HEAL is putting together a list of youth rights by state.  We have listed what your rights are in your home state and what can be done to improve the laws for your protection.  It is our position that the "teen help" industry is in direct violation of most state and many federal laws relating to children and US citizens in general.  We believe that by knowing your rights and/or the rights of youth, you will be a more effective advocate for yourself and others.  We have included legal arguments and legal help resources to aid you in fighting for your rights and preventing your parents' or friends from illegally incarcerating, falsely imprisoning, and excessively violating your or your loved one's constitutional and international human rights.  We do our best to keep all information updated.  If a law or statute has changed since the last update and you are aware of this, please e-mail us the new law or statute with an official link to the same.  See below for more information:

FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS

(Print Your Federal Rights!)

The behavior modification industry is violative of the constitutional, civil, and human rights of American citizens, including children and teens.  Below, you will find a list of violations, applicable federal law and court rulings, and cause for taking immediate and deliberate action to regulate and/or close down this un-American industry.

1.      The Fourteenth Amendment: Equal Protection of the Laws

According to U.S. Supreme Court rulings a teenager is protected under the 14^th amendment(1) and due process is necessary before extreme punishments and removal of liberties is imposed(2). 

The results of the Milgram Experiment(3) and Stanford Prison Experiment(4) exemplify the absolute danger children and teens are in when put in absolute captivity under the control of unqualified staff under illegal and immoral conditions. 

Placing children and teens in a lockdown facility without benefit of due process is a violation of the 14^th Amendment

2.      The First Amendment: Freedom of Expression

According to U.S. Supreme Court rulings, a teenager is protected under the 14^th amendment.  The court stated that school officials must have “more than a mere desire to avoid discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint…Undifferentiated fear or apprehension of disturbance is not enough to overcome the right to freedom of expression.”(5) 

Since the First Amendment applies to children and teens, programs that deny self-expression, freedom of association (i.e. talking with other students), or freedom of religion ought to be immediately closed down for constitutional violations.  Many behavior modification programs have received and continue to receive state and federal funds to operate.  Some school children are shipped out of state or even abroad under an Independent Education Plan through their school district. 

Denying children and teenagers freedom of association and self-expression is a direct violation of their first amendment rights.

3.      The Eighth Amendment: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

It is understood that the bar of cruel and unusual punishment applies strictly to government acts.  However, as stated in number 2, these programs do receive federal assistance in many cases.  And, acting under the color of authority for school districts, juvenile courts, and family courts throughout the nation these programs are torturing and killing Americans never found guilty of any crime.  These programs violate Habeas Corpus.

The average age for legal consent to sexual intercourse within the United States is 16.  The average age for legal right to file for emancipation from parents is 16.  Teenagers are afforded more control over their bodies and futures from the age of 16 throughout the United States.  A person who is fit to drive, have sexual intercourse, have an abortion, and become emancipated by law is certainly protected by Habeas Corpus and Due Process (supra). 

The U.S. District Court, District of Utah, in Milonas v. Williams (Nos. 80-1569, 81-1407., 1982) found Provo Canyon School guilty of cruel and inhumane treatment of children at a time when Provo Canyon School was receiving state and federal money and the program is still in operation abusing children and defrauding families today.  

Children and teenagers are protected from these practices under the 8th Amendment.  Programs and parents who violate children's rights are in direct violation of federal law.

4.      The Ninth Amendment: Unenumerated Rights

It was certainly not the intention of the founders of the United States to allow for the systematic torture, brainwashing, and other gross civil and human rights violations to be allowed against the young citizens of our great nation.  Children are denied their privacy, being forced to urinate, defecate, bathe, change menstrual pads, and more in front of peers and staff.  This is done purely to humiliate, psychologically torture and break the child. 

In addition, the incoming and outgoing mail is censored and/or monitored/read by staff and children are forced to re-write letters that do not conform to the rules, mainly, letters that expose abuse and wrongdoing by the program and its staff.  This is a 14^th amendment violation according to the Federal District Court findings in Milonas v. Williams (Nos. 80-1569, 81-1407., 1982): “In former students' action against private school for youths with behavioral problems for its use of "behavioral-modification" program allegedly violating section 1983, record supported finding that the school's use of polygraph machine, its monitoring and censoring of student mail, its use of isolation rooms, and its use of excessive physical force violated students' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. U.S.C.A. Const.Amends. 1, 14; 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983.”

Certainly our Constitution can and should be read as to demand the protection of our most vulnerable, our children, from such atrocious crimes as torture and death under the guise of treatment.

5.      The Thirteenth Amendment: Abolishing Slavery

Slavery is illegal in the United States except for those convicted of a crime and considered a part of their repayment to society.  Many children are being used as slave labor in behavior modification programs. 

Children are being forced to labor without compensation and under duress for the financial benefit of these programs.(6) 

These programs violate the Thirteenth Amendment and Federal Child Labor laws. 

Citations

1.      Bellotti v. Baird (1979) U.S. Supreme Court

2.      Ingraham v. Wright (1977) U.S. Supreme Court

3.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

4.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Prison_Experiment

5.      Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969) U.S. Supreme Court

6.      http://www.heal-online.org/bethelsuits.htm

MENU BY STATE:  ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA,  WISCONSIN, WYOMING. 

ALABAMA

Legal Age of Majority:  19 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  18 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/26-13-1.htm)

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required unless emancipated. (for more info, visit: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/26-21-1.htm)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (some restrictions--must have learner's permit and lessons for 6-month minimum)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Alabama Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Endangering welfare of child.  ( http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/13A-13-6.htm ) 

(a) A man or woman commits the crime of endangering the welfare of a child when:

(1) He or she knowingly directs or authorizes a child less than 16 years of age to engage in an occupation involving a substantial risk of danger to his life or health; or

(2) He or she, as a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care or custody of a child less than 18 years of age, fails to exercise reasonable diligence in the control of such child to prevent him or her from becoming a "dependent child" or a "delinquent child," as defined in Section 12-15-1.

(b) A person does not commit an offense under Section 13A-13-4 or this section for the sole reason he provides a child under the age of 19 years or a dependent spouse with remedial treatment by spiritual means alone in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner thereof in lieu of medical treatment.

(c) Endangering the welfare of a child is a Class A misdemeanor. (end statute)

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Alabama.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

The youngest child to be recognized as an adult in recent years by Alabama courts was Christopher Pittman.  Pittman was tried as an adult at age 12 for the murder of his grandparents. 

It is our understanding that trying a 12 year old as an adult is a court's recognition that children 12 years old and older can be competent and mature enough to handle adult rights, responsibilities, and consequences.  A state cannot have it both ways.  And, a constitutional and legal objection should be raised based on the lack of uniformity in laws applying to minors.

