Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch - an abusive residential facility in St. Ignatius, MT. These stories and reports are presented in hopes of preventing further pain and suffering of innocent children.
Due to the diligent efforts of Montana State Representatives Ellie Hill and Jenny Eck, and the superb journalistic efforts of Anderson Cooper and Gary Tuchman, House Bill 236 is alive again, if only for a day. Upon review of this bill, it was determined the bill is in actuality a revenue bill and as such the deadline has been changed to reflex the deadline category of a revenue bill. Translation - the devastating effects of the Judiciary Committee's decision to leave institutionalized children in Montana unprotected from abuse and maltreatment has been wiped clean, and we have one more chance this session to give these children a voice! This requires ACTION! Representative Ellie Hill and Jenny Eck have requested the assistance of anybody who cares about the safety of children to send a message to every MT House Legislator, pleading that they vote "YES" on what is called a Blast Motion so that HB 236 can have a full hearing on the MT House floor.
2) You can call 406-444-4800 and leave a message for up to five (5) legislators.
Thanks to the efforts of Tim Sabens (former houseparent at Pinehaven), here is a list of all the Republican MT House Legislators (last name, first name): ANKNEY DUANE BALLANCE NANCY BANGERTER LIZ BENNETT JERRY BERRY TOM BLASDEL MARK BLYTON JOANNE BRODEHL RANDY CLARK CHRISTY CONNELL PAT COOK ROB CUFFE MIKE DOANE ALAN EDMUNDS CHAMP EHLI RON FISCUS CLAYTON FITZPATRICK STEVE FLYNN KELLY GALT WYLIE GIBSON STEVE GLIMM CARL GREEF EDWARD HAGAN ROGER HAGSTROM DAVE HALVORSON DAVID HANSEN KRISTIN HARRIS BILL HERTZ GREG HOLLANDSWORTH ROY HOVEN BRIAN HOWARD DAVID INGRAHAM PAT JONES DONALD KARY DOUG KERNS KRAYTON KNUDSEN AUSTIN LANG MIKE LASZLOFFY SARAH LAVIN STEVE LENZ DENNIS MCNIVEN JONATHAN MILLER MIKE MOORE DAVID ( DOC ) O’HARA JESSE O’NEIL JERRY OSMUNDSON RYAN RANDALL LEE REDFIELD ALAN REGIER KEITH REICHNER SCOTT SALOMON DANIEL SCHWADERER NICHOLAS SHAW RAY SMITH CARY VANCE GORDON WAGONER KIRK WARBURTON WENDY WASHBURN TED WELBORN JEFFREY WHITE KERRY ZOLNIKOV DANIEL Please take the time to speak up and be heard. Please stand up for the rights, health and safety of Montana's most vulnerable children.
SAMPLE:
Here is the message that was submitted by James P. Mason. Feel free to use it as a guide if you are not entirely familiar with the issue at hand.
Please ensure that all children in Montana, especially those
most vulnerable to physical, sexual, mental and emotional abuse – have equal
protection under the law, no matter who they are living with. Please ensure
that these children have a way to report abuse, have full access to medical
care, and are treated with the same loving care you seek for your children.
I was one of these children. If there had been oversight of
my care while residing in Montana at a faith-based program – I may have not
been raped, my roommate might still be alive, and I may have left Montana
unbroken. Yet protections were not in place and I was raped, I was abused, and
my roommate is dead.
HB 236 is not about religion, or a church’s right to include
religious foundations in their program. The constitutional rights of these
owners are not in jeopardy. What is in jeopardy however, is the rights of the
children in their care who have no way of reporting, no guarantee of medical
treatment, and no guarantee of familial communications.
We give these rights to felons in State Prison and
terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, but not our children.
Please stand up for the children of Montana and give HB 236
the chance to be heard.
As you may know - a second attempt to ensure that all children in Montana enjoy the same rights to health, safety, and security, regardless of who is taking care of them - was killed in a religiously accelerated partisan vote following a dramatic hearing on February 24th, 2013 in the Montana House Judiciary Committee.
On March 8th, 2013, Anderson Cooper 360 ran the following segment about the disappointing demise of HB 236 in the Montana House Judiciary Committee.
