Rite of passage was a tough camp. It is difficult to say what the plan was with this camp. In what way was the youth supposed to make benefit of their stay? It cannot be answered because there doesn't seem to be any plan.
The staff say that he became violent and they tried to restrain him and killed him in the process following the procedures known at that time. Others simply claimed that he was depressed.
He ceased to have a life outthere back in 1992. While his body stopped to work in 2017, he life as a functional living being stopped in 1992. He didn't get a chance to turn his life around.
May he rest in peace.
Source:
- Hard Work For Youths At Camp (By Rick DelVecchio and Ken Hoover, Chronicle Staff Writers, San Francisco Chronicle, February 18, 1992)
- Victims in the 1990's (Fornits Wiki)
- DEADLY RESTRAINT (By Jordan Riak, December 1999; Revised/updated April 2006)
- California Problem Kids Get Few Luxuries in Desert (By Rick DelVecchio and Ken Hoover, San Francisco Chronicle) - From COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE
Yes, it was a tough camp, I was a staff member there and the one who performed CPR on him, bringing back his pulse and breathing... I hope that Paul is resting peacefully and his family's grief has been eased over time, but don't know how that would be possible.
ReplyDeleteThis is an open letter to The Right Of Passage in Schurz, Nevada and the probation officer at San Francisco juvenile center for my brother. Please help me with this letter to reach far and wide until the persons responsible read it.
DeletePAUL CHOY PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY. I want them all to have an update from that fateful day Feb 4, 1992.
http://www.nospank.net/n-b98.htm
To the persons who suffocated my brother and to the supervisor on that day, John Motley:
I remember this day very vividly. It was a very dark day on Feb 4, 1992. My brother a 15 yo, was sent to The Rite Of Passage in Shurz Nevada by San Francisco Juvenile Center on charges for something he didn't do. He took the wrap for a friend like most teenagers. At this point, he was ordered to go to this strenuous boot camp in light to getting his life back "on track". Instead, on Feb 4, 1992, they suffocated him. This sent him into a coma and left him brain dead for 25 years. This boot camp is situated in a desert on an Indian reservation in Shurz Nevada and might be still running operations in a different location. These juveniles are expected to run 5 miles and do strenuous workouts in the 100 degree heat. When he resisted, they restrained him until he suffocated. The training facility guidance coaches and crew, went unpunished. No time in jail.. No closing of the facility, NOTHING! My mom took care of him for 25 years. He lived his life as a vegetable with no brain function. He passed away yesterday at September 2, 2017 at 8:02 pm.
In this article, the crew supervisor has the nerve to say that they possibly saved his life by providing CPR. My brother screamed for you guys to get off him while he was in a choke hold and was suffocated until he foamed from thru the mouth. Not to mention that there was a possible sexual assault at the the same time. Everyone was ordered to keep quite and the kids were not allowed to be interviewed. Was there something to hide?Unfortunately, I found out later that he was not the first abuse case. He was then later taken by ambulance for 30 mins just to be airlifted to Washoe medical center in Reno which took another 15 mins. In the article enclosed, Mr. Motley said they saved his life. Let me enlighten you John Motley, Paul has lived his life a a vegetable with no brain function, so on the contrary, NO you did not save his life!! You have ruined it for him and our family. He's dead now.. Permanently.. Gone! Our family will need to pick up the pieces that you guys have broke. The system has down right utterly failed him and many other young juveniles at that facility. I hope this something you can live with. We've been living it for 25 years and for the rest of our lives. Rest in piece Paul. May you suffer no more. Dad, grandma, grandpa are waiting for you on the other side. #paulchoy1976-2017❤️
For those of you that are going to be quick to judge, please don't. He was a brother, son, grandson and uncle. We all make stupid decisions and life, and he died for his. This article painted it out like it was for hard core out of control teens. He was not hard core, he was just a 15 yo with no other juvenile delinquency history that made a mistake. This is a story that needs to be told. Paul's story. Please share so that the ones responsible can own up to what they have done. Thank you.
#sanfranciscojuvenilecenter
#RiteOfPassageShurzNevada
#SanFranciscoChronical
#JusticeForPaulChoy
You thought you ate saying you gave cpr and brought him back to life????? What???? You brought him back as a VEGETABLE after WATCHING HIM BE KILLED BY YOUR COWORKERS. I hope you never sleep at night. The list of dead kids from your camp is astonishing and I’d never admit to working there bc I simply WOULD NOT HAVE. You should’ve reported the first incident but instead you stood around and waited to be a “hero” but guess what? You’re just as much the bad guy as the actual killer was.
DeleteSuck my dick bitch
DeleteI was a youth there at the time of the incident. Choy never became "violent" he simply went non compliant due to him being sent to 'specials camp' many days in a roll for missing his 3 mile run time sometime only by seconds. For those who don't understand, this means he would have to run another 6 miles and do 4 additional 18/20 workouts before he would be sent back to camp, all oversite by the worst/meanest coaches in the program. The coach who restrained Choy was a excellent wrestler, and coached the sport at ROP. In ROP, 'violent' simply means quitting during a workout. You could be sitting in the sand trying to catch your breath and you would still be restrained and transported to specials. The program there has two sides to it, 1. great stories of scholarships and reformed kids you could write about( very small few who graduate in less than 2yrs) 2. the worst form of mental and physical child abuse you could imagine.
