Sadistic Bootcamps Booted
Fla. Lawmakers Agree to Close Boot Camps
Florida lawmakers agreed Wednesday to shut down the state's juvenile boot camps after the death of a 14-year-old boy who had been kicked and punched by guards.
The move, agreed to by House and Senate negotiators, is part of a state budget agreement that still requires both chambers' approval.
Under the deal, Florida's four remaining boot camps would be replaced with a new, less militaristic program. The state would pump an additional $32.6 million into juvenile justice programs, increasing total spending to $699.5 million.
"Unfortunately it has taken the death of a young man to get to this point," said Republican Rep. Gus Barreiro, chairman of the House Juvenile Justice Appropriations Committee.
The move was prompted by the death Jan. 6 of Martin Lee Anderson, who was roughed up in a videotaped scuffle at a Panama City boot camp. The camp was shut down after the boy's death, which remains under investigation and has drawn protests from civil rights leaders.
"Now there won't be any more children being abused while in the custody of the state," said attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Anderson's parents in a lawsuit against the state and the sheriff's office that ran the camp. "It is something good to have a legacy knowing that his death wasn't in vain."
Florida had nine juvenile boot camps at the height of the program but is now down to four, with about 130 offenders in all. The teenagers are sent there for mid-level crimes such as burglary and drugs, and usually stay for four to six months.
Guards operate like drill sergeants, typically waking up the teenagers at 5 a.m. for calisthenics, yelling in their faces, and using push-ups and running as punishment for breaking the rules.
Gov. Jeb Bush, who had been a strong supporter of the boot camps, has said he supports the new measures, which would take effect July 1.
The new juvenile programs, like the boot camps, would be run by sheriffs, but they would be closely monitored by the state. The programs would emphasize self-esteem and prohibit physical intervention between guards and youngsters. Under the old system, guards were legally allowed to physically intervene for disciplinary purposes.
A medical examiner concluded Anderson died of natural causes — a blood disorder. But the boy's family and others disputed that, and the body was exhumed for a second autopsy. The results have not been released, but the office of a special prosecutor has said Anderson did not die of natural causes.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 9:07 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By BRENT KALLESTAD
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)
Florida lawmakers agreed Wednesday to shut down the state's juvenile boot camps after the death of a 14-year-old boy who had been kicked and punched by guards.
The move, agreed to by House and Senate negotiators, is part of a state budget agreement that still requires both chambers' approval.
Under the deal, Florida's four remaining boot camps would be replaced with a new, less militaristic program. The state would pump an additional $32.6 million into juvenile justice programs, increasing total spending to $699.5 million.
"Unfortunately it has taken the death of a young man to get to this point," said Republican Rep. Gus Barreiro, chairman of the House Juvenile Justice Appropriations Committee.
The move was prompted by the death Jan. 6 of Martin Lee Anderson, who was roughed up in a videotaped scuffle at a Panama City boot camp. The camp was shut down after the boy's death, which remains under investigation and has drawn protests from civil rights leaders.
"Now there won't be any more children being abused while in the custody of the state," said attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Anderson's parents in a lawsuit against the state and the sheriff's office that ran the camp. "It is something good to have a legacy knowing that his death wasn't in vain."
Florida had nine juvenile boot camps at the height of the program but is now down to four, with about 130 offenders in all. The teenagers are sent there for mid-level crimes such as burglary and drugs, and usually stay for four to six months.
Guards operate like drill sergeants, typically waking up the teenagers at 5 a.m. for calisthenics, yelling in their faces, and using push-ups and running as punishment for breaking the rules.
Gov. Jeb Bush, who had been a strong supporter of the boot camps, has said he supports the new measures, which would take effect July 1.
The new juvenile programs, like the boot camps, would be run by sheriffs, but they would be closely monitored by the state. The programs would emphasize self-esteem and prohibit physical intervention between guards and youngsters. Under the old system, guards were legally allowed to physically intervene for disciplinary purposes.
