Cornelius Frederick - 2020

16-year-old Cornelius Frederick ended up at Lakeside Academy after his mother died in her sleep at age 32.

No other family members were able to take care of him. Instead of an upbringing in a caring family, he now had a future living in an institutionalized setting. Or rather no future because a conflict with the employees ended up with him being restrained. The incident which took more than 18 minutes can be seen in a video which is floating around the internet. You will not find the video on this blog because it is only a blog about remembering Cornelius Frederick as a person. A person who might had potential to do a lot of things with his life but so tragicly was robbed of us over such a little ting as a bowl of food.

Regardless of the outcome of the investigation which was launced after the death, it cannot bring him back.

His life was lost. 16 years was all he was granted on this earth.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• Video showing restraint of teen who later died in Kalamazoo sparks outrage, protest (Detroit News)
• Video shows fatal restraint of Cornelius Frederick, 16, in Michigan foster facility (NBC News)

Kenneth Barkley - 2014

15-year-old year old Kenneth Barkley died as result of a restraint attempt. The group home run by OhioGuidestone placed the employee responsible on leave but did little to provide new guidelines for when to attempt restraining the children placed at the home which potentially could place other children in harm in the future. The authorities ruled his death a homicide.

For the family of Kenneth Barkley the death was tragic and they suffered a terrible loss.

May the poor boy find peace where he is now.




Sources:

• Death of teen who was physically restrained at Berea group home ruled homicide (cleveland.com)
• Medical Examiner: Death of teen at Berea group home is a homicide (Cleveland 19 news)

Jeremiah Flemming - 2017

15 year old Jeremiah Flemming died as result of a restraint attempt conducted by the staff members at North Spring Behavioral Healthcare. That remains a fact.

All the other stuff is purely technical and legal. The courts did not find the employee responsible but still the boy died. we have to respect the courts and accept that what takes place in the legal system is not a question about justice but rather a kind of boxing match between lawyers like it was a soccer game.

In the end another fact that remains is that a mother lost her child. It was a terrible loss for her and we can only send our prayers to her.

May this poor boy find peace where he is now.





Sources:

• ‘He didn’t deserve the way he died’: Mother of teen restrained at behavioral health facility speaks out (The Washington Post)
• Employee acquitted in death of 15-year-old patient (WDVM news)

Janaia N Barnhart - 2016

15 year old Janaia N Barnhart died a rather violent death in 2016. Still the staff was able to escape criminal prosecution. The state took the license of Advoserv (now Bellwether Behavioral Health) under investigation but the world has been no raid and no member of the top management has been given the appropriate perb walk.

The world continues to be unfair and now a 15 year old girl was killed. At the time of her death, she became the third child to die in a Advoserv (now Bellwether Behavioral Health) facility. In this case the death takes place off camera. In an earlier case the tape was erased "by accident". It should have spoken for more investigation into what takes place in the many facilities run by Advoserv (now Bellwether Behavioral Health).

We can only send our prayers to the poor family left behind. May this poor girl find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• Camera Catches Shoving Match with Group Home Worker Before Teenager’s Heart Stopped (ProPublica)
• We Won't Let Janaia Die In Vain (Echo Awareness)
• Bellwether Behavioral Health Is Controversial Group Home Operator AdvoServ — With a New Name (Truthout)
• Md. teen who died days away from transfer from Delaware, attorney says (The Daily record)

Tanner Wilson - 2001

11-year-old Tanner Wilson died as result of a poorly executed attempt to restrain him. Instead of taking on the facility which had allowed employees to work there without proper training, the authorities tried to charge the employee. Unfortunately it enabled the possibility for additional deaths. Restraints should be avoided and when they are used a last option, they should only be used by employees who had received the proper level of education to ensure that the children are not hurt.

This was not the case in the death of Tanner Wilson.

He was not allowed to live out his life. His life was cut short at age only 11.

May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• The death of Tanner Wilson: "Someone dropped the ball. Our son died." (The Globe Gazette)
• Parents of son who died speak out (Iowa City Press-Citizen)
• Center's CEO insists Gerard of Iowa is blameless in Tanner Wilson's death (The Globe Gazette)
• Gerard case dismissed (The Globe Gazette)

Rochelle Clayborne - 1997

16-year-old Rochelle Clayborne died after being restrained at t Laurel Ridge Hospital. It is not clear whether the employees back then was informed about how to restrain a patient or they were trained at all.

The cause of death was blamed on an existing heart condition. It was before the boot camp case from Florida, which did show that the coroners office sometime take liberties regarding cause of death when it comes to protect staff at facilities from law suits.

It is not clear what beside the restraint itself caused her death.

It was a tragedy which could have been prevented. May she find rest and peace where she is now.