ReplyDeleteThis is R Koop. I was one of the kids out there that couldn't help Paul. I was one of the National Eagles with him. Mamy of us, but especially Paul, didn't deserve to be there in the first place. I have plenty of stories of sexual and physical abuse to share that I saw happen at that camp. Please contact me at kooprobert@hotmail.com
DeleteThis is an open letter to The Right Of Passage in Schurz, Nevada and the probation officer at San Francisco juvenile center for my brother. Please help me with this letter to reach far and wide until the persons responsible read it.
DeletePAUL CHOY PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY. I want them all to have an update from that fateful day Feb 4, 1992.
http://www.nospank.net/n-b98.htm
To the persons who suffocated my brother and to the supervisor on that day, John Motley:
I remember this day very vividly. It was a very dark day on Feb 4, 1992. My brother a 15 yo, was sent to The Rite Of Passage in Shurz Nevada by San Francisco Juvenile Center on charges for something he didn't do. He took the wrap for a friend like most teenagers. At this point, he was ordered to go to this strenuous boot camp in light to getting his life back "on track". Instead, on Feb 4, 1992, they suffocated him. This sent him into a coma and left him brain dead for 25 years. This boot camp is situated in a desert on an Indian reservation in Shurz Nevada and might be still running operations in a different location. These juveniles are expected to run 5 miles and do strenuous workouts in the 100 degree heat. When he resisted, they restrained him until he suffocated. The training facility guidance coaches and crew, went unpunished. No time in jail.. No closing of the facility, NOTHING! My mom took care of him for 25 years. He lived his life as a vegetable with no brain function. He passed away yesterday at September 2, 2017 at 8:02 pm.
In this article, the crew supervisor has the nerve to say that they possibly saved his life by providing CPR. My brother screamed for you guys to get off him while he was in a choke hold and was suffocated until he foamed from thru the mouth. Not to mention that there was a possible sexual assault at the the same time. Everyone was ordered to keep quite and the kids were not allowed to be interviewed. Was there something to hide?Unfortunately, I found out later that he was not the first abuse case. He was then later taken by ambulance for 30 mins just to be airlifted to Washoe medical center in Reno which took another 15 mins. In the article enclosed, Mr. Motley said they saved his life. Let me enlighten you John Motley, Paul has lived his life a a vegetable with no brain function, so on the contrary, NO you did not save his life!! You have ruined it for him and our family. He's dead now.. Permanently.. Gone! Our family will need to pick up the pieces that you guys have broke. The system has down right utterly failed him and many other young juveniles at that facility. I hope this something you can live with. We've been living it for 25 years and for the rest of our lives. Rest in piece Paul. May you suffer no more. Dad, grandma, grandpa are waiting for you on the other side. #paulchoy1976-2017❤️
For those of you that are going to be quick to judge, please don't. He was a brother, son, grandson and uncle. We all make stupid decisions and life, and he died for his. This article painted it out like it was for hard core out of control teens. He was not hard core, he was just a 15 yo with no other juvenile delinquency history that made a mistake. This is a story that needs to be told. Paul's story. Please share so that the ones responsible can own up to what they have done. Thank you.
#sanfranciscojuvenilecenter
#RiteOfPassageShurzNevada
#SanFranciscoChronical
#JusticeForPaulChoy
People can say what they want and try to praise this camp but it was a giant f****** nightmare! I read someone's comments about him having to go to specials because he missed his runtime that was likely his third offense of the day and it is a real tragedy! I had a good friend get out right after me to the streets graduating from the third phase of the program which is a group home style environment, but the threat of regression to the desert is always there, after getting out and going home for one week he killed himself! I won't put his name here or respect for his family. This was in 91. The place was terrible I had a concussion one time and was told to take Ibuprofen! Ibuprofen was the go-to for any and all complaints! It was such a total joke that one year me and the friend I referred to were doing the newspaper leaflet where they allowed him to draw one of the illustrations being that he was a talented artist with tons of potential, the picture featured someone on a 3-mile run that had broken his leg completely off and the coach simply prescribed him ibuprofen! I can't tell you how many times I was sent to specials and the shity system of day losses you have to endure! By the way while you're in specials if you become non-compliant your ddt'd into the ground and held for a minimum of a half an hour in that restraint position! There was one kid in particular who received burns on his face and had his face guard because of the hot burning sand even though people were yelling to the so-called coaches to let him up they were assholes! F*** that place! Countless times I was told I was non-compliant for turning my head to the side or breathing out too loud when I was told to do 25 perfectly formed diamond push-ups flawlessly, if your non-compliant in specials you are sent to a platform out in the desert on a tiny Hill in your butt hugger underwear only to bake in the Sun and think about all you have done! Many of the coaching staff RX Recon Marines and so on and they loved to get some action with a youngster. There were a couple of cool staff members like Bobby Woods former gangster himself but that's all I'll say on that he saved me a couple of times from a dick head coach or two! That's all I care to write on here rest in peace to all who have been afflicted by that place. I would have much rather gone to Y.A. and did a 90-day observation then have to earn and lose days sometimes 50 at a time when the goal was practically to learn about 120 + days to graduate to the next phase.