Legal Help in Alabama:

Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org)

Phone
(334)956-8200

Mail
400 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a civil rights law firm in Alabama.  They have taken on behavior modification programs where children are being tortured and abused.  See: http://www.splcenter.org/legal/docket/files.jsp?cdrID=45&sortID=3.

American Civil Liberties Union--Alabama

http://www.aclualabama.org/

Get Help:  http://www.aclualabama.org/GetHelp/RequestLegalHelp_English.pdf

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or Southern Poverty Law Center should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For additional free legal resources, visit: http://www.lawhelp.org/AL/

ALASKA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.aypf.ak.org/Emancipation_Handbook.doc)

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.law.state.ak.us/pdf/press/parental_consent_release.pdf )

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (some restrictions--must have learner's permit and lessons for 6-month minimum)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Alaska Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Alaska Legal Definitions (see: http://www.state.ak.us/courts/forms/dv-150.pdf)

Assault and reckless endangerment (physical injury, threats of injury, or acting in a way to create the risk of harm)
Kidnapping (taking/holding a person against his/her will)

Custodial interference (taking or holding a child or incompetent person without legal right)

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Alaska.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Alaska:

American Civil Liberties Union--Alaska

http://www.akclu.org/ 

Get Help:  http://www.akclu.org/ContactUs/onlineform.php

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For additional free legal services, see: http://www.alsc-law.org/

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ARIZONA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/12/02451.htm&Title=12&DocType=ARS )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.supreme.state.az.us/selfserv/abortion_forms.htm)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 18 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (some restrictions--parental permission, etc.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Arizona Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Arizona Legal Definitions (see: )

A parent has neglected or willfully abused a child if either:

The parent has inflicted serious physical or emotional injury on a child; OR

The parent knew or reasonably should have known that a person was abusing or neglecting a child. 

Source: A.R.S. §8-533(B)(2).
 

Parents who knowingly (or reasonably should have known) place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Arizona.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Arizona:

American Civil Liberties Union--Arizona

Get Help:  www.acluaz.org 

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

Currently, you may contact the ACLU of Arizona for help.  You may visit there website and click on “intake” to submit a description of your case or contact them at:

American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona
Executive Director: Eleanor Eisenberg
P.O. Box 17148
Phoenix, AZ 85011-0148
Phone: 602-650-1967

Karen Kothe--Phoenix, AZ

She is a great attorney!!

Call her at: 1-602-358-2060

For additional and free legal help, visit: http://www.azlawhelp.org/

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ARKANSAS

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6433/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/20850.php) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  14 years old (some restrictions--parental permission, 6-months learner's permit,etc.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Arkansas Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Arkansas Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Severe maltreatment means sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, acts or omissions that may or do result in death, abuse involving the use of a deadly weapon, bone fracture, internal injuries, burns, immersions, suffocation, abandonment, medical diagnosis of failure to thrive, or causing a substantial and observable change in the behavior or demeanor of the child.  Ann. Code § 12-12-503
 

Parents who knowingly (or reasonably should have known) place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Arkansas.  The very purpose of behavior modification is to create a substantial and observable change in the behavior or demeanor of a child.  This equates to severe maltreatment.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Arkansas:

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

Currently, you may contact the ACLU of Arkansas for help.  They do not have a website at this time.  However, you may contact them directly at:

ACLU of Arkansas

Executive Director: Rita Sklar
904 W. Second Street, Suite 1
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-374-2660

For additional and free legal help, visit: http://www.arlegalservices.org/Home/PublicWeb  

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CALIFORNIA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  14 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/648/)

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.ppgg.org/site/c.esJMKZPKJtH/b.1104813/) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 18 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  15 1/2 years old (some restrictions--parental permission, 6-months learner's permit,etc.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

California Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

California Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Penal Code § 11166.05

Serious emotional damage is evidenced by states of being or behavior including, but not limited to, severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or untoward aggressive behavior toward self or others.

 

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of California.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in California:

American Civil Liberties Union--California

Get Help:  www.aclunc.org (Northern California) or www.aclu-sc.org (Southern California)

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are or are the friend or loved one of someone currently held in a Community Care Licensing licensed residential facility in California and is/are currently being abused or having their/his/her rights violated, please report the abuse to the Office of the California Foster Care Ombudsman (FCO) immediately at (877)846-1602.  It is important that you include the name of the child/your name and the name and address of the facility where the abuse is occurring.

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

Tom Burton, Attorney at Law

[email protected]

Ph. 801-918-1656 

OR

Contact the ACLU of California for assistance.  The information for “intake procedures” is:

Intake Procedure

1.      You can call our complaint line. Callers can reach the complaint line Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at (415) 621-2488. Volunteer counselors staff the ACLU complaint desk. They are not lawyers but are trained to pre-screen intakes. They cannot give legal advice to you, nor can they refer you to an individual private attorney. They can, however, bring your complaint to the attention of an attorney for review, or give you an appropriate referral to another agency.

2.      You can write to us. The ACLU also accepts written letters as intakes. Please do not send documents, and try to limit letters to one page. If we need more information, we will contact you. The address is:

Intake
ACLU of Northern California
1663 Mission Street, Suite #406
San Francisco, CA 94103

Walk-ins are not seen; they are asked to call the complaint line or write to us.  If you do not live in Northern California, you may contact the office above and ask for referral information for an office closer to you.  If you are an attorney practicing in California who would be interested in representing victims of the “teen help” industry, please e-mail us and we will list you here.

For free legal aid in California, visit: www.lawhelpcalifornia.org

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COLORADO

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  15 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6445/  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 15 years old or 17 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/colorado.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Colorado Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Colorado Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 19-1-103

Abuse or child abuse or neglect means any case in which a child is subjected to emotional abuse. Emotional abuse means an identifiable and substantial impairment or a substantial risk of impairment of the child's intellectual or psychological functioning or development.

Abandonment
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 19-3-102

A child is neglected or dependent if a parent, guardian, or legal custodian has abandoned the child.


 

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Colorado.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Colorado:

American Civil Liberties Union--Colorado

Get Help:  http://www.aclu-co.org/aboutaclu/intake2.htm

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

You may contact the ACLU of Colorado for legal assistance.  Visit: http://www.aclu-co.org/aboutaclu/intake2.htm for directions on submitting your case for help.

CONNECTICUT

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.larcc.org/pamphlets/children_family/teen_emancipation.htm )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2225814) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Connecticut Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Connecticut Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

[Effective October 1, 2007]

A child or youth may be found neglected who:

• Has been abandoned
• Is being denied proper care and attention, physically, educationally, emotionally, or morally
• Is being permitted to live under conditions, circumstances, or associations injurious to the well-being of the child or youth
• Has been abused

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

Abuse includes emotional maltreatment.

