TW/CW: legal & medical institutional child abuse, restraint & seclusion of children, surveillance/filming
"At the Wood Street Centre in Truro, kids in the province's care are physically restrained by staff - "
prenternet.tumblr.com/post/626289235…
"At the Wood Street Centre in Truro, kids in the province's care are physically restrained by staff - "
prenternet.tumblr.com/post/626289235…
Wood Street Centre in Truro, kids...
"sometimes stripped of their clothes - and locked in solitary confinement for up to 12 hours at a time."
"sometimes stripped of their clothes - and locked in solitary confinement for up to 12 hours at a time."
Wood Street Centre in Truro, kids...
"With no toilet in the room, kids are left with no option but to go to the bathroom on the floor. After they are let out, some have been told to clean it up."
"With no toilet in the room, kids are left with no option but to go to the bathroom on the floor. After they are let out, some have been told to clean it up."
Wood Street Centre in Truro,
"Former residents describe their stays at the Wood Street Centre as horrific, traumatic, isolating and worse than juvenile prison."
"Former residents describe their stays at the Wood Street Centre as horrific, traumatic, isolating and worse than juvenile prison."
Wood Street Centre in Truro,
"also formerly employed Matthew Rhodenizer, the youth worker charged in 2018 with the sexual exploitation of one of the kids he was supposed to be caring for."
"also formerly employed Matthew Rhodenizer, the youth worker charged in 2018 with the sexual exploitation of one of the kids he was supposed to be caring for."
Wood Street Centre in Truro, kids...
"not locked up for committing crimes or for suffering from a mental health issue. They're confined under the third circumstance in which one's freedom can be taken away in Nova Scotia - being children...."
"not locked up for committing crimes or for suffering from a mental health issue. They're confined under the third circumstance in which one's freedom can be taken away in Nova Scotia - being children...."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"confined..children in the care of the province's Department of Community Services or Mi'kmaw Family and Children's Services, and deemed to have an emotional or behavioural disorder that requires confinement.
No formal medical diagnosis is required."
"confined..children in the care of the province's Department of Community Services or Mi'kmaw Family and Children's Services, and deemed to have an emotional or behavioural disorder that requires confinement.
No formal medical diagnosis is required."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""I consider Wood Street torture," one former resident tells me."
""I consider Wood Street torture," one former resident tells me."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Another remembers the time he was dragged down the hall by his hair. Grabbed by his afro and locked inside a so-called therapeutic quiet room"
"Another remembers the time he was dragged down the hall by his hair. Grabbed by his afro and locked inside a so-called therapeutic quiet room"
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""How is it therapeutic if people are smashing themselves and frigging getting suicidal from being in there?""
""How is it therapeutic if people are smashing themselves and frigging getting suicidal from being in there?""
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"...former residents say children are sometimes left naked in isolation, while being filmed on a security camera."
"...former residents say children are sometimes left naked in isolation, while being filmed on a security camera."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Former residents say they are kept isolated in their rooms for speaking to each other without a staff member present, an infraction known as a "private conversation". If residents leave their rooms without asking...."
"Former residents say they are kept isolated in their rooms for speaking to each other without a staff member present, an infraction known as a "private conversation". If residents leave their rooms without asking...."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"...even to go to the bathroom - they could be locked up in isolation or kept in their rooms for up to a week, a former resident says."
"...even to go to the bathroom - they could be locked up in isolation or kept in their rooms for up to a week, a former resident says."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Your stay can be renewed for something as simple as having a private conversation, talking back to staff or skipping 'school'."
"Your stay can be renewed for something as simple as having a private conversation, talking back to staff or skipping 'school'."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Not incidentally, one former resident says she was told her education at Wood Street would count toward her high school credits. But that's not the case, as she later discovered."
"Not incidentally, one former resident says she was told her education at Wood Street would count toward her high school credits. But that's not the case, as she later discovered."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"The provincial ombudsman's office says it received 331 complaints from residents over three years, predominantly reporting issues with staff, policy and education. 15 of those complaints were related to being restrained and solitary confinement."
"The provincial ombudsman's office says it received 331 complaints from residents over three years, predominantly reporting issues with staff, policy and education. 15 of those complaints were related to being restrained and solitary confinement."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Over the same time period, 379 children went through the facility."
"Over the same time period, 379 children went through the facility."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"The ombudsman's office doesn't make the nature of outcome of those complaints public."
"The ombudsman's office doesn't make the nature of outcome of those complaints public."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Without independent oversight from a child and youth advocate in Nova Scotia, children in the system who face violence or ill-treatment inside institutions are left with little recourse, experts say."
"Without independent oversight from a child and youth advocate in Nova Scotia, children in the system who face violence or ill-treatment inside institutions are left with little recourse, experts say."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Since the facility opened in 2003,
1,592 children have been locked inside."
