any interesting psychiatric studies being performed there these days? Like...maybe...THIS ONE: <blockquote>Quote:<hr> STANFORD: State probes Stanford research Drugs were given to juvenile inmates by Don Kazak Two state agencies are investigating whether anything improper occurred during a Stanford-related research project at the California Youth Authority in 1997. The research was conducted by Dr. Hans Steiner, a Stanford psychiatrist. In the study, the drug Depakote was administered to 61 male youths, ages 14-18, to see if it would reduce their tendency toward violent behavior. The drug is generally used to treat seizure disorders, depression and migraine headaches. The youths voluntarily participated in the study, which was approved by the CYA's medical director at the time, and no ill effects have been reported. But some state officials are angry that incarcerated youths were used for the study, a possible violation of a state law that prohibits biomedical research on California inmates. A second law, however, does permit prisoners to take part in experimental AIDS studies if it is in their best interest. The CYA, assisted by the Attorney General's office, is conducting an internal investigation of how the study came about, and Gov. Gray Davis has asked the state Inspector General to conduct a separate investigation. "The governor has appointed the Inspector General to look at all cases of impropriety or potential law breaking or rule breaking in the corrections system," said Hilary McLean, a press aide to Davis. "The governor thought it warranted this outside review." "It appears that there was no review of state law in this study," said J.P. Tremblay, CYA assistant director of communications. The investigation should take a couple of months, Tremblay added. He declined to comment on any possible criminal charges or sanctions that could result. "We have some very deep concerns about how the study took place," McLean said. But state officials also declined to point any fingers at Steiner at this time. "We're not taking him to task," Tremblay said. "We're still reviewing it." Steiner has worked in the CYA for 15 years, and has a current grant to do further research, but not drug studies. "I study conduct disorders in delinquency," he said. "I've done a lot of research with (the CYA)."<a href="http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/news/1999_Aug_25.PROBE.html">more</a> <hr></blockquote> Not done researching golden boy and vienna born Steiner yet. Anyone operating in these facilities who has acknowledged that this abuse does occur and isn't standing up and screaming about it is just as guilty, in my view. But I can't say for sure that other than this unethical study he's been up to more than that. But our man Lestat got the way he is somehow...and with conditions like this, it's likely he got worse, not better.

by **Dreams End** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:12 pm

I couldn't find the years that Lestat was in CYA, but Steiner has been there for 15. It likely overlapped with the drug study above, if he's 24 but I don't remember all the details. Here's a bit more on Steiner, a list of his areas of expertise: <blockquote>Quote:<hr> * 1) Aggression and its relationship to psychopathology. He is regarded as a national and international expert on the overlap between psychopathology, aggression and antisocial behavior. He has extensive experience in consulting to juvenile justice. A related interest is his research and consultancy in the mental health dimensions of sport and elite athletes. * 2) Psychopathologies associated with trauma and victimization. Abuse and child victimization are important precursors of disorders related to aggression. * 3) Pediatric and psychiatric comorbidity (i.e. the overlap between pediatric and psychiatric diseases). He has conducted extensive research in juvenile eating disorders, somatoform disorders, the psychiatric sequelae of pediatric disease and intensive treatment systems for pediatric psychiatric comorbidity.<hr></blockquote> Number 2 looks interesting. Here's a handy study, that determined that if you interview someone about traumatic events and their heart rate does not increase as expected, you can probably conclude that they are prone to dissociation. Useful, you know, when you are looking for people who dissociate easily, for whatever reasons one might look for such people. In juvenile facilities. Of course, given the lack of even basic controls in this study, I wonder if it was even studying what it claimed to be studying. They didn't even control for caffeine intake, which, I can tell you, makes the ole heart go pitter pat. <a href="http://pbpl.stanford.edu/documents/Koopman2004.pdf">pbpl.stanford.edu/documents/Koopman2004.pdf</a> This is a pdf, so I can't cut and paste. Now, I can't prove this guy is a bad guy. Maybe he's a GOOD guy, studying these things to make adolescents better. But his lack of concern about some things that make teens not better, such as vicious physical abuse as recorded in <a href="http://www.ellabakercenter.org/page.php?pageid=182">this video</a> which, let's face it, goes on all the time, suggests that adolescent mental health may not be his most pressing concern. However, we know how academics can be...pressure to publish or perish and all that. The larger point is...these places are mc factories, intentionally or no.

