Susan Oldham's story, 2004
Carolina Springs Academy
For profit teenage treatment facilities have only come into my world in the last year. I came upon Carolina Springs Academy on the internet. Kami Farnsworth (child of the former president of WWASP) told me wonderful things about the facility. Little did I know the shame, humiliation, and fear for her own well being my daughter would soon feel.
Shortly after my ex-husband took my daughter to Carolina Springs Academy, I began to receive disturbing letters from my child. Our “family rep” told they were all lies. I began to have trepidations about her incarceration there. My fears were met with “canned” responses repeated again and again.
I decided that this place was terrorizing my daughter This caused an avalanche of “well wishing” program parents telling my ex- husband to keep her at Carolina Springs Academy at all costs. I became scared. I knew that they sent kids to Tranquility Bay in Jamaica.
I searched the internet and discovered that the place was a “Devil’s Island” for kids. I heard horror stories of children being sent to this place, and others like it without the consent of the custodial parent. My ex-husband told me not to go to Carolina Springs Academy without letting him know. I knew I had to get my child out as soon as possible.
The next phase of this story begins in South Carolina. The directions on the internet are false. When I called the facility, they refused to tell me how to get there, and then blocked my calls. I finally found a sheriff after 8 hours on the road, and 4 hours of searching for my daughter in small towns and swamps. He then called a deputy.
The deputy refused to take me to the facility. According to him, he liked the place and it was too late in the evening. The deputy even stated that if I went to Carolina Springs Academy, he would arrest me.
The Sheriff told me I did not have custody of my daughter anymore. I showed him my court ordered, notarized custody agreement and said “Why not?”
The Sheriff replied that I had signed all of my rights over to Carolina Springs Academy. I informed the Sheriff that not only had I NOT signed over my rights, I had only agreed to a 3 month program and it had been 3 and a half months.
He then asked me if my daughter was a “crack head,” and told me how much he liked the school. I was forced to stay the night in a hotel without my child.
In the morning, I went to the police again. After disappearing for ten minutes, a different officer was willing to help me.
I truly believe that if I had told the staff members at Carolina Springs Academy of my plans to withdraw my child, she would have been sent to another facility.
I will never forget the look in my daughter’s eyes when I held her in my arms.
I had a cold soda and some comfort food waiting in the car. She was drinking the soda as her “family rep” came by. My daughter ducked down and hid, afraid to be seen with a soda. I said, “Honey, you are with Mom now. It’s alright.”
With fear in her voice, my child said, “Mom, you don’t understand. I’m used to being screamed at all day.”
By the way, Allison says that the Governor visits on a monthly basis. He also has them sing at his rallies. He provides scholarships to SCA “graduates. I can only testify to what I have seen. My daughter has heard and seen unspeakable atrocities. She still has nightmares. You will have to hear about what she witnessed from her.
Post Script 12/28/04 NO CHILD should be subjected to what my daughter went though. These FOR PROFIT “treatment centers “ are nothing but legalized child abuse centers.
Susan Oldham
Sources:
http://www.caica.org/STORIES%20Parents%20Oldham.htm
For profit teenage treatment facilities have only come into my world in the last year. I came upon Carolina Springs Academy on the internet. Kami Farnsworth (child of the former president of WWASP) told me wonderful things about the facility. Little did I know the shame, humiliation, and fear for her own well being my daughter would soon feel.
Shortly after my ex-husband took my daughter to Carolina Springs Academy, I began to receive disturbing letters from my child. Our “family rep” told they were all lies. I began to have trepidations about her incarceration there. My fears were met with “canned” responses repeated again and again.
I decided that this place was terrorizing my daughter This caused an avalanche of “well wishing” program parents telling my ex- husband to keep her at Carolina Springs Academy at all costs. I became scared. I knew that they sent kids to Tranquility Bay in Jamaica.
I searched the internet and discovered that the place was a “Devil’s Island” for kids. I heard horror stories of children being sent to this place, and others like it without the consent of the custodial parent. My ex-husband told me not to go to Carolina Springs Academy without letting him know. I knew I had to get my child out as soon as possible.
The next phase of this story begins in South Carolina. The directions on the internet are false. When I called the facility, they refused to tell me how to get there, and then blocked my calls. I finally found a sheriff after 8 hours on the road, and 4 hours of searching for my daughter in small towns and swamps. He then called a deputy.
The deputy refused to take me to the facility. According to him, he liked the place and it was too late in the evening. The deputy even stated that if I went to Carolina Springs Academy, he would arrest me.
The Sheriff told me I did not have custody of my daughter anymore. I showed him my court ordered, notarized custody agreement and said “Why not?”
The Sheriff replied that I had signed all of my rights over to Carolina Springs Academy. I informed the Sheriff that not only had I NOT signed over my rights, I had only agreed to a 3 month program and it had been 3 and a half months.
He then asked me if my daughter was a “crack head,” and told me how much he liked the school. I was forced to stay the night in a hotel without my child.
In the morning, I went to the police again. After disappearing for ten minutes, a different officer was willing to help me.
I truly believe that if I had told the staff members at Carolina Springs Academy of my plans to withdraw my child, she would have been sent to another facility.
I will never forget the look in my daughter’s eyes when I held her in my arms.
I had a cold soda and some comfort food waiting in the car. She was drinking the soda as her “family rep” came by. My daughter ducked down and hid, afraid to be seen with a soda. I said, “Honey, you are with Mom now. It’s alright.”
With fear in her voice, my child said, “Mom, you don’t understand. I’m used to being screamed at all day.”
By the way, Allison says that the Governor visits on a monthly basis. He also has them sing at his rallies. He provides scholarships to SCA “graduates. I can only testify to what I have seen. My daughter has heard and seen unspeakable atrocities. She still has nightmares. You will have to hear about what she witnessed from her.
Post Script 12/28/04 NO CHILD should be subjected to what my daughter went though. These FOR PROFIT “treatment centers “ are nothing but legalized child abuse centers.
Susan Oldham
Sources:
http://www.caica.org/STORIES%20Parents%20Oldham.htm