Here is the full 1hr 40min Montana House Judiciary Committee Hearing on House Bill 236 held at the Montana State Capitol on February 14th, 2013
Remember, your silence guarantees that the abuse at Pinehaven will continue, but your voice is every child's hope.
My name is James Mason, and I was once a child, a child out
of sight.
When I was raped at the age of 13, nobody saw me.
When I was choked repeatedly year after year, nobody heard
me.
When I was finally brave enough, years later to speak,
nobody listened.
My name is James Mason, and I am a man, a man who needs to
be heard.
This morning you will hear from Montana Family Foundation,
who will seek to declare that HB 236 is nothing more than a witch-hunt against
a single institution, namely, Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch in St.
Ignatius, MT.
They will tell of Pinehaven’s beautiful scenery and reputable
virtues while discrediting any claims of abuse, stating that Pinehaven has been
cleared of all wrongdoing by Lake County Sheriff’s Office. In the same breath,
however, they will softly refer to very recent instances of violent and
statutory rape as nothing more than “assault”, and falsely refer to a
documented case of juvenile suicide in the same manner they told his parents,
saying that this child, my roommate, was “a runaway who froze to death”. They will extol the virtues of child labor
violations as “teaching responsibility and work ethic”.
They will refer to institutionalized children as “troubled
teens with challenges” when the truth is that the majority of Pinehaven’s
residents are simply by-products of broken homes and failed adoptions; many far
too young to have ever committed any crimes or exhibited “troubled” behavior.
This rhetoric is not only misleading and false, but is the
actual catalyst of lies, told nationwide, that continues to facilitate the
abuse of institutionalized children in Montana.
Montana Family Foundation will tell you that current
regulations are built upon the premise that the State can manage these faith-based
facilities better and more safely than a private entity such as a church, and
that this premise is flawed. To reinforce this point, they will refer to the
records of Pine Hills, a state-operated facility, and compare equivalent
occurrences of abuse in both institutions. They will then justify these events
by declaring that these problems are inherent in the nature of the business
when you are dealing with “troubled teens”, while falsely reminding you that
Pinehaven, throughout their history, has been cleared of any wrong-doing.
Montana Family Foundation will tell you that HB 236 is the
State stepping in and telling faith-based programs being run in accordance with
church doctrine “No, you have to use our counseling program” and that this runs
afoul of the First Amendment. This, again, is false and misleading. It should
be noted that none of the Private Alternative Adolescent Residential Program
(PAARP) Administrative Rules will dictate which counseling programs are deemed
acceptable and which are not.
What the Montana Family Foundation wishes you not to know,
specifically in regards to Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch, is that these
facilities, void of any professionally trained staff, haven’t any actual
counseling programs to offer.
Let me provide some perspective - drivers on Montana’s
highways may listen to religious programming on the radio, discuss religious
teachings while driving, and even express their evangelical messages on the
outside of their vehicles.
It is common sense that speed limits on Montana highways are
set up to protect not only the driver of each vehicle, but the passengers in
each vehicle as well. By establishing these speed regulations, the State is not
managing a driver’s actions, assuming ownership of their vehicle, or dictating
what type of car each driver should operate. They do, however, dictate the
manner in which the driver operates the vehicle, preserves the safety and
security of their passengers, and provides penalties for exceeding those
safeguards and limitations.
Additionally, each driver is regulated to specific types of
vehicles they are allowed to operate based upon their education and proven
ability to safely operate these vehicles, via the issuance of a classified
driver’s license. None of these regulations are infringing upon the rights of
the driver, have proven to provide the greatest levels of public and passenger
safety, and ultimately are independent of what each driver’s religious
preferences are. Vehicles with religious bumper stickers, or with occupants
discussing religious topics are not exempt from speed and traffic regulations,
simply because these liberties are not in any way connected to each other.
It is the responsibility of this body to ensure the rights
of all Montana citizens, including the assurance that each individual’s right
to a free practice of religion is not infringed. It should be noted, however,
that none of the Private Alternative Adolescent Residential Program (PAARP)
Administrative Rules will, upon the passing of HB 236, restrict the teaching or
practical application any religious principles, but rather enhance these
teachings by providing an assuredly safer and more secure environment for them
to be taught.