by **Nemysyssss** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:34 pm

Dreams End I read all of the articles and quotes you have submitted and also your personal inputs about the quality of care that was provided to these youthful offenders. I cannot help but think, based on what I read into your comments, that you might have had an actual experence with the CYA. I cannot validate what your experiences were with the CYA based upon what you have written, but if one of these unfortunate youths who died within the faculity were your children I offer my most sincere condolences. If not it goes to the actual Mothers of these children. Now, in my defense, I would like to state that I have helped save on several occassions wards who were trying to comitt suicide by hanging from within both Juniper and Ironwood lodges. One which was actually hanging by the neck with a bed sheet from his window. I held him up for, what seemed like several minutes, so that additional staff could get the emergercy cutting blade and cut the noose from around his neck. Another time, no specifics will be mentioned, a ward, almost dead from hanging, was worked on for over 45 minutes while medical staff worked and waited for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. CPR was administered by line staff during that whole time. He survived the incident. Another time, a roomate was strangling his roomate to death. I caught the incident during room checks and talked the ward strangling his buddy to let go of him. He was fixated in a trance and was really not aware what he was doing. It started out as horseplay and ended up almost in murder. They were roomates for over a year. I have prevented numerous wards over the years from seriously injuring other wards with very dangerous and potentially fatal weapons, I have seen the most gruesome acts of violence on wards by their peers. I have physically been seriously injured by wards in my attempts to break up fights and or help the victim of those violent attacks. I am not trying to brag or boast about my "war stories". What I am trying to say, is that from my own personal experiences, I know that most of the Staff at Preston whom I associated with all did the same as I. They also had the same goals I did at Preston, which was to afford these wards who wanted help, as much help to rehabilitate as we could possibly give them. There were those who were not as noble in their desires to help the wards , but they will have to answer to their conscience and accusers. I will not speak on them. The key words are "who wanted help". Many wards at Preston were not there to get help. It was their goal to make a name for themselves through violence. They were just "doing their time" and anyone who got in their way ended up a victim of their aspirations to become better criminals. Preston was just a stepping stone for them. If they developed a "reputation" at Preston, they would have a much easier time in CDC with their peers. Crime and violence were activities they worked on. What really bothers me is that people outside of this CYA environment are so very quick to make "blanket judgements" against any staff who worked in this type of capacity based upon the words of an upset ward and or so called victim of the system. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Sorry. I don't trust nemysysss too much. CYA facilities are not good places. Abuse is common. They create as many "lestats" as they cure, I'm sure. In fact, they provide no decent mental health care to speak of. Be curious about Vacaville type programs in there.<hr></blockquote> I will not say that there were not situations which justified scrutiny and review, but the general mentality of all the CYA bashers, seems to be that anyone who worked in CYA is a brute and or predatory animal who seeks out the "poor and helpless youth" caught up in this violent system called the CYA. A very large majority of CYA staff wanted to help these youthful offenders, but could only do as much as the system allowed them to do. Those staff who did violate the rules were investigated and dealt with accordingly. Sometimes I questioned the decisions and actions taken against some individuals, but for the most part we were kept in the dark about any investigation unless we were a part of it. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>``Rehabilitation is impossible when the classroom is a cage and wards live in constant fear of physical and sexual violence from CYA staff and other wards,'' said court documents filed by the San Francisco-based non-profit Prison Law Office.<hr></blockquote> Now to discuss Tamarack and it's prehistoric policies which are described as abusive and barbaric. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Youth Prisons in California Called Abusive A suit filed in federal court in Sacramento against the California Youth Authority on behalf of 11 prisoners, contends inhumane conditions are pervasive. It describes such practices as the use of cages as classrooms and the forcible injection of mind-altering drugs to control the behavior of inmates. . . It contends that prisoners with disabilities are sometimes isolated in dungeon-like holes splattered with feces and blood and that the inmates live in fear of physical and sexual violence. <hr></blockquote> It would be very easy for an outsider with no experience in dealing with violent wards to come to this conclusion. A little history about these so called "inhumane" cages in the school room and Tamarack Lodge in general. The other accusations mentioned I will not even respond to as they are utterly