Archive | July 2016
31/07/2016  

465. Falcon Ridge Ranch

This treatment facility located outside Virgin in Utah accepts out of state teenagers. Imagine having to live thousand of miles from your friends and family. Imagine to live without getting visits from your parents just they just happen not to support the concept or religion of the place.

One teenager – now a woman – was the center of some newspaper articles. Once released she guided by her past took up a line of business which made the state trouble her, but were her other options when she was robbed of so much? It is safe to say that it could not be fun to be at this ranch as a teenager if you were in the same kind of situation.

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Update 2021

An employee were arrested charged with four counts of sexual battery and four counts of distributing harmful material to minors. The facility is also mentioned in an article where students report that they claims of abuse were ignored.

30/07/2016  

464. Darwin’s Don Dale youth detention centre

Of course the minors detained at the youth prison in Darwin are convicted of crimes. Crimes are punished. However the treatment seems to be based on the opinion that these young people cannot be changed and guided in the right direction. It says a lot about the employment politics used in this area. Because if you believe that employees with the right qualifications cannot change the youth, you do not hire qualified people.

The costs of this prison could be put on better use using community based punishment combined with programs aimed at the underprivileged. Instead the local government has chosen a path which will hardened these young boys to become career criminals unable to readapt to the society.

Beside the waste of money it is safe to say that it is not a fun place to be as a teenager.

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11/07/2016  

463. Australian Navy Cadets

A ritual mentioned as a rite of passage has brought the Australian Navy Cadets in the focus of the media. Several cadets mentions being forced to engage in sexual acts with older cadets as a “rite of passage”.

It seems that it was an old traditions which have continued until present day. Still active cadets were pressured not to speak about the rituals or risk being thrown out of the organization. One cadet took her own life after being victim of this pressure.

It cannot be fun to be there as a teenager.

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10/07/2016  

462. Nexus Glen Lake

This residential treatment facility ran into some problems in 2016. An investigation into a rape case resulted in discovery of missing background checks of employees hired. The facility which houses girls in need of help are a heaven for criminals with awful motives. The management did very little to protect the girls. At least a check into who they let guide the girls could mean a lot.

The state doesn’t seem to take this area seriously. The organization Nexus was only fined 400 dollars for not doing the background checks good enough.

It cannot be fun to be there as a teenager.

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