The Montana Family Foundation will most likely tell you what
they have told their radio audience in recent days that “this bill, if passed
would immediately be challenged in court”. I hope that you are able to view
this threat for what it is. Do not be swayed toward inaction by threats
stemming from organizations and people whose livelihoods, careers and reputations
are dependent upon their continued ability to operate above and outside the laws
regulating the rest of society.
In regards to HB 236, I plead that you vote “Do Pass”,
allowing the bill to be voted on in the House. This bill not only ensures that
every child in Montana is provided with basic health and safety, but eliminates
the current conditions that allows the most vulnerable and at-risk youth to
become sub-standard citizens with diminished rights.
Make no mistake of the severity of this implication. Currently,
under the adjunct ministry exemption law, children placed both voluntarily and
by court order in faith-based private alternative adolescent residential
programs have less access to communication with family, less protection from
abuse, and less protection from unsafe and harmful environments than Federal
Detainees at Guantanamo Bay, serial and mass murderers, pedophiles, and rapists
in state and federal prisons. Many of these children are simply unwanted. All
of these children are emotionally and physically vulnerable.
Currently, under the adjunct ministry exemption law,
children placed in faith-based facilities have absolutely no way for law
enforcement agencies to be notified of abuse beyond reports submitted by
mandated reporters, many who have testified in recent years that they have been
uneducated about or directly restricted from fulfilling this legal obligation.
Simply put, law enforcement and child protective agencies cannot protect
children they cannot see, and children cannot get help from resources they
cannot contact.
HB 236 in no way violates either the establishment or free
exercise clause of the US Constitution, in no establishes state religious
precedent and in no way restricts any religious teaching, expression or
application
Although the Montana Family Foundation would seek to
distract you with dramatic displays of religious persecution and threats of
legal recourse – HB 236 – an attempt to correct a mistake made 8 years ago –
truly has nothing to do with restricting religious freedom, but everything to
do with ensuring the safety and care of institutionalized children in Montana.
By allowing HB 236 to be voted on in the House, you are
declaring that every child in Montana deserves equal protection under the law,
regardless of where they come from or who happens to be taking care of them.
I thank you for your consideration.
CLICK BELOW TO HEAR MONTANA
FAMILY FOUNDATION MESSAGE
On October 10th, 2012, the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana Foundation communicated a clear message to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. stating:
"The situation at Pinehaven requires an investigation from the Department of Justice."
The two page letter delivered to the US DOJ outlines many of the primary civil rights issues surrounding both voluntary and involuntary residents at Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch.
While this letter is neither a guarantee of investigation nor a continued promise of support from the ACLU, it has the ability to shine a much broader light onto the abuse, neglect and judicial cover ups that have tainted the lives of hundreds of vulnerable children over the past three decades.
I would encourage all to take up the cause of justice with the MT ACLU by printing and mailing this letter to the US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division at:
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
9500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Main
Washington, D.C. 20530
Silence guarantees abuse, neglect and suffering will continue. Standing up and making your voice heard and offers hope and justice a chance to work.
It has been verified by a phone call with Mr. Monty Newlan of Illinois Regional Office of Education #12 that Charlie Duke, the truancy officer that is responsible for trafficking over 30 children to Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch over the past two decades through the Illinois court system, is no longer employed by ROE 12.
Much information has poured in over the past two days regarding the conditions and reasons for Charlie Duke's departure or possible termination from his position as Chief Truancy Officer for ROE 12, including his refusal to disassociate himself with Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch. PinehavenAbuse.org, however, has been unable to verify this information.
Additional information has been received that Bob Larsson has offered Charlie Duke a full-time position at Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch, but this information also has also yet to be verified.
One thing is clear. Charlie Duke's ability to feed the Pipeline To Pinehaven with children caught up in the Illinois court systems has come to an end. While victims of this trafficking operation still remain incarcerated at Pinehaven, it can be hoped, and possible assumed, that future action will be taken to ensure the safety and proper treatment of these children - if not by the State of Montana, then by the State of Illinois.
While the fight for the safety, security and well-being for institutionalized children in Montana, and Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch specifically, is far from over - we can take comfort and joy in this briefest of moments knowing that progress and change are not only possible, but inevitable.
Keep strong, carry on, and spread this great news!