ridiculious or so overly exaggerated so as to be non believable. Tamarack lodge during my time in that unit was used to house very violent wards over a specific amount of time. It was the goal to work out that violence potential with structured programming and counseling and gradually reintroducing them into a controlled environment where they would not act out violently. If they were sucessful, they were re-introduced back into regular program lodges. The violence potential on Tamarack was very real to both Staff and ward. Staff had to wear "flack vests" to help protect against attempts by wards to "shank" them(stab with a prison made weapon) During the day and evening in Tamarack, as time constraints permitted, they were allowed individual or small group hygiene time (showers) depending on their violence potential. Some wards could not be brought out with other wards, some could be brought out with their gang associates. Many different variables were constantly at play as to who came out as an individual or with groups. They were also given individual counseling by their assigned counselors. Small groups were very difficult to have, as too many wards were unable to come out together with the different wards on that Counselors caselaod. "Large muscle" excercise was also given daily to these wards. They were fed all three meals in their rooms. Daily the wards were brought into the classroom which consisted of two or three cages approximately 5X5X7. Between the cages was an open area seperating them from each other so that wards could not come into contact with each other. The desks were large enough for a desk and some room to move around in. The following is a brief explination of all that was required to get a ward to school. After following security protocol the wards were escorted by staff from their individual bed room in handcuffs. The handcuffs were applied to the wards before they could come out of their room (this was standard operating proceedure any time they were brought out of their room). When the wards arrived into the classroom, they were placed into the cage area and the door was shut and locked. The cuffs were taken off by staff, and the wards were allowed to sit down at the desk and class was started. When class was over the reverse took place. Why were these wards placed in cages and handcuffed when allowed out of their room? Any outsider would ask this who was not familiar with Preston and more specifically Tamarack. The problem is that these special interest groups told only one side of the story. What they did not tell was that the CYA was told that every youthful must be given the opportunity to go to school. Most were given that opportunity (another story there) but for the violent wards on Tamarack, the only way to do that, was to allow them individual classroom instruction in a secure area where they could not attack another ward trying to learn at the same time. If you have over 150 wards on that unit, do the math, it would be very hard to instruct over 150 individual wards every day inbetween all of the other mandated requirements these wards were to have . It was just not cost effective if you hired enough teachers to make the math work. CYA was already working with a very limiting budget allowed them by the politicians in charge. If given the opportunity to do so, over 60% of Tamarack's population would try to attack another ward or staff if not escorted and handcuffed when out of their room. That was why a large percentage were in the Tamarack program. If we allowed them to leave their room and attend classrooms without those security precautions, and a ward managed to attack and harm another, you can almost be guaranteed that these outside special interest groups would be hollaring that we were not protecting these youthful offenders. The Tamarack program was also constantly in flux. Things were going on every minute. Staff had to be on constant alert to make sure that no ward would come into contact with another so as to allow any ward an opportunity to attack another. During regular progam times Staff were also kept busy logging in and out "24 hour lockup" wards in addition to possible groups of wards who were involved in group disturbances. 24 hour lockups had to meet at least one of three criteria before they could be housed on Tamarack. 1. In danger 2 Danger to others 3 Escape risk If they did not meet any of these criteria they were sent back. At times it was very confusing and the risk of mistakes being made was very real. Staff did a very good job keeping the wards safe for the most part. If I were an outsider looking in I would first make sure I knew all the facts before assigning judgement. You can never really get all of the facts by looking at something from afar. Please consider what I have said, and don't judge unless there is no other assumption for you to make. If you have already made up your mind, I cannot change that, but I can sleep at night knowing that at the end of the day I have done what I feel is right, and I can look you in the eyes and say so. As far as the other accusations you have made on the forced biomeds program and Ward Belmont's situation I will not go into much detail as I am aware of the medical program that the wards voluntarily signed up for but that is the extent of my knowledge about it. It was done, but as I was aware of at the time, it was completely above board, legitimate and legal and approved by the CYA Administration. That is all I know. It's legal, moral and ethical implications are up to the legal teams to decide on. I know it was done on both Ironwood and