Abandonment
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

A child or youth may be found neglected who has been abandoned.

 

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Connecticut.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Connecticut:

American Civil Liberties Union--Connecticut

Get Help:  http://www.acluct.org/

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Connecticut, visit: http://www.slsct.org/Home/PublicWeb

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DELAWARE

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  15 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6463/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required if under 16 (for more info, visit: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_PIMA.pdf  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old or 18 years old (for more info, see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/delaware.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Delaware Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Delaware Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 16, § 902

Neglect shall mean the failure to provide, by those responsible for the care, custody, and control of the child, the proper or necessary education, nutrition, or medical, surgical, or any other care necessary for the child's well-being.


Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 16, § 902

Abuse includes emotional abuse.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Delaware.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Delaware:

American Civil Liberties Union--Delaware

Get Help:  www.aclu-de.org

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Delaware, visit: http://www.lscd.com/Home/PublicWeb

You may contact the ACLU of Delaware for legal assistance.  Visit: http://www.aclu-de.org/intake.htm  to submit your case for assistance.

FLORIDA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/1264/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_PIMA.pdf  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old or 18 years old (for more info, see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/florida.htm )

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Florida Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Florida Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Physical Abuse
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.01

Abuse means any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental, or sexual injury or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child's physical, mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired.

Harm to a child's health or welfare can occur when any person inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child physical, mental, or emotional injury, and can include:

• Purposely giving a child poison, alcohol, drugs, or other substances that substantially affect the child's behavior, motor coordination, or judgment or that result in sickness or internal injury
• Inappropriate or excessively harsh discipline
• Exposure to a controlled substance or alcohol
• Engaging in violent behavior that demonstrates a wanton disregard for the presence of a child and could reasonably result in serious injury to the child

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.01

Neglect occurs when:

• A child is deprived of, or is allowed to be deprived of, necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment.
• A child is permitted to live in an environment when such deprivation or environment causes a child's physical, mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired or to be in danger of being significantly impaired.

Neglect of a child includes acts or omissions.

Harm to a child's health or welfare can occur by leaving a child without adult supervision or arrangement appropriate for the child's age or mental or physical condition.

Sexual Abuse
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.01

Sexual abuse of a child means one or more of the following acts:

• Any penetration, however slight, of the vagina or anal opening of one person by the penis of another person, whether or not there is the emission of semen
• Any sexual contact or intentional touching between the genitals or anal opening of one person and the mouth or tongue of another person
• The intentional masturbation of the perpetrator's genitals in the presence of a child
• The intentional exposure of the perpetrator's genitals in the presence of a child, or any other sexual act intentionally perpetrated in the presence of a child, if such exposure or sexual act is for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification, aggression, degradation, or other similar purpose
• The sexual exploitation of a child, which includes allowing, encouraging, or forcing a child to solicit for or engage in prostitution, or engage in a sexual performance

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Florida.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Florida:

American Civil Liberties Union--Florida

Get Help:  www.aclufl.org

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Florida, visit: http://www.flcourts.org/gen_public/family/self_help/legal_aid.shtml

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GEORGIA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6472/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7DD153EF93AA3575AC0A961948260 ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Georgia Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Georgia Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Physical Abuse
Citation: Ann. Code § 19-7-5(b)

Child abuse means physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by a parent or caretaker by other than accidental means.

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code § 19-7-5(b)

Child abuse means neglect or exploitation of a child by a parent or caretaker.

Legal Help in Georgia:

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Georgia, visit: http://www.legalaid-ga.org/GA/index.cfm

Gorby, Reeves, & Peters P.C., Attorneys at Law

Two Ravinia Drive
Suite 1500
Atlanta, GA 30346-2104
Office: (404) 239-1150
Fax (404) 239-1179 [email protected]

http://www.bergermontague.com/case-summary.cfm?id=155

You may contact the ACLU of Georgia per their intake requirements below:

Mail, fax or email your request for legal assistance or legal advice to the ACLU of Georgia office.

Mailing Address: 

ACLU of Georgia
70 Fairlie Street, Suite 340
Atlanta, GA 30303

Fax:  (404) 577-0181

Email Address: [email protected]

Guidelines

• Only incidents that occurred in Georgia will be accepted.

• Please keep intake brief and to the point. (NO MORE THAN 2-3 PAGES).

• Do Not Send original documents. Materials will not be returned.

• Please include your name complete mailing address and telephone number.

Once intake request are received, it will than be reviewed by staff, interns, volunteers or law clerks.

We review the request for the possibility of potential cases.

HELPFUL LINKS FOR—GA

http://www.legalaid-ga.org/GA/index.cfm

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HAWAII

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not Stated  (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6483/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Hawaii Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Hawaii Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 350-1

Child neglect means when the child is not provided in a timely manner with adequate food, clothing, shelter, psychological care, physical care, medical care, or supervision.



Emotional Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 350-1

Child abuse or neglect includes the acts or omissions that have resulted in injury to the psychological capacity of a child as is evidenced by an observable and substantial impairment in the child's ability to function.

Legal Help in Hawaii:  Contact the ACLU!

www.acluhawaii.org

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Hawaii, visit:  http://www.legalaidhawaii.org/

IDAHO

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old  (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6497/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old or 18 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/idaho.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  17 years old (for more info, see: http://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/driverservices/young_drivers.htm )

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Idaho Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Idaho Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Idaho Code § 16-1602

Neglected means a child:

• Who is without proper parental care and control, subsistence, education, or medical or other care necessary for his or her well-being because of the conduct or omission of his or her parents, guardian, or other custodian, or their neglect or refusal to provide them
• Whose parents, guardian, or other custodian is unable to discharge his or her responsibilities to and for the child and, as a result of such inability, the child lacks the parental care necessary for his or her health, safety, or well-being
• Who has been placed for care or adoption in violation of the law

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Idaho Code § 16-1602

Mental injury means a substantial impairment in the intellectual or psychological ability of a child to function within a normal range of performance and/or behavior, for short or long terms.

Legal Help in Idaho:  Contact the ACLU!

www.acluidaho.org 

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Idaho, visit:  http://www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/service.asp?service_id=4 

You may contact the ACLU of Idaho for legal assistance at:

ACLU of Idaho
P.O. Box 1897
Boise, Idaho 83701
Phone: (208) 344-9750
Fax: (208) 344-7201
e-mail: [email protected]

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ILLINOIS

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old  (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6500/  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 17 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (15 years old--supervised.  Must pass drivers education.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Illinois Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Illinois Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 325, § 5/3

Abused child includes impairment or substantial risk of impairment to the child's emotional health.