Sources:

• 29 kids in 2 1/2 years died in state's care-- 2 stopped breathing while restrained recently (Dallas Morning News - copy from Project Nospank)
• Police, state investigate after death of psychiatric patient (The Associated Press - Amarillo Globe News)

Robert Rollins - 1997

12-year-old Robert Rollins died because lessons were not learned from earlier deaths involving adults trying to restrain a child. Asphyxiation was the cause of death as so many times before. DCF placed him at the Devereaux School and lack of training among the employees meant that it became his death sentence.

If only DCF acted and made a consequence closing the school for the children in their care, but it seems that sadly nothing happened.

A child died and nothing happened!

We can only feel sorry for the family left behind and hope that he is at peace where he is now.

Sources:

• Lesson Not Taken From Fatality (The Hartford Courant)
• Another youth dead following 'restraint' (The Boston Globe)

Shaquan Allen - 2016

Only days before he was to leave for less restricted settings, 16 year old Shaquan Allen came into a conflict with two employees at the Lake Villa campus belonging to the Allendale Association. Poorly executed conflict resolution from the staff members resulted in the death of the boy. The police is conducting an investigation. Criminal charges have been brought forward. The court system will have to make a judgment on that.

But despite the outcome of the trial the family of the deceased boy dont get their boy back. It is unknown what brought Shaquan Allen to the facility but his death was not part of the purpose of his stay. It is a tragedy for his family.

May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• 'They Took My Baby's Life': 2 Charged in Death of Teen at Residential Treatment Center (NBC Chicago)
• Report criticizes state youth facility where teen died (Chicago Tribune)

Jamal Odum - 2003

The then 9-year-old Newport News boy was sent to a residential treatment center in South Carolina named New Hope when the staff for some unknown reason restrained him for 7 minutes which caused his death.

The tragic event was investigated by the police and 3 staff members were charged with homicide by child abuse.

What makes his death a disaster was the fact that it was known that placing the weight on his torso would risk killing him. Yet the staff members were not fully trained to restrain the children in a somewhat less dangerous way.

Lack of training are often a result of the management focusing on profit but this quest for money puts lives of children in danger, which this tragic death so clearly illustrate. It was far from the first case involving incidents at this facility but this turned deadly for the only 9-year-old boy.

May he find peace where he is now.


Sources:

• Tape Called Strong Evidence In Boy's Death (Daily Press)
• New Hope child died of 'asphyxiation' (Group State News)
• Deaths at residential teen programs (Residential Treatment Center Abuse)

LaTasha Bush - 2002

15-year-old LaTasha Bush was one of several teenagers who died at Daystar Residential Treatment Center. She was restrained by adults and as it so often happens when adults do this with little or poor training that child dies due to not being able to breath properly.

An investigation should have brought an end to the methods this place used but sadly more deaths were required before the politicians got the authorities to look at the methods used.

May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• TEEN DIES AT RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY (ABC 13 news)
• Closure of center for troubled kids follows years of woes (HOUSTON CHRONICLE)
• And it gets worse ... (Moral-highground blog)

Maria Mendoza - 2002

The type of restraint method used on 14-year-old Maria Mendoza has been shown to be deadly. It was known before she died but training of the employees were not good enough and that caused her untimely tragic death. The restraint was investigated and later ruled a homicide by the Harris County medical examiner's office.

The facility later changed their approach but it was too late for poor Maria.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• Girl's restraint death is ruled a homicide (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
• Krause: Common restraint used on girl who suffocated (Your Houston News))

Bobby Sue Thomas - 1996

To restain someone while they are lying on their stomach can result in their death. This is known and accepted today. It was also known in 1996 but there was no training of employees how to do it otherwise.

It resulted in the death of Bobby Sue Thomas after the employees decided to restrain her due to some kind of conflict between them and the girl.

Her life was cut short due to lack of proper training. Tragic for both her and the family she left behind.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• The silent death of americas children (Citizens Commission on Human Rights International)
• Child protection? (U.S. Politics Online Forum Archives)
• Northwood Children's Home and Miller Dwan (Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora )

Thomas B Mapes - 1994

It is not known why this 17 year old boy was sent to this facility. However due to "trauma to the neck" he didn't leave it. He died due to the actions of the guards. The state decided not to get their hands dirty anymore and let private firms run it instead. It led to chaos and sexual misconduct against some of the boys there.

Nothing was learned by his tragic death. In fact everybody wrote off responsability and settle with sending some money to his family who lost a son.

It seems unfair for the system to ignore struggling teenagers but it is like the state of Kansas seems to operate.

May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• Parents to get $185,000 for son's death at YCAT (CJ Online archive)
• Youth detention center in 'chaos' (CJ Online)

Shinaul McGraw - 1994

12 year old Shinaul McGraw basically cooked to death. On a hot day the employees wrapped him in blankets. He was Shinaul suffering from Cornelia de Lange syndrome and hardly had any language.