Juniper lodges. I also knew Ward Belmont. He was on Juniper lodge for awhile, and was a good kid. He was not a violent ward. During his stay on Juniper lodge it was not a lockup unit, but more of an honor unit. Wards at that time considered Juniper lodge the place to be if you did not like to sleep in an open dorm environment. They had all of the regular program priviledges as the "hill lodges" but the wards could get away if they so chose from all the problems associated with a dorm environment. A semi-private room had many advantages to it if you did not like crowds and noise. I am aware of the accusations that his mother has made about his treatment there. He was later eventually transferred to a hill lodge and I lost track of him. He had a lot of potential to do well once released on parole from CYA though, given his desires and strong support group (his family). I hope he has gotten his life back and is doing well now. As far as staff abuse, I can only speak for myself. I know I treated him fairly and with respect. He might have had difficulties getting along with some staff but I never saw what one would consider abuse. I can, with authority, state that violent wards were an influence in his life during his stay on Juniper. They were more of a physically abusive factor (attacks) during his time on Juniper and one of his biggest problems, as he was not a part of any structured gang. Partly because of his size, he was one of the few who could program in general pop without having to join a gang for protection. The other reason was because he did not want to be influenced by their negative behaviors and rules. I was very proud of him and the fact that he did not want to be drawn into the gangs. He really wanted to do what was right. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>So Nemesysss, could you start with an outline of the brutal conditions you witnessed in the CYA facilities since you kinda left that out of your other postings? That might help us get a handle on this. Any interesting psychiatric studies being performed there these days? <hr></blockquote> To end this long dialog I will close with these answers to your specific questions. I would really like to give you something interesting and "brutal" so that you could go off on your quest for the victims of CYA Staff, but unfortunately, I can only tell you what I have seen. That is that 1 All of the Wards were sent to the CYA because they comitted a crime against another human being. Whether violent or non violent, it was found to be a crime through our legal justice system. Their acts against their victims was not forced upon them to commit, most all did their crime of their own volition. They had to do much more than one crime before they were sent to the Youth Authority, many times being sent to camps or other alternate "correction faculties" before finally making it into the CYA. They also had to be serious offenders for the most part to earn a quick ticket to Preston. 2 The treatment they were given by Staff that I saw was fair and just. If Staff was alleged to have done anything outside of the guidelines established by the Laws of California and the CYA, they were dealt with if found guilty and if found not guilty were absolved. Staff did the best that they could given the time, funding by State officials, and programs available. 3 Wards within the CYA were the major source of problems to much of the wards within the CYA, either by physical abuse, attacks with weapons, sexual assault, mental abuse (pressuring) and theft. Unfortunately for the wards who did want to rehabilitate, this made for a very difficult time during their stay. 4 I am not absolving the State of California, nor the Directors office of the Youth Authority of any wrong doing. In fact, I blame them for much of the problems the CYA faced over the last 10 years. So much has been taken from the CYA in terms of funding and program cuts that the rehabilitation system with which the CYA staff could utilize left a lot to be desired. It was minimal at best. At Preston, all of the shop classes such as Refrigeration air, Masonry, Landscape gardening ect.. were cut as a result of budget cuts and restraints. This left nothing but academic classes for the wards. Unfortunately for a large majority of wards a simple GED would not afford them a good paying job or any real hopes of getting a job which would help them cope with all of the temptations that crime and the allure that quick money through crime presented to them. 5 I did not "Kinda" leave anything out of my previous dialogs . I did not delve into them because they (in my opinion) did not have any relevency in this specific discussion board. I do believe that we are "kinda" off topic here, and would much rather discuss this sort of topic on another discussion board. It is a very real and relevant topic of discussion. 6 No I don't have any other interesting psychiatric studies to pass on to you. But I am most assured that if there were, you would be able to keep anyone interested, up to date on them with your newspaper clippings. We all know that the newspapers are very unbiased and factual in all of their reporting and the best source of accurate and politically unmotivated information in their publishing of "newsworthy" stories. In closing, I would be very interested to know what the outcome of this internal investigation was on the Stanford-related research project at the California Youth Authority in 1997, and if there were any criminal charges made as a result of this investigation which you make reference to. Of course on a different discussion page!