Abandonment
Citation: Comp. Stat. Ch. 325, § 5/3

Neglected child includes a child who is abandoned by his or her parents or other person responsible for the child's welfare without a proper plan of care.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Illinois.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Illinois:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-il.org  

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Illinois, visit:  http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_content&contentID=3056

You may contact the ACLU of Illinois for assistance by following their directions below:

The ACLU of Illinois' Intake Department is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday. During those hours an intake counselor is available if you wish to explain your problem. Our counselors are dedicated volunteers, but they are not lawyers and cannot give you legal advice, but will simply obtain the facts pertaining to your problem. Depending on the nature of your problem, the counselor may give you an appropriate referral or present the facts of your case to a staff attorney for review.

Contacting the ACLU to describe your problem will not guarantee the ACLU will represent you. Due to the enormous demand for representation and our limited resources, the ACLU cannot represent everyone who has a valid legal claim. Every decision regarding representation must meet specific guidelines and requires special approval.

The Intake Department can be reached:

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INDIANA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not found/case-by-case basis (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6508/   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years and 180 days old (16 years old--supervised. )

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Indiana Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Indiana Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code §§ 31-34-1-1; 31-34-1-9; 31-34-1-10 ; 31-34-1-11

A child is a child in need of services if, before the child becomes age 18:

• The child's physical or mental condition is seriously impaired or seriously endangered as a result of the inability, refusal, or neglect of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian to supply the child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, or supervision. 
  
  Emotional Abuse
  Citation: Ann. Code § 31-34-1-2
  
  A child is a child in need of services if the child's mental health is seriously endangered by the act or omission of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Indiana.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Indiana:  Contact the ACLU!

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Indiana, visit:  http://www.indianajustice.org/Home/PublicWeb  

You may contact the ACLU of Indiana for assistance by visiting: http://www.iclu.org/legal/complaint.asp

IOWA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  17 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6486/  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 14 years old or 16 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/iowa.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  14 and 1/2 years old (14 years old--supervised. Requires completing GDL)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Iowa Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Iowa Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 232.68

Child abuse or abuse means any mental injury to a child's intellectual or psychological capacity as evidenced by an observable and substantial impairment in the child's ability to function within the child's normal range of performance and behavior as the result of the acts or omissions of a person responsible for the care of the child, if the impairment is diagnosed and confirmed by a licensed physician or qualified mental health professional.


Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Iowa.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Iowa:  Contact the ACLU!

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Iowa, visit:  http://www.iowalegalaid.org/ia/homepage.html   

You may contact the ACLU of Iowa for assistance by visiting: http://www.iowaclu.org/legal/assistance.asp

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KANSAS

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Age Requirement Omitted (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6533/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (14 years old--supervised. )

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Kansas Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Kansas Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: 2006 Kan. ALS Ch. 200, § 2

Neglect means acts or omissions by a parent, guardian, or person responsible for the care of a child resulting in harm to a child or presenting a likelihood of harm, and the acts or omissions are not due solely to the lack of financial means of the child's parents or other custodian. Neglect may include but shall not be limited to:

• Failure to provide the child with food, clothing, or shelter necessary to sustain the life or health of the child
• Failure to provide adequate supervision of a child or to remove a child from a situation that requires judgment or actions beyond the child's level of maturity, physical condition, or mental abilities and that results in bodily injury or a likelihood of harm to the child
• Failure to use resources available to treat a diagnosed medical condition if such treatment will make a child substantially more comfortable, reduce pain and suffering, or correct or substantially diminish a crippling condition from worsening

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Kansas.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Kansas:  Contact the ACLU!

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Kansas, visit:   http://www.usattorneylegalservices.com/free-legal-aid-Kansas.html 

You may contact the ACLU of Kansas for assistance.  The ACLU of Kansas only accepts complaints by mail. Download a complaint form, or call the complaint line at 816-931-2110.

KENTUCKY

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/7373/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (Must pass GDL program.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Kentucky Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Kentucky Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 600.020

Abused or neglected child means a child whose health or welfare is harmed or threatened with harm when his parent, guardian, or other person exercising custodial control or supervision of the child:

• Engages in a pattern of conduct that renders the parent incapable of caring for the immediate and ongoing needs of the child, including but not limited to, parental incapacity due to alcohol and other drug abuse
• Continuously or repeatedly fails or refuses to provide essential parental care and protection for the child, considering the age of the child
• Does not provide the child with adequate care, supervision, food, clothing, shelter, education, or medical care necessary for the child's well-being
• Fails to make sufficient progress toward identified goals as set forth in the court-approved case plan to allow for the safe return of the child to the parent that results in the child remaining committed to the cabinet and remaining in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Kentucky.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Kentucky:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-ky.org

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Kentucky, visit:   http://www.laslou.org/

LOUISIANA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6538/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 17 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  17 years old

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Louisiana Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Louisiana Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ch. Code art. 603

Abuse includes any act that seriously endangers the mental or emotional health of the child or inflicts mental injury.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Louisiana.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Louisiana:  Contact the ACLU!

www.laaclu.org 

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Louisiana, visit: http://www.louisiana-legal.com/free_legal_services.htm   

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MAINE

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/7086/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old (Must complete driver's education)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Maine Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Maine Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 22, § 4002

Abuse or neglect means a threat to a child's health or welfare by deprivation of essential needs or lack of protection by a person responsible for the child.

Jeopardy to health or welfare or jeopardy means serious abuse or neglect, as evidenced by:

• Deprivation of adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision or care
• Deprivation of necessary health care when the deprivation places the child in danger of serious harm
• Abandonment of the child or absence of any person responsible for the child that creates a threat of serious harm
• The end of voluntary placement, when the imminent return of the child to his custodian causes a threat of serious harm

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 22, § 4002

Abuse or neglect includes a threat to a child's health or welfare by mental or emotional injury or impairment by a person responsible for the child.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Maine.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Maine:  Contact the ACLU!

www.mclu.org  

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Maine, visit:  http://www.ptla.org/index.html  

You may contact the ACLU of Maine for legal assistance by visiting:

http://www.mclu.org/Programs/Legal/OnlineComplaintForm.htm

MARYLAND

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not Stated (for more info, visit: http://www.peoples-law.org/children/emancipation/emancipation%20home.htm#How%20does%20emancipation%20occur? )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  17 years old (Supervised: 15 years and 9 months)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Maryland Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Maryland Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Fam. Law § 5-701

Neglect means the leaving of a child unattended or other failure to give proper care and attention to a child by any parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for supervision of the child under circumstances that indicate:

• That the child's health or welfare is harmed or placed at substantial risk of harm
• Mental injury to the child or a substantial risk of mental injury

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Fam. Law § 5-701

Mental injury means the observable, identifiable, and substantial impairment of a child's mental or psychological ability to function.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Maryland.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Maryland:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-md.org  

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Maryland, visit:  http://www.mdlab.org/

You may contact the ACLU of Maryland for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclu-md.org/page.asp?page=help

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MASSACHUSETTS

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not Stated (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6542/  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old  or 18 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/massachusetts.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 and 1/2 years old (Supervised: 16 years old)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Massachusetts Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Massachusetts Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 119, § 51A

Injured, abused, or neglected child means a child under age 18 who is suffering from neglect, including malnutrition, or who is determined to be physically dependent upon an addictive drug at birth.


Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 119, § 51A

Injured, abused, or neglected child means a child under age 18 who is suffering emotional injury resulting from abuse inflicted upon him that causes harm or substantial risk of harm to the child's health or welfare.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Massachusetts.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Massachusetts:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-mass.org  

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Massachusetts, visit:  http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/findlawyer.html

You may contact the ACLU of Massachusetts for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclu-mass.org/legal/have_your_rights_been_violated.html

MICHIGAN

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6545/  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  14 years old (Restricted) (Supervised: 14 years old.  Must pass GDL program.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Michigan Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Michigan Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Comp. Laws § 722.622

Child neglect means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare by a parent, legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare that occurs through either of the following:

• Negligent treatment, including the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care
• Placing a child at an unreasonable risk to the child's health or welfare by failure to intervene to eliminate that risk when that person is able to do so and has, or should have, knowledge of the risk

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Michigan.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Michigan:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclumich.org  

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Michigan, visit: http://www.michiganlegalaid.org/ 

You may contact the ACLU of Michigan for legal assistance by visiting:

 http://www.aclumich.org/modules.php?name=Complaint_Form         

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MINNESOTA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.mn-ca.org/Education/JuvenileJustice/EmancipationInformationDecember2007/tabid/151/Default.aspx )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  15 years old  (Supervised: 15 years old.  Must pass GDL program.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Minnesota Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Minnesota Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 626.556, Subd. 2

Neglect means:

• Failure by a person responsible for a child's care to supply a child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, health, medical, or other care required for the child's physical or mental health when reasonably able to do so
• Failure to protect a child from conditions or actions that seriously endanger the child's physical or mental health when reasonably able to do so, including a growth delay, which may be referred to as a failure to thrive, that has been diagnosed by a physician and is due to parental neglect
• Failure to provide for necessary supervision or childcare arrangements appropriate for a child after considering such factors as the child's age, mental ability, physical condition, length of absence, or environment, when the child is unable to care for the child's own basic needs or safety, or the basic needs or safety of another child in their care
• Failure to ensure that the child is educated as required by State law, which does not include a parent's refusal to provide the parent's child with sympathomimetic medications
• Prenatal exposure to a controlled substance, used by the mother for a nonmedical purpose, as evidenced by withdrawal symptoms in the child at birth, results of a toxicology test performed on the mother at delivery or the child at birth, or medical effects or developmental delays during the child's first year of life that medically indicate prenatal exposure to a controlled substance
• Medical neglect that includes, but is not limited to, the withholding of medically indicated treatment from a disabled infant with a life-threatening condition
• Chronic and severe use of alcohol or a controlled substance by a parent or person responsible for the care of the child that adversely affects the child's basic needs and safety

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Minnesota.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Minnesota:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-mn.org   

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Minnesota, visit: http://www.midmnlegal.org/RTF1.cfm?pagename=Legal%20Aid%20Society%20of%20Minneapolis

You may contact the ACLU of Minnesota for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclu-mn.org/Intake_Form.html

MISSISSIPPI

Legal Age of Majority:  21 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not Available (?) (e-mail us if you find information regarding filing for emancipation in MS.)

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old 

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised: 15 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, age of majority revision (old enough to die for US, old enough to be legal age of majority!) child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Mississippi Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Mississippi Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code § 43-21-105

Neglected child means a child:

• Whose parent, guardian, custodian, or any person responsible for his or her care or support neglects or refuses, when able so to do, to provide for him or her proper and necessary care or support, education as required by law, or medical, surgical, or other care necessary for his or her well-being
• Who is otherwise without proper care, custody, supervision, or support
• Who, for any reason, lacks the special care made necessary for him or her by reason of his or her mental condition, whether said mental condition be mentally retarded or mentally ill
• Who, for any reason, lacks the care necessary for his or her health, morals, or well-being

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Mississippi.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Mississippi:  Contact the ACLU!

www.msaclu.org   

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Mississippi, visit: http://www.mslegalservices.org/MS/index.cfm

You may contact the ACLU of Mississippi for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.msaclu.org/intake.html

You may also contact the following attorney(s):

Michael C. Barefield, MS Bar No. 8322

Barefield Law Firm, PLLC

1321 21st Avenue

P. O. Box 309

Gulfport, MS 39502-0309

Local counsel for Plaintiffs

Telephone: (228) 575-9552

Facsimile: (228) 214-4186

Email: [email protected]

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MISSOURI

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old ( http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6568/  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 14 years old  or 17 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/missouri.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16  (Supervised: 15 and 1/2 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Missouri Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Missouri Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 210.110

Neglect means failure to provide, by those responsible for the care, custody, and control of the child, the proper or necessary support, education as required by law, nutrition, or medical, surgical, or any other care necessary for the child's well-being.

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 210.110

Abuse includes emotional abuse inflicted on a child by those responsible for the child's care, custody, and control.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Missouri.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Missouri:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-em.org    

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Missouri, visit: http://www.lsmo.org/Home/PublicWeb 

You may contact the ACLU of Missouri for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclu-em.org/takeaction/filecomplaint/

If you are an attorney practicing in Missouri who would be interested in representing victims of the “teen help” industry, please e-mail us and we will list you here.

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MONTANA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6569/ )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old  or 18 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/montana.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  15 years old  (Supervised: 14 and 1/2 years old.  Must complete GDL program.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Montana Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Montana Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code § 41-3-102

Physical neglect means:

• Failure to provide basic necessities, including but not limited to appropriate and adequate nutrition, protective shelter from the elements, and appropriate clothing related to weather conditions
• Failure to provide cleanliness and general supervision
• Exposing or allowing the child to be exposed to an unreasonable physical or psychological risk to the child

Physical or psychological harm to a child means the harm that occurs whenever the parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare:

• Causes malnutrition or a failure to thrive or otherwise fails to supply the child with adequate food or fails to supply clothing, shelter, education, or adequate health care, though financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so
• Exposes or allows the child to be exposed to an unreasonable risk to the child's health or welfare by failing to intervene or eliminate the risk

Withholding of medically indicated treatment means the failure to respond to an infant's life-threatening conditions by providing treatment, including appropriate nutrition, hydration, and medication, that in the treating physician's or physicians' reasonable medical judgment, will be most likely to be effective in ameliorating or correcting the conditions.