DeleteI was there when it happened. PAUL wasn't even a hundred pounds.
ReplyDeleteThis is an open letter to The Right Of Passage in Schurz, Nevada and the probation officer at San Francisco juvenile center for my brother. Please help me with this letter to reach far and wide until the persons responsible read it.
DeletePAUL CHOY PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY. I want them all to have an update from that fateful day Feb 4, 1992.
http://www.nospank.net/n-b98.htm
To the persons who suffocated my brother and to the supervisor on that day, John Motley:
I remember this day very vividly. It was a very dark day on Feb 4, 1992. My brother a 15 yo, was sent to The Rite Of Passage in Shurz Nevada by San Francisco Juvenile Center on charges for something he didn't do. He took the wrap for a friend like most teenagers. At this point, he was ordered to go to this strenuous boot camp in light to getting his life back "on track". Instead, on Feb 4, 1992, they suffocated him. This sent him into a coma and left him brain dead for 25 years. This boot camp is situated in a desert on an Indian reservation in Shurz Nevada and might be still running operations in a different location. These juveniles are expected to run 5 miles and do strenuous workouts in the 100 degree heat. When he resisted, they restrained him until he suffocated. The training facility guidance coaches and crew, went unpunished. No time in jail.. No closing of the facility, NOTHING! My mom took care of him for 25 years. He lived his life as a vegetable with no brain function. He passed away yesterday at September 2, 2017 at 8:02 pm.
In this article, the crew supervisor has the nerve to say that they possibly saved his life by providing CPR. My brother screamed for you guys to get off him while he was in a choke hold and was suffocated until he foamed from thru the mouth. Not to mention that there was a possible sexual assault at the the same time. Everyone was ordered to keep quite and the kids were not allowed to be interviewed. Was there something to hide?Unfortunately, I found out later that he was not the first abuse case. He was then later taken by ambulance for 30 mins just to be airlifted to Washoe medical center in Reno which took another 15 mins. In the article enclosed, Mr. Motley said they saved his life. Let me enlighten you John Motley, Paul has lived his life a a vegetable with no brain function, so on the contrary, NO you did not save his life!! You have ruined it for him and our family. He's dead now.. Permanently.. Gone! Our family will need to pick up the pieces that you guys have broke. The system has down right utterly failed him and many other young juveniles at that facility. I hope this something you can live with. We've been living it for 25 years and for the rest of our lives. Rest in piece Paul. May you suffer no more. Dad, grandma, grandpa are waiting for you on the other side. #paulchoy1976-2017❤️
For those of you that are going to be quick to judge, please don't. He was a brother, son, grandson and uncle. We all make stupid decisions and life, and he died for his. This article painted it out like it was for hard core out of control teens. He was not hard core, he was just a 15 yo with no other juvenile delinquency history that made a mistake. This is a story that needs to be told. Paul's story. Please share so that the ones responsible can own up to what they have done. Thank you.
#sanfranciscojuvenilecenter
#RiteOfPassageShurzNevada
#SanFranciscoChronical
#JusticeForPaulChoy
rest in peace paul, evil presides in the most hideous places. those who molested and raped and killed kids may they pay dearly if they dont repent every sorry day of thier lives.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame. I simply can't believe that this was allowed to happen. God will get even with the assholes that did this to Paul.
ReplyDeleterest in peace
ReplyDeletethis case haunts me, rest in peace Paul Choy
ReplyDeleteI was in rights of passage at the desert camp in 1984 i was the main instigator of the riot that shut down the camp for a short time and landed me and five accomplices in a local jail just off the res. the place was a fuckbucket of physical emotional and sexual abuse. i remember two of the worst consolers Steve Zen and the staff of woe witch was what he called the stick he beat us with one of the many times I tried to run he intentionally ran me over with the front tire of his jeep and cracked my ribcage. and Chris bookie I'm not sure how he spells his name but he was a serious ass hat! I lost all control of my life after ROP i was in the desert camp for nearly two years and much of that was on what they called the none compliance program a twenty mile per day hike from camp to camp around reservation in sweltering heat and sand up your ankle of your combat boots one canteen of water a military surplus pack a sleeping bag and a tent I think I must of tried to run away about 50 times terrible things happened their and I hear their doing better than ever. that it's still allowed for California to send minors to a reservation to be abused is appalling i still carry the scars of that horrible experience the hard and even brutal lessons i learned at ROP have been present and a moving force in my life since I was sent by the Eldorado county education dept. because i had been kicked out of all the schools in my area i was thirteen in 1984 I was your basic teenager rebellious but I didn't deserve the abuse i endured. I'm looking for a place to talk with other survivors of ROP.
ReplyDeleteI am a survivor of ROP as well. I was there from February 93 until I escaped from the Q House in November 93. If any other surviors would like to talk, you can reach me at gmj0877@gmail.com
ReplyDelete