Jason Tallman - 1993

Jason Tallman was only 12 years old when he was sent to Kid's Peace against the wishes of the family. He had hoped for a school where he could have continued to live at home.

He arrived at the facility May 11. May 12 he was death.

The cause of death was a failed restraint attempt. 85-pound boy ran out of air when two adult employees grabbed him and held him down on the floor.

Only one of the employees were prosecuted but no justice was found.

The system was not cut out for a small boy like Jason suffering from the illness he struggled with. The facility was his death sentence and the family could only watch and learn how their son was crushed.

Kidspace continued to be in operation claiming more lives.

May poor Jason find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• Jason’s Story (By Rick Tallman)
• The Tallman Story : Death and the High Cost of Kidspeace
• Victims - 1990s (Fornits Wiki)

Dawn Renay Perry - 1993

16 year old Dawn Renay Perry was unfortunately not the last teenager to die while the employees tried to restrain her, but her death resulted in new legislation regarding the use of restraints.

However as tough as the legislation sounded, it didn't influence the number of teenager who died as result of failed restraints.

The specific treatment facility - known back then as Behavior Training Research closed 1998, but in the state of Texas alone additional 3 teenagers died before 2010.

The politicians had the interest of girls like Miss Perry in their hearts when the proposed the new legislation but frankly they had no idea of what they were dealing with. We can only pray that they will realize it at some point and impose legislation which can save lives.

They owe Miss Perry that. She didn't deserve her faith.

May she rest in peace.

Sources:

• Victims in 1990s (Fornits Wiki)
• TEXAS LACKS TOUGH LAW ON PRONE RESTRAINT THAT'S BANNED IN THREE STATES (The Statesman, May 18, 2003)
• Ruling In Treatment Center Death Could Affect Other Investigations (The Victoria Advocate - July 5, 2002)

Dawn Marie Birnbaum - 1993

Dawn Marie Birnbaum was labeled as a troubled girl. She had entered the system and was a ward of the state. Whenever the social services become a part of a story it will of course to some degree become a tragedy. It is not only something you see in the United States. It is the same in every country.

She was sent to Elan School. It was not a place for minors. Many teenagers took terrible beatings in the so-called therapeutic boxing ring.

Of course some tried to escape and with a history of many escapes the employees should have taken into consideration that she would try to escape yet another time and she did when she had the chance.

Unfortunately she met a murderer while she was trying to travel back home and it became her death.

17 years and brutally removed from this world.

It is not to believe but sadly it is the fact.

Elan School closed years later but not a minute too soon.

Sources:

• Dawn Marie Birnbaum memorial
• Victims - 1990s (Fornits Wiki)
• A Stranger in Town - The FBI files (Internet Movice Database)

Casey Collier - 1993

A rather unknown restraint system called "the Illinois system" claimed the life of 17 year old Casey Collier. Nothing have been heard about this specific system before or after he died, which could indicate that it was invented for this incident as excuse and false documentation, so the six employee who held him down to the floor could justify what was basically murder.

We don't know for how he struggled realizing that he was about to die due to the fact that he could breathe as the employees were on the top of him.

Cleo Wallace Center/Devereux got their employees off based on this self-invented system. It is not fair for either Casey Collier or for the family he left behind. He should have been given some justice. It shouldn't been free to kill children like him.

May he rest in peace!

Source:

• The Truth About Prone Restraint
• Mother says negligence caused her son's death (By Jeffrey A. Roberts, Denver Post Staff Writer, June 10, 1994)