"Since the facility opened in 2003,
1,592 children have been locked inside."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"A 2007 N.S. Court of Appeals decision hones in one of the more controversial parts of the legislation. How precisely does "troubling behaviour" - with evidence of truancy and staying out late at night - translate into ..."
"A 2007 N.S. Court of Appeals decision hones in one of the more controversial parts of the legislation. How precisely does "troubling behaviour" - with evidence of truancy and staying out late at night - translate into ..."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"...an "emotional or behavioural disorder" that requires a secure treatment order for Wood Street?"
In this particular case, the judges found the evidence didn't support the order."
"...an "emotional or behavioural disorder" that requires a secure treatment order for Wood Street?"
In this particular case, the judges found the evidence didn't support the order."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"But as a practical matter, by the time an appeal can be heard, kids will likely have already spent significant time in the facility."
"But as a practical matter, by the time an appeal can be heard, kids will likely have already spent significant time in the facility."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Speaking on condition of anonymity - the DOJ isn't a big fan of N.S. Legal Aid lawyers criticizing their work, as it turns out - he tells me that the legislation is both too broad and too narrow."
"Speaking on condition of anonymity - the DOJ isn't a big fan of N.S. Legal Aid lawyers criticizing their work, as it turns out - he tells me that the legislation is both too broad and too narrow."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""Too narrow in that it offers a service that supposedly is valuable but it's only available to youth in care," he says."
""Too narrow in that it offers a service that supposedly is valuable but it's only available to youth in care," he says."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""Either it's a good thing that's being denied to the majority of youth or it's a bad thing that's being imposed on a minority.""
""Either it's a good thing that's being denied to the majority of youth or it's a bad thing that's being imposed on a minority.""
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"With issues like truancy, broken curfews and refusals to take medication presented in court as evidence of behavioural disorders, one former resident argues that kids are being thrown in there for "stuff that normal teenagers do.""
"With issues like truancy, broken curfews and refusals to take medication presented in court as evidence of behavioural disorders, one former resident argues that kids are being thrown in there for "stuff that normal teenagers do.""
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Staying at Wood Centre sucks, but the physical process of travelling there can be pretty awful, too."
"Staying at Wood Centre sucks, but the physical process of travelling there can be pretty awful, too."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"In a 2016 Family Court decision, Chief Justice Lawrence O'Neil wrote that detained children are transported between courts and Wood Street in "draconian ways" - handcuffed and imprisoned at police facilities."
"In a 2016 Family Court decision, Chief Justice Lawrence O'Neil wrote that detained children are transported between courts and Wood Street in "draconian ways" - handcuffed and imprisoned at police facilities."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"O'Neil said the court heard "disturbing evidence" of the conditions a child with autism was subjected to while being taken into the province's custody."
"O'Neil said the court heard "disturbing evidence" of the conditions a child with autism was subjected to while being taken into the province's custody."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""Transporting a vulnerable child as if he is a violent offender, is a serious issue that should be addressed," wrote O'Neil."
""Transporting a vulnerable child as if he is a violent offender, is a serious issue that should be addressed," wrote O'Neil."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"The "apparent acceptance" of this protocol forced [Chief Justice] O'Neil to question who oversees the decisions and quality care provided by the minister charged with the care of children, he wrote."
"The "apparent acceptance" of this protocol forced [Chief Justice] O'Neil to question who oversees the decisions and quality care provided by the minister charged with the care of children, he wrote."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""Perhaps it is time for a child's advocate, independent of the government authorities, to be charged with responsibility to advocate for children in care," wrote [Chief Justice] O'Neil."
""Perhaps it is time for a child's advocate, independent of the government authorities, to be charged with responsibility to advocate for children in care," wrote [Chief Justice] O'Neil."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"Without a watchdog, who could publicly report issues, children in the province are left without a voice on the programming and policies that impact them says Alec Stratford, the executive director of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers."
"Without a watchdog, who could publicly report issues, children in the province are left without a voice on the programming and policies that impact them says Alec Stratford, the executive director of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
"The ombudsman's office doesn't have the mandate to do systemic and policy advocacy, he says."
"The ombudsman's office doesn't have the mandate to do systemic and policy advocacy, he says."
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""It's meant to be a treatment centre. I've had folks describe it more of a prison setting.""
""It's meant to be a treatment centre. I've had folks describe it more of a prison setting.""
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""Political parties, when they're in opposition, love the idea of a child and youth advocate's office, but when they get into power they certainly shy away from it. Because at the end of the day it's oversight.""
""Political parties, when they're in opposition, love the idea of a child and youth advocate's office, but when they get into power they certainly shy away from it. Because at the end of the day it's oversight.""
Wood Street Centre in Truro
""This [Nova Scotia] government in particular right now seems to have challenges with oversight," says Stratford (You noticed that too, eh?-ed.)"
/Fin
""This [Nova Scotia] government in particular right now seems to have challenges with oversight," says Stratford (You noticed that too, eh?-ed.)"
/Fin
@mairinprentiss GREAT INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