The following is a public letter from Carly Lofland (a former resident of Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch) to Bob Larsson:
In early June, I had had enough. My life seemed to be slipping away from me. Every relationship I had was going downhill, and my life just seemed to be going nowhere. I felt very lost. I felt very alone. I needed to find someplace where I could just relax and feel at peace. I could only think of one place and that was Kootenai Christian Camp. My memories of Kootenai Camp were the only happy moments I could recall in a very long time so I thought if I went there I might feel better.
Carly Lofland
I didn’t have very much money and wasn’t sure how I would get to Montana to work at camp, or even if they needed help so I called Bob Larsson to see if I would be able to go an help. I didn’t get Bob, but his wife Nancy took a message and Bob called me back a couple days later when he was actually here in Indiana picking up another kid for Pinehaven. I told Bob that I wanted to work at camp for the Senior and Intermediate weeks and what he told me made me feel very manipulated and taken advantage of. Bob told me that if I wanted to work at camp that I had to email him a letter telling about the good things I was doing since leaving Pinehaven. He told me to write about all the good and my goals and what I wanted to do in my life. He told me that Jon Larsson an Kelvin Jones needed this to determine if I would be a good fit. He said after I sent it they would let me know if I could come. He said that they would have to check to see if a group was coming out to work at Pinehaven from my area so that I could come with them. I don’t want to be at Pinehaven, only at camp, but I didn’t talk about that with him. After I got off the phone I wasn’t sure what to do. I don’t support the way that Pinehaven is ran and I knew that if I wrote the letter he asked for that he would use it to say that Pinehaven was a good place and that I thought it had changed my life and helped me. I don’t think this is true and I don’t agree with the way Pinehaven is ran. I was never abused physically, but I was abused emotionally and mentally all the time. I was manipulated there just like I am being manipulated now, even though I am long gone. The things is, I REALLY wanted to go to Kootenai Camp to help out. I still have brothers and sisters at Pinehaven, and seeing them at camp would let me talk to them and maybe help them out. They would be able to see me as a normal person and maybe feel good that one day they will get to be normal too. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Bob is trying to use what I feeling and what is basically my needs to serve his purpose. He wants to make me say what he wants me to say. He wants to keep control of me and my life. I think this is crazy. I am now an adult and I need to make my own decisions. I need to speak for myself and I need to not let people make me do things I don’t want to do or say things I don’t want to say. The truth about my life after Pinehaven is not what Bob Larsson wants to tell all his supporters. The truth is that since leaving, I have struggled to make decision on my own. I have always looked to other people to tell me what to do. I have struggled to stand up for myself and have let people walk all over me. I have a hard time feeling that I deserve all these hard times because I’m not a very good person.
Bob Larsson
Instead of writing a letter for Bob about my life because of Pinehaven, I am writing this to say that that I am going to live my life the best I can and stand up for myself even though Pinehaven tried to keep control of me and treat me like I was not worth having a good life. Even though they told me that I did not deserve good things because I was a bad kid, I am going to go and live a good life and achieve great things. If Bob tries to force you to write one of his letters before giving you anything or helping you, don’t do it. You don’t need Bob Larsson to have a good life or good things. You don’t need Bob’s approval. If Bob is showing you letters from kids who say how good Pinehaven is, please think about how he got those letters. I know that kids write those letters before leaving in fear of not being able to leave if they do not. They are also written right after leaving before kids are able to understand how they had been abused like me. Please do not believe everything Bob Larsson tells you. - Carly Lofland
When light is shed upon darkness, the truth of what lies within is revealed.
The days of Bob Larsson and Pinehaven Christian Children's Ranch operating under the radar of local awareness are over. In the coming weeks, local Lake County Residents will finally be introduced to the sickening truth of what has been happening for 35 years in their own backyard.
Cassie Casteel (currently incarcerated at Pinehaven)
There are days when good triumphs, lies and deceit are overcome with truth, and children are protected from evil. Today was not one of those days. Today, in a courthouse in southern Illinois, for no fault of her own, a child was further incarcerated 1,800 miles away from her home to the historically abusive, unlicensed facility in Northwest Montana known as Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch.