So we was not able to tell the employees how hot he felt. The employees should have monitored him. Instead they just let him to die slowly.

It is not clear what the outcome of the investigation became. However it is clear that some kind of adjustment of the treatment approach should have been implemented. 12 years were all he was given. It was too short a time for any child.

May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• Disabled Boy May Have Died Of Heatstroke -- Independent Investigations Continue (Seattle Times)
• Questions surround death of boy. (Seattle Times)

Laura Hanson - 1998

The 17 year old Laura Hanson choked to her death.

After Hanson got into a fight with her roommate, two employees at a West Palm Beach mental health center entered her room and placed her in a hold. Within 10 minutes, she was limp and unconscious. That evening, she was dead.

Her deaths was one of two deaths at the same center.

It remains unclear based on the articles whether some were held responsible for her death. Restraints back in the late 1999's claimed the lives of many teenagers. All she suffered from was Schizophrenia and it became a deadly illness due to poor instructions, lack of oversight and legislation. It was a real tragedy.

May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• Use Of Restraints Can Turn Deadly (SunSentinel)
• Legislators Take Aim At Restraint (Hartford Currant)

Mark Soares - 1998

When 16 year old Mark Soares according to staff was acting out they restrained him manually. He told them he couldn't breathe but they didn't listen. When he became unreponsive it was too late. He had been held in a headlock which had damaged an artery.

In inquest was held but the instructions to the staff was so weak so they hadn't voilated any protocol. The facility has used a lot of time to prevent new deaths and have revised their protocols.

Unfortunately it was too late for Mark Soares.

May he rest in peace.



Sources:

• DA office probe to determine if criminal conduct involved. (Boston Herald)
• Lessons Unheeded, Lives Lost (Hartford Currant)

Dustin E. Phelps - 1998

14 year old Dustin E. Phelps died when the owner of a Lancaster Foster Home strapped him into a blanket and a mattress held together with straps. He was left unattended for 4 hours.

It remains unclear if there ever was an investigation into this tragedy or the system just forgot him.

14 years is not alot to be allowed to live.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN (Presented to the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Los Angeles, 13 November, 2002)
• Children in treatment

Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie - 2000

The life of 12 year old Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie was cut short when a counselor weighing more than 300 pounds sat down on him to calm him down. The poor boy suffocated dying a death so horrible that it is almost impossible to imaging.

The counselor who crushed the boy to death was not charged because the state of Florida at that time allowed this kind of dangerous restraint.

For the mother the loss of one of her sons destroyed her life. Tragedy followed when newspapers reported that she had ended the lives of both herself and another son.

Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie was not supposed to go to this camp but because someone in the system made a terrible error he ended up in this wilderness program which clearly was not suited to meet his needs. Furthermore the medication which aided him to control outburst as result of his illness was taken from him not because he had improved his condition but simply because it was the policy of the camp not to medicate boys like him.

He was failed on so many levels during life that it is hard to find a way to describe it. It sounds almost as the easy way out for the system was to kill him before he cost the society more money.

It was a triple tragedy.

May he find peace where he is now.



Sources:

• Remembering Michael Wiltsie (Teen Advocate USA)
• Mom 'never the same' after child's death (Ocala Star Banner)
• Victims 2000 - 2004 (Fornits Wiki)

Sabrina E. Day - 2000

15 year old Sabrina Elizabeth Day died at the My Brothers House Residential group home. Three employees tried to restrain her and she hit her head during the process causing her to die.

Her mother lost her child and she was quoted

"I’m mad, upset, hurt…All I wanted was help for her and now she’s dead."

To comfort a mother based on the fact that incompetence caused the loss of her daughter is impossible.

Poor Sabrina Elizabeth Day got too short a time in this life.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• CRIES OF ANGUISH - A Summary of Reports of Restraints & Seclusion Abuse Received Since the October 1998 Investigation by The Hartford Courant (National Alliance of Mental Illness)
• Victims 2000 - 2004 (Fornits Wiki)

Michael Keith Owens - 2010

16 year old Michael was restrained by the employees at Daystar Residential, Inc. in Texas. It was a common procedure. He died during the process. A death was also a common incident at exactly this facility because the facility had seen the deaths of Dawn Perry, Stephanie Duffield and LaTasha Bush had lost their lives at the facility years before.

But unlike the previous death he death made the difference for the authorities. They intervened and closed the facility down.

Why it should take that long and end the lives of 4 teenagers is difficult to understand but at least a fifth family was spared of the tragedy of losing their beloved child.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• Teen's death puts Daystar facility under scrutiny — again (Houston Chronicle)
• Victims (Fornits Wiki)