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Code § 41-3-102

Psychological abuse or neglect means severe maltreatment through acts or omissions that are injurious to the child's emotional, intellectual, or psychological capacity to function, including acts of violence against another person residing in the child's home.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Montana.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Montana:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclumontana.org     

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Montana, visit: http://www.mtjustice.org/  

You may contact the ACLU of Montana for legal assistance by visiting:

 http://www.aclumontana.org/LegalProgram/ComplaintForm.htm

NEBRASKA

Legal Age of Majority:  19 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Age Requirement Unknown (  http://www.nde.state.ne.us/LEGAL/clean19.pdf  )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 17 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised: 15 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, age of majority revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Nebraska Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Nebraska Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 28-710

Child abuse or neglect means knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causing or permitting a minor child to be deprived of necessary food, clothing, shelter, or care or causing or permitting a child age 6 or younger to be left unattended in a motor vehicle.

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 28-710

Child abuse or neglect means knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causing or permitting a minor child to be placed in a situation that endangers his or her mental health.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Nebraska.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Nebraska:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclunebraska.org      

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Nebraska, visit: http://www.neequaljustice.org/Home/PublicWeb   

You may contact the ACLU of Nebraska for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclunebraska.org/Complaint_Form.pdf

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NEVADA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old  (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/4019/   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised: 15 and 1/2 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Nevada Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Nevada Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 432B.140

Negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child occurs if a child has been abandoned, is without proper care, control, and supervision, and lacks the subsistence, education, shelter, medical care, or other care necessary for the well-being of the child because of the faults or habits of the person responsible for his welfare or because of that person's neglect or refusal to provide care when able to do so.

 

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 432B.070

Mental injury means an injury to the intellectual or psychological capacity or the emotional condition of a child as evidenced by an observable and substantial impairment of his or her ability to function within his or her normal range of performance or behavior.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Nevada.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Nevada:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclunv.org       

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Nevada, visit: http://www.clarkcountylegal.com/    

You may contact the ACLU of Nevada for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclunv.org/contactus.htm

If you are an attorney practicing in Nevada who would be interested in representing victims of the “teen help” industry, please e-mail us and we will list you here.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not Available (?) (  e-mail us with any info on filing for emancipation in N.H.   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years and 3 months old  (Supervised: 16 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

New Hampshire Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

New Hampshire Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 169-C:3

Neglected child means a child:

• Who is without proper parental care or control, subsistence, education as required by law, or other care or control necessary for his or her physical, mental, or emotional health, when it is established that his or her health has suffered or is very likely to suffer serious impairment, and the deprivation is not due primarily to the lack of financial means of the parents, guardian, or custodian
• Whose parents, guardian, or custodian are unable to discharge their responsibilities to and for the child because of incarceration, hospitalization, or other physical or mental incapacity

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of New Hampshire.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in New Hampshire:  Contact the ACLU!

www.nhclu.org       

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in New Hampshire, visit:  http://www.courts.state.nh.us/access/legalaid.htm

TOP

NEW JERSEY

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Not Available (?)* (  e-mail us with any info on filing for emancipation in N.J.   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised: 16 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision.*

New Jersey Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

New Jersey Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:6-8.21

Abused child or abused or neglected child means a child under age 18 whose physical, mental, or emotional condition has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as the result of the failure of his parent, guardian, or other person having custody and control, to exercise a minimum degree of care:

• In supplying the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, medical, or surgical care, although financially able to do so or although offered financial or other reasonable means to do so
• In providing the child with proper supervision or guardianship

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:6-8.21

Abused child or abused or neglected child means a child under age 18 years who is in an institution, and:

• Has been placed there inappropriately for a continued period of time with the knowledge that the placement has resulted or may continue to result in harm to the child's mental or physical well-being
• Who has been willfully isolated from ordinary social contact under circumstances that indicate emotional or social deprivation

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of New Jersey.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in New Jersey:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-nj.org        

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in New Jersey, visit:  www.lsnj.org

You may contact the ACLU of NJ for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclu-nj.org/legal/fileacomplaint/

* HEAL received an e-mail with additional information regarding emancipation in New Jersey on March 15th, 2011.  We believe the following information to be accurate based on our research:

"Un-fortunately New Jersey doesn’t have any standard emancipation laws that hold true for everybody across the board.  It does have an emancipation statute for minors with HIV, but that's a very limited statute.  I believe the only true way to going about it is, at the age of 14 you can legally register with your city to be able to hold down a job (with a restriction on the maximum # of hours you may work a week).  I would say this is your first step.  At the age of sixteen your hour cap is raised some to I believe (25 hours/week).  This puts people in a predicament because the only clear NJ emancipation laws are that you can file if you:

NEW MEXICO

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old ( http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6575/     )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 17 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  15 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 15 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

New Mexico Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

New Mexico Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Abused child means a child:

• Who has suffered or is at risk of suffering serious harm because of the action or inaction of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian
• Who has suffered physical abuse inflicted or caused by the child's parent, guardian, or custodian
• Whose parent, guardian, or custodian has knowingly, intentionally, or negligently placed the child in a situation that may endanger the child's life or health
• Whose parent, guardian, or custodian has knowingly or intentionally tortured, cruelly confined, or cruelly punished the child

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of New Mexico.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in New Mexico:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-nm.org        

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in New Mexico, visit:  http://www.nmlegalaid.org/ 

You may contact the ACLU of NM for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclu-nm.org/legal/complaint.htm

NEW YORK

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Age Requirment Unknown (?) (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6580/     )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 17 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 16 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

New York Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

New York Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Abused child means a child less than age 18 whose parent or other person legally responsible for his or her care:

• Inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon such child physical injury by other than accidental means that causes or creates a substantial risk of death, serious or protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of physical or emotional health, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ
• Creates or allows to be created a substantial risk of physical injury to such child by other than accidental means that would be likely to cause death, serious or protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of physical or emotional health, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ

Neglect
Citation: Soc. Serv. Law § 371

Neglected child means a child less than age 18 whose physical, mental, or emotional condition has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result of the failure of his or her parent or other person legally responsible for his or her care to exercise a minimum degree of care:

• In supplying the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, or medical or surgical care, although financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so
• In providing the child with proper supervision or guardianship
• By unreasonably inflicting or allowing harm to be inflicted, or a substantial risk thereof, including the infliction of excessive corporal punishment
• By misusing drugs or alcoholic beverages to the extent that he or she loses self-control of his or her actions
• By any other acts of a similarly serious nature requiring the aid of the court

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Family Court Act § 1012

Impairment of emotional health and impairment of mental or emotional condition includes a state of substantially diminished psychological or intellectual functioning in relation to, but not limited to, such factors as failure to thrive, control of aggressive or self-destructive impulses, ability to think and reason, acting out, or misbehavior, including incorrigibility, ungovernability, or habitual truancy; provided, however, that such impairment must be clearly attributable to the unwillingness or inability of the respondent to exercise a minimum degree of care toward the child.