by **Dreams End** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:40 pm

Dear N, Is it just me or could I stipulate that things are exactly as you paint them and STILL find it horrifying? I mean, thanks for saving those kids but do you ever step back and ask why so many are trying to kill themselves? Not raising any red flags with you? It sounds like you believe what you are saying. Lots of people don't. Like the Governor Gropennator: <blockquote>Quote:<hr> Mentally ill teenager Edward Brown was a CYA ward for whom things were considerably worse than they were for Vaughn. Brown was locked in a dungeon-like basement isolation cell for 23 hours a day in the Tamarack Lodge at Preston in 2001, according to a lawsuit filed by several Bay Area law firms and the San Quentin-based Prison Law Office on behalf of Brown’s aunt, Margaret Farrell. The walls of the cell were splattered with dried blood and feces from prior occupants, and the toilet didn’t function for days at a time. Brown was fed “blender meals” through a straw threaded through his cell door. The indiscriminate mush--a daily food ration mixed in a blender--was served to problem prisoners held in lockup isolation cells. He also was given psychotropic medication by force and coercion--and without the consent of a parent or guardian as required by state law. But the lawsuit was about more than just one young man. The Farrell case was structured so that it would apply to virtually every ward--male and female--in the system. In unsettling, graphic detail, the 40-page legal complaint described the abhorrent conditions in CYA, including several that parrot Vaughn’s experiences. Last month, California Youth Authority Director Walter Allen met with Shariffe Vaughn; his mother, Caron (above); and his son, Lucas . “Wards have had their heads slammed against walls and rails and have been beaten and burned by tear gas canisters and Maced for no reason. ... Staff often use chemical agents on wards who either do not require restraining or who are already restrained. ... Wards are simply locked in their rooms for weeks or months with no programming and no constructive release for their frustration, tension and fear. ... In addition to their failure to prevent ward-on-ward violence, CYA staff have actually encouraged, permitted and/or provided wards with the opportunity to fight each other,” says the suit. Clearly, the allegations showed inhumane treatment for California teenagers. The lawsuit also alleged, “Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment are common within the CYA. Some wards are housed in the same living facility as others who have previously raped or sexually assaulted them.” Referring to many studies done by the state over several years, the complaint gives vivid examples of excessive-force incidents, inadequate medical and mental-health care, and unconstitutional conditions of confinement. From the time the case was filed in January 2003, the Gray Davis administration spent taxpayer money to fight it. But at a press conference last month, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Walter Allen, the man he appointed to run CYA just more than a year ago, unexpectedly announced that they were settling the Farrell litigation. The case was not brought for money damages, but for a court declaration that the entire system was in violation of various state laws that require CYA to provide rehabilitation, training and treatment to youthful offenders. The action also sought a court injunction prohibiting CYA from continuing to spend taxpayer funds while operating in an illegal and unconstitutional manner. The ramifications of the settlement are hard to exaggerate. The state is now bound by a 22-page agreement that lays out in minute detail the massive number of reforms that CYA must implement, all under the watchful eye of a court-appointed monitor and an Alameda County Superior Court judge. The court supervision of CYA will continue until the system comes into compliance with state law and the terms of the settlement agreement, a process expected to take years. Allen diplomatically credited his bosses--Schwarzenegger and Youth and Adult Correctional Agency director Rod Hickman--with approving resolution of the Farrell case. “I don’t want to knock past administrations, but this administration has open arms to those people that want to help us. The Prison Law Office entered the settlement agreement because they want to help us,” he said. After reading the court complaint, it is difficult to believe that the California juvenile justice system once was a national model. Created by the Youth Corrections Act of 1941, CYA was considered revolutionary because it substituted training and treatment for youthful offenders in place of retributive punishment, which had been the national norm. By the mid-1960s, the California training and treatment model was so successful that it was adopted across the country and became the national legal standard in a 1966 U.S. Supreme Court case, Kent v. United States. <a href="http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=oid%3A33045">www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=oid%3A33045</a> <hr></blockquote> You are aware, Nemysysss, (and I feel real good about someone in charge of our youth who goes by THAT screen name) that many, many of these youth come to your facility as a RESULT of mental illness or abuse. Even Steiner, whose motives I do not trust, says as much. