HOUSE PANEL URGES TOUGH LAWS ON KIDS BOOT CAMPS

Tales of Teens' Abuse, Deaths Strike Chord

Members of Congress from both parties reacted with outrage Wednesday
to wrenching testimony from parents of children who died in
residential programs for troubled teens, saying a federal law may be
needed to remedy a lack of oversight.

"I can't think of any testimony that we have heard in this committee
that has caused a greater sense of anger and sorrow," said Democrat
George Miller of California, chairman of the House Committee on
Education and Labor, moments after hearing three parents recount the
deaths of their teenagers in wilderness therapy programs designed to
help them.

Rep. Buck McKeon, the ranking Republican from California, said he does
not like to expand the role of the federal government, "but there are
some times when it has to happen."

Several states don't regulate private wilderness programs, boot camps
and therapeutic boarding schools, which enroll thousands of children
each year and have been the subject of what the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) called "widespread" allegations of abuse
and neglect. No law prevents operators who have been disciplined in
one state from setting up shop in another -- something investigators
say happens often.

Jan Moss, executive director of the National Association of
Therapeutic Schools and Programs, said the industry wants state
regulation. Her group represents 180 facilities that serve 16,000 children.

"Among our goals is the complete elimination of the abuses and
neglectful practices we have heard about today," she said.

The GAO on Wednesday presented the committee with the results of their
investigation into the industry. The congressional investigative
agency selected 10 deaths to examine in depth and found reckless
practices, inadequate training and misleading marketing. It also found
what Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa., called "horrific" examples of abuse.

"If you walked in partway through my presentation, you might have
assumed I was talking about human rights violations in a Third World
country," said Gregory Kutz, a GAO investigator.

Kutz said there is no comprehensive nationwide data on deaths and
injuries in residential treatment programs. The GAO identified 1,619
incidents of child abuse in such settings that were reported to the
Department of Health and Human Services in 2005, but reporting is
voluntary and not all states comply. Auditors found thousands of
allegations in lawsuits, websites and state records, he said.

"Examples of abuse include youth being forced to eat their own vomit,
denied adequate food, being forced to lie in urine or feces, being
kicked, beaten and thrown to the ground," Kutz said, adding that one
teen was reportedly "forced to use a toothbrush to clean a toilet,
then forced to use that toothbrush on their own teeth."

In several cases examined by the GAO, staff was untrained to detect
medical emergencies. "As a result, many of these kids died slowly
while program management and staff continued to believe that they were
faking it," Kutz said.

Kutz spoke forcefully, more in the manner of a prosecutor than a
government auditor. Among the slides he presented to lawmakers was the
grisly photo of a 15-year-old California girl who was left for 18
hours on a dirt road after collapsing from dehydration in 1990.

The three parents who testified -- Bob Bacon, Cynthia Harvey and Paul
Lewis -- each choked up as they told of sending their troubled
teenagers against their will into "tough love" wilderness programs.
Each warned parents to avoid such programs until government rules can
assure parents they are safe.

"His mother and I will never escape our decision to send our gifted
16-year-old son to his death," Bacon said, speaking of son Aaron, who
died from an untreated perforated ulcer after weeks of punishing
physical activity with very little food. "We were conned by their
fraudulent claims and will go to our graves regretting our
gullibility."