RETALIATION BY CYA STAFF" - "Please Read AND Forward Widely

They are putting the children in solitary confinement, retaliating against the parents who stand up and speak out in defense of the youth locked up.

As I'm sure you all know, solitary confinement is difficult enough for an adult to deal with, too many adults suffer mental illness for the rest of their lives as a result of solitary confinement in the prisons.

The system in on the attack against the people. Those of us who can, we need to oppose this torture, we need to defend our youth who cannot defend themselves, especially when they are locked up.

I know I have been sending out way too many email messages, but we are in crisis. Please not only read and forward this email, do something. If you can, write, or call or fax, in protest and in knowledge that this is wrong and it has to stop!

in solidarity,
donna

Forwarded from Laura Talkington:

From: laura at caswellbell.com
Subject: Fwd: "Very Important - RETALIATION BY CYA STAFF" - "Please Read AND Forward Widely"
Date: July 19, 2005 4:59:18 PM PDT

Ms. Garcia this email is being forwarded nationwide.


Yesterday my husband called CHAD and spoke to a staff in smith living unit named Calvin Massy. According to Mr. Massey David was fine and he was having no problems. Yesterday, Monday, July 18, 2005 an article came out in the Stockton Recorder - Local News - State: No interviews with ward
To view the contents on RecordNet.com, go to: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005507180304


Now today my son has been put into "KERN LOCKUP". This is RETALIATION plain and simple. I called the facility and no one including the acting superintendent, Eric Umeda, would tell me why. In fact he said "I don't have to tell you why." I called the Kern living unit and got the same response from Mr. Laguna. I called the directors office and spoke to Sylvia Garcia. She wanted to know, "What is it that I wanted" I told her I want to talk to my son to make sure he is ok. I told her I do not believe anything that CHAD staff tells me because I do not trust them. I also told her that this is retaliation due to my husbands letter to the Inspector General and the article that was in the Stockton Record yesterday. Ms. Garcia made it a point to inform me that all of my complaints have been handled and have been unfounded. So according to Ms. Garcia, I guess I can assume that my son and I are the only ones that have not been subjected to the CYA abuse. I guess that the grievances that I have forwarded to the CYA officials on behalf of other kids are also unfounded. And I guess that would also include the DDMS and time add, for an alleged tampered urine sample, that I helped a young man on Tolumne living unit get dropped because staff, among other things, provided false information in the behavioral report and I was able to prove it was false with the help of a professional toxicologist. Also Ms Garcia informed me that she is the one who put all the kids in CHAD on administrative lock down. Ms. Garcia you can deny it all you want, but the facts are clear, you are violating the U.S. Constitution besides the laws of the State of California. Ms. Garcia you can live in your little denial would all you want but the public, CYA own experts and numerous advocacy groups and us parents know what really going on behind the CYA walls. CYA is nothing more than a breeding ground for child abusive staff. Ms. Garcia you are now on notice, if any additional harm is done to my son by anyone I am holding you personally responsible.

Oh! And just so you know, after we ended our telephone conversation I was contacted by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding my husband's letter of complaint to the Inspector General.