Abandonment
Citation: Soc. Serv. Law § 384-b

A child is abandoned by his parent if such parent evinces an intent to forego his or her parental rights and obligations as manifested by his or her failure to visit the child and communicate with the child or agency, although able to do so and not prevented or discouraged from doing so by the agency. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, such ability to visit and communicate shall be presumed.  

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of New York.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in New York:  Contact the ACLU!

www.nyclu.org         

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in New York, visit:  http://www.lawhelp.org/NY/StateDirectory.cfm 

Maxine Susseles, Esq.

P.O. Box 720

Hartsdale, N.Y. 10530

(914) 686-0044

(914) 948-1750

You may contact the ACLU of NY for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.nyclu.org/email_nyclu.html

TOP

NORTH CAROLINA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6570/   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 15 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

North Carolina Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

North Carolina Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 7B-101

Neglected juvenile means a child:

• Who does not receive proper care, supervision, or discipline from the child's parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker
• Who is not provided necessary medical or remedial care
• Who lives in an environment injurious to the child's welfare
• Who has been placed for care or adoption in violation of law

• In determining whether a child is a neglected juvenile, it is relevant whether that child lives in a home where another child has been subjected to abuse or neglect by an adult who regularly lives in the home.
  
   

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of North Carolina.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in North Carolina:  Contact the ACLU!

www.acluofnorthcarolina.org          

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

You may contact the ACLU of NC for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/casecriteria.html

HELPFUL LINKS FOR HELP IN NC—

http://www.ncbar.org/public/proBonoPublicService/index.aspx

http://www.nccu.edu/law/student/probono.html

NORTH DAKOTA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Unknown/Unavailable (  e-mail us with information on emancipation in N.D.   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 18 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 14 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

North Dakota Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

North Dakota Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Cent. Code §§ 50-25.1-02; 27-20-02

Neglected child means a deprived child as defined in chapter 27-20.

Deprived child means a child who:

• Is without proper parental care or control, subsistence, education, or other care or control necessary for the child's physical, mental, emotional health, or morals, and the deprivation is not due primarily to the lack of financial means of the child's parents, guardian, or other custodian
• Has been placed for care or adoption in violation of law
• Is without proper parental care, control, education, or other care and control necessary for the child's well-being because of the physical, mental, emotional, or other illness or disability of the child's parent or parents, and that such lack of care is not due to a willful act of commission or act of omission by the child's parents, and care is requested by a parent
• Is in need of treatment and whose parents, guardian, or other custodian have refused to participate in treatment as ordered by the juvenile court
• Was subject to prenatal exposure to chronic and severe use of alcohol or any controlled substance in a manner not lawfully prescribed by a practitioner
• Is present in an environment subjecting the child to exposure to a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Cent. Code § 50-25.1-02

Harm means negative changes in a child's health that occur when a person responsible for the child's welfare inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child a mental injury.

Abandonment
Citation: Cent. Code § 27-20-02

Abandon refers to:

• Failure by a noncustodial parent, without justifiable cause, to communicate significantly with the child, or to provide for the care and support of the child as required by law
• Actions by a custodial parent that include:
  • Leaving the child for an indefinite period without making firm and agreed upon plans with the child's immediate caregiver for the parents' resumption of physical custody
  • Following the child's birth or treatment at a hospital, failing to arrange for the child's discharge within 10 days after the child no longer requires hospital care

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of North Dakota.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in North Dakota:  Contact the ACLU!

www.acludakotas.org           

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in North Dakota, visit:   http://www.usattorneylegalservices.com/free-legal-aid-North-Dakota.html

OHIO

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Unknown/Unavailable (  e-mail us with information on emancipation in OH   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 15 and 1/2 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Ohio Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Ohio Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Abused child includes any child who:

• Is endangered as defined § 2919.22
• Exhibits evidence of any physical or mental injury or death, inflicted by other than accidental means, or is at variance with the history given of it
• Because of the acts of a parent, guardian, or custodian, suffers physical or mental injury that harms or threatens to harm the child's health or welfare
• Is subjected to out-of-home care child abuse

Endangering children includes any of the following acts committed against a child under age 18 or a mentally or physically handicapped child under age 21:

• Abuse, torture, or cruel abuse
• Corporal punishment, other physical disciplinary measure, or physical restraint in a cruel manner or for a prolonged period that creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to the child
• Repeated and unwarranted disciplinary measures that, if continued, creates a substantial risk of serious impairment of the child's mental health or development
• Allowing the child to be on the same parcel of real property and within 100 feet of, or, in the case of more than one housing unit on the same parcel of real property, in the same housing unit and within 100 feet of, the illegal manufacture of drugs, cultivation of marijuana, or possession of chemicals for the illegal manufacture, when the person knows that the act is occurring, whether or not any person is prosecuted for or convicted of the violation

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 2151.03(A)

Neglected child includes any child:

• Who lacks proper parental care because of the faults or habits of the child's parents, guardian, or custodian
• Whose parents, guardian, or custodian neglects the child or refuses to provide proper or necessary subsistence, education, medical or surgical care or treatment, or other care necessary for the child's health, morals, or well-being
• Whose parents, guardian, or custodian neglects the child or refuses to provide the special care made necessary by the child's mental condition
• Whose parents, legal guardian, or custodian have placed or attempted to place the child in violation of statutes regarding the placement and adoption of children
• Who, because of the omission of the child's parents, guardian, or custodian, suffers physical or mental injury that harms or threatens to harm the child's health or welfare
• Who is subjected to child neglect in out-of-home care

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Ohio.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Ohio:  Contact the ACLU!

www.acluohio.org            

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Ohio, visit:   http://www.usattorneylegalservices.com/free-legal-aid-Ohio.html 

You may contact the ACLU of Ohio for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.acluohio.org/about/need_legal_assistance.htm

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OKLAHOMA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  15 years old (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6582/   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 15 and 1/2 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Oklahoma Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Oklahoma Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Stat. Tit. 10, § 7102

Harm or threatened harm to a child's health or safety includes, but is not limited to, neglect or failure or omission to provide protection from harm or threatened harm.