Since being ordered back to Illinois by a judge on March 28th, 2012, Cassie Casteel has been completely isolated from the outside world, including correspondence by both phone and mail from her mother. Built upon a precedent of “negative influence”, Cassie’s mother Paula Bowen was not allowed by either Pinehaven, Charlie Duke (Richland County Truancy Officer) or Lynn Wells (Richland County Probation Officer and Cassie’s Guardian Ad Litem) to speak to her daughter on the phone, nor have any written correspondence delivered – a condition not revealed to Cassie, who had to sit in Montana thinking her mother didn’t even care enough to write. Even beyond this fact, the secret change to the initial agreement for Cassie to return on June 5th was kept from her mother, who spent that entire day sitting at home waiting for Cassie’s arrival – only to call Lynn Wells in the late afternoon and be informed that “Cassie was never coming back on the 5th” and “if you want to see her, you can see her in court on the 15th”. This all occurred, of course, after the harassing incident involving Bob Larsson showing up at Paula’s place of employment that we reported a month ago.
The court proceedings today provided a perfect opportunity for Bob Larsson and his team of court-appointed associates in Richland County, IL to take full advantage of their exclusive contact with, and complete mental, psychological and spiritual control of Cassie. From the start, Bob Larsson was once again able to paint a mental picture of Pinehaven as beautiful and spotless as the scenic views it provides. Without any requirement of proof, or any objection to its truth, Pinehaven was presented by Bob Larsson, Charlie Duke and Lynn Wells as a perfect oasis of love, solace and, of course, spiritual growth.
Bob Larsson, Director of Pinehaven
As Bob Larsson took the stand, speaking softly into the microphone in the monotonic fashion that has served him so well over the years speaking in front of churches, the courtroom heard praises for Cassie’s progress including her allegedly wonderful advancements in school, her clearly visible smile, and her love of Montana life. The description of Cassie’s wonderful life at Pinehaven included her involvement in ranch activities, schoolwork, and with great repetition, her anticipation for this summer’s recreational activities at Kootenai Christian Camp. Bob spoke of his first interactions with Cassie when he took her to Pinehaven with the utmost regard for her integrity, citing a sales receipt that showed how he had handed her twenty dollars in the airport to get something to eat, and that she returned with the exact change, then oddly reporting that “now she lies before she tells the truth”. Bob continued extolling Cassie’s virtues at Pinehaven by describing how she had become so happy and only experienced sadness when her mother communicated “negativity” through phone calls or letters. A letter was produced by Bob Larsson, written by the Croans, Cassie’s houseparents. This letter predictably continued to praise Cassie’s wonderful nature and level of undefined progress, simply stating that every influence at Pinehaven was bringing joy and satisfaction to her life, from the mountain views to the work, but that everything back home and the influences stemming from her family were constantly bring her down and causing her to backslide in her progress.
Only a few inquiries were produced by Paula’s court-appointed public defender regarding the nature of Pinehaven’s program, to which vague responses were given, and only one concise answer was provided, and promptly ignored by the court. When asked if Pinehaven has any licensed or professionally trained counselors on staff which Cassie could access, Bob Larsson began a long description of the way in which Pinehaven helps children, but never answered the question. When pressed again, he simply answered, “No”. When asked if Cassie was still being provided her medicine prescribed by a licensed psychiatrist, Bob responded that she had been removed from these prescriptions “by an M.D.” and that “she is much happier now that she is off them”. When asked if she was provided earplugs while swimming to prevent damage because of the tubes in her ears, Bob replied that he “didn’t know she had tubes in her ears”.
Following Bob Larsson’s riveting presentation of Pinehaven and the wonderful things they were doing for Cassie including providing her with needed dental work, he was allowed to leave the stand, and was immediately followed in his praises for his program by Charlie Duke and Lynn Wells.
Charlie Duke
Charlie Duke’s speech reporting his faith, trust, amazement and appreciation for Pinehaven was truly worthy of an orator’s award for passion and apparent authority. He left no question in the eyes of the court that Pinehaven was the finest behavioral treatment facility availability. He made it apparent that his individual interests in Cassie’s well-being and improvement was not only being closely monitored, but reported on a frequent basis. Quickly shifting from his praises of Pinehaven, Charlie began to paint a very dire picture of Cassie’s mother, describing her actions and communications as “negative” and “harmful to Cassie’s progress”. Without providing any sources for reference, Charlie let the court know in no uncertain terms that Paula’s strained relationship with the Croans was damaging Cassie’s progress, and needed to be closely monitored. He then informed the court that Paula’s communication was only cut off after she had allegedly made a reference to Cassie about CNN (which actually never occurred). Along with Lynn Wells, he assured the court that remaining at Pinehaven was in Cassie’s best interest.