A medical examiner concluded Anderson died of natural causes — a blood disorder. But the boy's family and others disputed that, and the body was exhumed for a second autopsy. The results have not been released, but the office of a special prosecutor has said Anderson did not die of natural causes.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 9:07 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By BRENT KALLESTAD
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)
posted by R7 at 4:31 AM
1 Comments:
Autopsy Ties Boy's Death to Boot Camp
By CHRISTINE JORDAN SEXTON
Published: May 6, 2006
Martin Lee Anderson, a 14-year-old boy who died in January a day after entering a boot camp in northwest Florida, died from suffocation and not sickle cell trait, a new autopsy released yesterday concluded.
The initial medical examiner in Bay County contended that the boy had died from the rare condition of sickle cell trait despite a video that showed guards at the boot camp beating him. But State Attorney Mark Ober, who was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate Martin's death, ordered a new autopsy.
Mr. Ober released the autopsy results, but did not make any arrests yesterday and said in a statement that he had no "timeline" for completing the investigation.
At a press conference in Tallahassee the boy's parents, Gina Jones and Robert Anderson, and their lawyer, Ben Crump, thanked Governor Bush, Mr. Ober and the Hillsborough County medical examiner, Vernard I. Adams, a medical doctor who conducted the second autopsy.
"The truth is out," Ms. Jones said. "We all knew how Martin passed away so I am relieved and happy today. It's a beginning. Justice needs to be served."
Dr. Adams concluded that the beating on Jan. 5 by boot camp guards left bruises but did not directly cause Martin's death. Guards punched and choked the boy after he said he was unable to finish running laps. The beating was captured on tape.
"Martin Anderson's death was caused by suffocation due to actions of the guards at the boot camp," Dr. Adams said in a release.
He added, "The suffocation was caused by manual occlusion of the mouth, in concert with the forced inhalation of ammonia fumes that cause spasms of the vocal cords, resulting in internal blockage of the upper airway."
Dr. Adams consulted with several pathologists as well as a pediatric critical-care specialist and a pediatric hematologist. He also asked NASA to improve the quality of the videotape, and it reduced glare and inserted a digital clock.
While the parents were satisfied with the release of the second autopsy, members of the Florida Black Legislative Caucus expressed anger that no arrests had been made.
"If the guards caused his death, then they need to be arrested immediately," said State Senator Frederica A. Wilson, a Democrat from Miami, who added, "We can't accept that."
The death has sparked protests and was partly to blame for the sudden resignation of one of Florida's top law-enforcement officials. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement executive director, Guy Tunnell, resigned after the discovery that he had sent e-mail messages to the Bay County sheriff discussing the continuing investigation into the death. After the discovery, Mr. Ober removed Mr. Tunnell's agency from any role in the investigation.
Governor Bush appointed Mr. Ober after criticism of the initial autopsy done by the Bay County medical examiner, Dr. Charles Siebert. It concluded that Martin died from complications of sickle cell trait.
Dr. Siebert said yesterday that he stood by the findings of his autopsy.
"I am still sticking to my findings at this point, since I don't have any proof of his findings, said Dr. Siebert, who added that he had ruled out suffocation as a cause of the boy's death based on hospital reports that, Dr. Siebert said, indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood were low.
Dr. Siebert said that there was an "automatic" assumption that Dr. Adams's results were correct and that "is very premature at this point." He also said he expected the Florida Medical Examiners Commission to assemble a probable-cause panel to review if there was any wrongdoing and whether his licenses should be revoked.
"I don't see a way of avoiding it," Dr. Siebert said.
Mr. Bush said in a release that he considered the actions of the Bay County boot camp guards "deplorable" and that he was committed to providing any resources Mr. Ober might need to complete the investigation "as quickly as possible."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/06/us/06bootcamp.html?th&emc=th
Post a Comment
<< Home