Neglect means failure or omission to provide:

• Adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and supervision
• Special care made necessary by the physical or mental condition of the child

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Oklahoma.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Oklahoma:  Contact the ACLU!

www.acluok.org             

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Oklahoma, visit:    http://www.legalaidok.org/

You may contact the ACLU of OK for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.acluok.org/GetHelp/ComplaintForm.htm

OREGON

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6583/   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 18 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 15 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Oregon Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Oregon Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 419B.005

Abuse means negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child, including but not limited to, the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care that is likely to endanger the health or welfare of the child.

 
Emotional Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 419B.005

Abuse means any mental injury to a child that shall include only observable and substantial impairment of the child's mental or psychological ability to function caused by cruelty to the child, with due regard to the culture of the child.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Oregon.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Oregon:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclu-or.org            

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Oregon, visit:   http://sites.lawhelp.org/program/694/index.cfm and/or http://www.osbar.org/probono/FindingLegalAssistance.html

PENNSYLVANIA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (  http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6585/   )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 16 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Pennsylvania Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Pennsylvania Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6303

Child abuse includes serious physical neglect by a perpetrator constituting prolonged or repeated lack of supervision or the failure to provide essentials of life, including adequate medical care, that endangers a child's life or development or impairs the child's functioning.

 

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6303

Child abuse includes an act or failure to act by a perpetrator that causes nonaccidental serious mental injury to a child under age 18.

Serious mental injury means a psychological condition, as diagnosed by a physician or licensed psychologist, including the refusal of appropriate treatment, that:

• Renders a child chronically and severely anxious, agitated, depressed, socially withdrawn, psychotic, or in reasonable fear that the child's life or safety is threatened
• Seriously interferes with a child's ability to accomplish age-appropriate development and social tasks

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Pennsylvania.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Pennsylvania:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclupa.org            

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Pennsylvania, visit:  http://www.palawhelp.org

Berger & Montague, P.C.
1622 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Telephone: 1-800-424-6690
Facsimile: 215-875-4604

Berger & Montague are representing multiple survivors and families in a class action against Hidden Lake Academy.

You may contact the ACLU of PA for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.aclupa.org/legal/complaint.html

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RHODE ISLAND

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Age Requirement Not Found (  http://www.child-advocate.ri.gov/HandbooksandBrochures/ChildAdvocateHandbookindex.php    )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  16 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 16 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Rhode Island Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Rhode Island Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Gen. Laws § 40-11-2

Abused and/or neglected child means a child whose physical or mental health or welfare is harmed or threatened with harm when his or her parent or other person responsible for his or her welfare:

• Fails to supply the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, although financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so
• Fails to provide the child with a minimum degree of care or proper supervision or guardianship because of his or her unwillingness or inability to do so by situations or conditions such as, but not limited to, social problems, mental incompetency, or the use of a drug, drugs, or alcohol to the extent that the parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare loses his or her ability or is unwilling to properly care for the child

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Rhode Island.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in Rhode Island:  Contact the ACLU!

www.riaclu.org             

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in Rhode Island, visit: http://www.rijustice.state.ri.us/voca/VOCA/Legal.htm 

You may contact the ACLU of RI for legal assistance by visiting: http://www.riaclu.org/complaints.html

SOUTH CAROLINA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  Age Requirement Not Found (  e-mail us with information about emancipation in S.C.    )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 14 years old or 16 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/southcarolina.htm )

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  15 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 15 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

South Carolina Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

South Carolina Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code § 20-7-490

Child abuse or neglect or harm occurs when the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child's welfare fails to supply the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, supervision appropriate to the child's age and development, or health care, although financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so, and the failure to do so has caused physical or mental injury or presents a substantial risk of causing physical or mental injury.

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Code § 20-7-490

Mental injury means an injury to the intellectual or psychological capacity of a child as evidenced by a discernible and substantial impairment of the child's ability to function when the existence of that impairment is supported by the opinion of a mental health professional or medical professional.

Abandonment
Citation: Ann. Code § 20-7-490

Abandonment of a child means a parent or guardian willfully deserts a child or willfully surrenders physical possession of a child without making adequate arrangements for the child's needs or the continuing care of the child.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of South Carolina.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in South Carolina:  Contact the ACLU!

www.aclusc.org              

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement? 

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system? 

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds.  At this point, your federal rights have been violated.  And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in? 

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827  et. al.).  You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void).  If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.  Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable.  Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states.  It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For free legal help in South Carolina, visit:  http://www.scbar.org/public_services/lawline/legal_aid_services_in_south_carolina/  

You may contact the ACLU of SC for legal assistance by following their directions below:

Legal Assistance

If you are requesting legal assistance or ACLU involvement in a legal matter, please submit your initial request in writing, explaining briefly what rights violation(s), civil liberties issue(s), or constitutional question(s) you believe to be central to your case.  To expedite the consideration of your case, we recommend that you use our Legal Assistance Request Form on which to submit your request.  Please include your complete name and mailing address, and submit your request to one of the following:

·         E-mail:  Request Legal Assistance Request Form

·         E-mail:  Request for Legal Assistance

·         Postal mail:

ACLU of South Carolina
Suite 800, Barringer Building
1338 Main Street
Columbia, SC  29201

·         Facsimile:  (803) 254-7374

HELPFUL LINKS—VA

http://www.scbar.org/member/probono.asp

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SOUTH DAKOTA

Legal Age of Majority:  18 years old   

Emancipation Eligibility:  16 years old (   http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6591/    )

Abortion Requirements:  Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm  ) 

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised:  14 years old  (Supervised/Learner's Permit: 14 years old.)

Improvement Needed:  Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

South Dakota Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

South Dakota Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Laws § 26-8A-2

Abused or neglected child means a child:

• Who lacks proper parental care through the actions or omissions of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian
• Whose environment is injurious to the child's welfare
• Whose parent, guardian, or custodian fails or refuses to provide proper or necessary subsistence, supervision, education, medical care, or any other care necessary for the child's health, guidance, or well-being
• Who is homeless, without proper care, or not domiciled with the child's parent, guardian, or custodian through no fault of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian
• Whose parent, guardian, or custodian knowingly exposes the child to an environment that is being used for the manufacture, use, or distribution of methamphetamine or any other unlawfully manufactured controlled drug or substance

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of South Dakota.  Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage.  This equates to emotional abuse.  Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse.  The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child). 

Legal Help in South Dakota:  Contact the ACLU!

http://www.theroc.org/report/sd.htm

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?