Charlie Duke then began to build his plan for Cassie’s future in a manner that would allow him and Lynn Wells to completely control every aspect of Cassie’s communication with not only her family, but any influences outside the Pinehaven cattle guard. He outlined a plan whereby all future letters would be routed through Lynn Wells to be monitored for anything “negative” (a word now synonymous with any comment that objects to or does not 100% agree with Pinehaven’s operations). Additionally, it was recommended that Cassie spending any time with her family now, while she was already in Illinois, would a) cause Bob Larsson to have to pay a fee on the return airfare scheduled for Saturday June, 16th, and b) would interfere with Bob Larsson’s upcoming schedule, that Cassie would return to Montana, and that Paula should only be allowed to visit Cassie on Pinehaven property in July, when Charlie Duke takes a church group to Pinehaven on a short-term missions trip. It was clear that Pinehaven, in association with their court-appointed advocates – had no intention of allowing Cassie to be exposed to anything outside of their control.
What happened next was the most alarming.
Without any prompting or recommendation from Paula, her public defender took to the podium and announced that, “Although Paula and her family want Cassie home, she understands that it is in Cassie’s best interest that she remain at Pinehaven, and she looks forward to rebuilding her relationship with the Croans and visiting Cassie at Pinehaven in July”. In absolute amazement, Paula sat in her chair, feeling completely helpless, demonized, and taken advantage of.
Over the next hour, following a short break, Cassie’s fate was sealed. It was ordered by the court that she would return to Pinehaven on her scheduled flight, and would only be allowed to visit with her family that afternoon. The court agreed to fund her flight to Montana in July to spend a week with Cassie on Pinehaven property with Charlie Duke’s Mission Trip.
An armed sheriff deputy stood in the room during their visit
Following the hearing, Cassie was taken to Charlie Duke’s office where she was allowed to visit with her family for about four hours under the supervision of an armed Sheriff’s Deputy. Lynn Wells supplied some pizza, and the family was able to sit and chat, hug and laugh for a few hours till Charlie Duke came to take Cassie away to Vincennes, Indiana, where she would spend the night before flying back to Montana. Various details about this visit clearly demonstrate the indoctrination and coercion inflicted upon Cassie by Pinehaven, Bob Larsson, Charlie Duke and Lynn Wells in order to get her to say the things they want her to say, but we are unable to disclose the specifics at this time in fear of retribution to Cassie by Pinehaven staff.
BUT SHE’S DOING GREAT…
Throughout this torturously deceiving court hearing, one message was clearly being pushed by Pinehaven and their Richland County advocates – Cassie is doing great! This message was presented and blindly accepted by Judge Dunn without a single shred of proof. Not a single document.
The actual evidence, however, was not only sitting right in front of them the whole time, but tells a completely different story.
“Cassie is doing great in school!”
Cassie is being required to take “summer school” in order to complete the work (5 workbooks equivalent to half a school quarter’s work) that was not completed in order for her to advance to the ninth grade starting next year. This plan reveals severe problems with her academic achievements, completely contrary to the testimonies provided by Bob Larsson and Charlie Duke.
“Cassie is happier off her medicine”
Self-inflicted "cutting" scars on Cassie's left and right wrists
Just last February, Cassie revealed to her mom in a letter earlier this year that she was cutting herself. The scars on both of her wrists (present in the courtroom, but never addressed) prove this to be true, and self-inflicted in February 2012, only five months after being removed from her psychiatric prescriptions in accordance with Pinehaven’s dangerously archaic policies on medical care – they tell a story that has been ignored by judicial and legislative authorities across the country for decades. Pinehaven’s history of self-inflicted wounding and attempted suicides by children has been diligently covered up, and is documented in affidavits by former staff. Combined with a complete lack of mental health resources and a faith-only approach to emotional stability, Cassie is truly in danger at Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch.