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Extremely high prevalence of psychiatric problems such as conduct disorder (93%), substance abuse and dependence (85%), and anxiety disorders (31%) (Fig. 2). In comparison to same-age juveniles from the general population and other juvenile incarceration and clinical settings, CYA wards often have much higher prevalence rates of mental health disturbances <a href="http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:eu-ylyIvHyMJ:www.corr.ca.gov/ReportsResearch/docs/Stanford%2520Mental%2520Health%2520Report%2520Jan02.pdf+psychiatry+research+%22california+youth+authority%22+stanford&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5&client=firefox-a">link</a> <hr></blockquote> Now, put such people, victims of abuse many of them, in the setting described in the article above, or even in the setting AS YOU DESCRIBE IT, and you end up retraumatizing them. Translation: it makes them worse. It can actually make them psychotic, as the end of this Mercury News report indicates: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>It comes as no surprise to state legislators that California puts some of its youngest prisoners in cages, locks others down for 23 hours a day and over-medicates youth suspected of having psychiatric problems. For 20 years, report after report has condemned inhumane conditions inside the institutions. The state held hearings on the CYA in 2000, when many of the current problems were revealed. But little has changed. Unlike adult prisons, the Youth Authority is charged with providing treatment and education for inmates. But according to reports written in response to a lawsuit filed by the non-profit Prison Law Office in 2003, conditions in lock-up are actually pushing young offenders further into lives of crime, and deepening mental illnesses suffered by a majority of wards. In response to the reports, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a blue ribbon commission. But flanked by some of the state's most respected juvenile justice professionals Tuesday, Romero said no more talk, reports or task forces are needed. She wants the state to make sure inmates receive an education and health care that meets professional standards. The institution, she said, needs a massive culture change so that daily life is no longer disrupted by fights and guards no longer rely on Mace and isolation to force young inmates into submission. Romero said the state pays as much as $80,000 per year for each of the more than 4,400 wards at CYA, and is getting nothing in return for the investment. The CYA's new director, Walter Allen, said his job is ``not to look in the rear-view mirror,'' and he is already drafting an action plan to correct the problems. A spokesman for Roderick Hickman, secretary of the umbrella agency, the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency, said the state will continue negotiating a settlement with Don Specter of the Prison Law Office. Specter insisted that any agreement will have to include a timetable for reforms and monitoring by outside consultants or the courts. After 25 years of reviewing conditions in adult prisons such as Pelican Bay and Corcoran, Specter said CYA is unique in the nation. ``I've never seen an institution this out of control, with this much violence,'' he said. ``It's an organization that's failing and doesn't know how to correct itself.'' Twenty-one-year-old Christopher Siegle of Walnut Creek spent two years in CYA, after committing a series of thefts for money to buy drugs. Recently paroled from a Stockton facility to an unsupervised Oakland motel, he overdosed within 45 days and held up a local grocery store with a BB gun. He is now in jail. His father, Larry Siegle, a supervisor for a security company, said in an interview this week that there's no excuse for the crimes, and his son should pay for them. But his time served at CYA was spent doped up on powerful anti-psychotic medications and sleeping 20 hours per day -- the institution's response when Christopher began hallucinating and hearing voices. ``The effects of his time at CYA were detrimental to the extent that he did not receive the kinds of help and support that may have led to treatment and recovery,'' Siegle said. ``They're just left there in limbo.'' <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/cya/7870867.htm">www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/cya/7870867.htm</a> <hr></blockquote> I can go on and on...this is well documented and agreed on by just about everyone except, evidently, you and your "colleagues". It's time to stop being part of the problem. Meanwhile, I return this thread to its orginal topic. My point was that a young person staying in these facilities is not only going to be more prone to violence and crime (91% recidivism rate should be a clue), but also rife for any Vacaville style MC programs. I can't prove that, but the overt abuse is bad enough.

by **Hugh Manatee Wins** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:45 am

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>“Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment are common within the CYA. Some wards are housed in the same living facility as others who have previously raped or sexually assaulted them.” Referring to many studies done by the state over several years, the complaint gives vivid examples of excessive-force incidents, inadequate medical and mental-health care, and unconstitutional conditions of confinement.<hr></blockquote> From the dedication page of Robert F. Kennedy's 1967 book 'To Seek a Newer World': "Perhaps we cannot prevent this world from being a place where children are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children. And if you don't help us, who else in the world can help us do this?" -Albert Camus in 1948

by **anotherdrew** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:26 pm

"For 20 years, report after report has condemned inhumane conditions inside the institutions." Since that is undoubtably so, it is EVERYONE'S fault that it's like that. Small groups of 4 to 6 people, seperated from the larger ward population, in real houses, would be the first step. But then of course it's time to roll out the NIMBYs...

by **hmm** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:50 pm

i understand where the last few posts are coming from and i agree that prisons produce criminals but this is getting rather personal and i would prefer we keep this thread on topic because i find this case very interesting. If we want to discuss the horrors of the american penal system and its effects, or the personal responsibilities of the staff involved, we could start a new thread for that purpose?

by **hmm** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:24 pm

i had wondered for a moment about amero and duncan-binns being one and the same but the physical evidence from their posting via email to yahoo groups makes that improbable. duncan-binns was consistant in posting from the miami library while amero was hopping around south-america and duncan-binns has posts on the internet dated after amero was arrested for the bombing. a skilled "hacker" might be able to pretend to be posting from the miami library but i have not noticed any suggestion that amero has those skills. that leaves open a few other possibilities.. which brings me back to the wikipedia article on Vladimir Roslik, when a unregistered user edits a wikipedia article their ip address becomes their username.the edits have date and time stamps. The article was created by a unregistered user and has a number of edits by unregistered users that might interest us. we already know something about his movements by examining his posts to the world citizen messageboard: Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 13:06:59 Location: Uruguay [City: Montevideo, Montevideo] Date: Mon, 30 May 2005 17:55:58 Location: Bolivia [City: La Paz, La Paz] Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 16:20:08 Location: Argentina from news reports and the prison support group we know he was in a argentinian jail from around july 2005 until around the 22 of december of that year. if we add to that the dates and ip address locations of the malicious and odd wikipedia edits a few things stick out: 17:11, 16 April 2005 200.63.92.3 Argentina (Roslik article created) 16:26, 11 May 2005 200.87.152.57 Bolivia [City: La Paz, La Paz] (San Javier article created) 14:35, 9 August 2005 200.40.148.150 Uruguay (edited but nothing was changed?) 07:51, 6 April 2006 201.217.173.53 Uruguay (link to official document in english clearing Roslik removed) This shows the wikipedia page smearing Roslik was created in south america while Amero was there. It also shows someone in Uruguay other than Triston Jay Amero and Alda Ribiero Acosta was interested in this obscure page with the narative that Roslik is a evil communist child abuser. on the 9th of august 2005 Amero was in jail in argentina so could not have made the edit that removed and then reinserted the child abuse claim against Roslik. Both Amero and Alda Ribiero Acosta were in jail on the 6th of april 2006 so could not have made the subtle edit that removed the english text concerning Rosliks murder and torture by authorities, and a link to the human rights commissions report on the case, and replaced those with the full report in spanish. Neither edits do anything to clear up the lies and confusion in the article as one would expect from someone from uruguay with a genuine interest in Roslik, the edit history shows it is the registered wikipedia users that attempt to clean up the article. urls for the edit history of and changes made to these articles: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vladimir_Roslik&action=history">en.wikipedia.org/w/index....on=history</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Javier%2C_Baja_California_Sur&action=history">en.wikipedia.org/w/index....on=history</a>

by **Dreams End** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:15 pm

sorry, hmmm....but the topic wasn't the american penal system, it was the particular hell that our guy came out of. And my contention is that it was part of why he is the way he is. In addition, if there was some sort of mind control or simply "find a crazy to do your dirty work" thing at work, it also would have started from here, since Mr. Steiner and company probably had a great work up on the guy. Finally, people were accepting nemysysss'ssss word about the guy and I think this is unwise, as he did not acknowledge the abuse at the prison in which he works. In general, rest assured that all kinds of bad guys comb such facilities looking for prospects for all kinds of things. Like, you know, bombings.

American Arrested in Bolivian Bombings

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Re: US Embassy & State Dep. gave amero support in argent

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Re: Of Mom and State

Re: Of Mom and State

Re: US Embassy & State Dep. gave amero support in argent

Re: US Embassy & State Dep. gave amero support in argent

Re: US Embassy & State Dep. gave amero support in argent

Re: US Embassy & State Dep. gave amero support in argent

Re: CYA in CA or CIA in Gitmo?

well

we blamed americans personally for dead iraqis on this board

Re: Of Mom and State & wikipedia edit history

Re: Of Mom and State & wikipedia edit history

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