FACTS ARE STILL THE FACTS
1) Cassie (who has a history of suicide attempts, and is a victim of sexual abuse) was removed from a local, licensed, professional psychiatric medical facility where she was being supervised and treated by psychiatrists and licensed counselors and had the opportunity to visit with, and rebuild strong key relationships with her family. She was incarcerated 1,800 miles away from home in an unlicensed, religiously extreme behavioral modification program with no documented treatment program, no progress reporting, a history of sexual and physical abuse by staff, and a complete disregard for any medical or psychiatric science.
2) This removal was based entirely upon the recommendation and facilitation of Richland County, IL Truancy Officer, Charlie Duke. Charlie Duke has no qualifications for this referral beyond his religious relationship with Bob Larsson as his “surrogate father”.
3) In an email distributed by Bob Larsson to churches and supporters throughout the US in response to his appearance on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, Bob revealed the reasons why Richland County was entrusting their juvenile foster and correctional cases to Pinehaven when he stated “The truant officer has private sources available to pay travel costs, but pays some of the costs personally. Having no tuition charges also helps underfunded public agencies.”
Ask yourself if the actions of Richland County, IL were performed in “the best interest of Cassie” or were actions performed in best interest of Bob Larsson and his financial empire known as Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch, or even to diminish their expenses for providing proper juvenile treatment for children under their custody?
Ask yourself if the unprecedented restrictions on contact and visitation with her family, in line with the harassing intimidation tactics last month, were done as punishment for speaking out on CNN about Pinehaven?
Ask yourself….is Cassie’s safety, health and future being used as collateral in a publicity battle for a financially suffering Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch?
When you’ve answered these questions, share your answers with the world.
A vocal opponent of Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch, an
unlicensed and unregulated faith-based behavioral modification program in
Northwest Montana, where her daughter is currently being held by an Illinois
court-order, Paula Bowen has worked very hard to protest this placement, and
shed light upon the abuses that have and currently take place at this isolative
facility.
Paula has not been allowed to speak to her daughter for
nearly a month following her appearance on CNN and the announcement that Cassie
was to be returned home for a court hearing in June. Just before Easter, during
their last phone call, Paula revealed to her daughter, joyfully, that she had
just been hired at a small hotel in Flora, IL. Beyond this, nobody including
the court system, was made aware of her place of employment.
This afternoon, April 28th, 2012 – Paula looked
up from behind the reception counter at the hotel she worked at – to stare in
the face of Bob Larsson.
Bob Larsson
Bob attempted to act like he “recognized her from somewhere”,
and then began to inquire about her communications with the author of this
blog, James Mason. Although Paula repeatedly told Bob Larsson that she “was on
the clock and couldn’t discuss these matters right now”, Bob Larsson continued
to press her for information, even attempting to shift her paradigm of the
author’s viewpoints. In rather quick fashion, Bob Larsson produced a graduation
photo of James Mason, complete with a sentiment written on the back, dating
over a decade to 2000.
Bob continued to press Paula for
information, and finally Paula gave in saying “I get off around 2am, if you
want to talk then, fine.” Unsatisfactory to Bob and his pending schedule for
the evening, he digressed and retired to his room.”
Considerations:
1) A simple internet search reveals Bob Larsson’s
weekend itinerary. This evening’s presentation (4/28/2012) will be taking place
at West Union Christian Church in West Union, IL (78 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes
from Flora, IL). Tomorrow’s presentation will be taking place at FranklinHeights Christian Church in Vincennes, IN (58 miles, 1 hour 5 minutes from
Flora, IL).
2)Bob Larsson revealed to Paula that he was
returning to Montana with a new resident (a girl) from Salem, IL (25 miles, 30
minutes from Flora, IL).
3)Paula Bowen does not live in Flora, IL,
rather in Olney, IL. Nobody would have any knowledge of her employment in
Flora, IL (a town consisting of only two hotels), except her immediate
family, and those who may have eavesdropped or monitored her phone calls with
her daughter.
This much is clear:
1)Following CNN’s report, and the subsequent order
for Cassie Casteel to be returned to Illinois for a hearing - Pinehaven
Christian Children’s Ranch, and Bob Larsson in particular, is under
unprecedented pressure to maintain their financial and organizational strength
in Illinois.
2)Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch, and Bob
Larsson in particular, is willing to do anything, including harassing the
parent of a soon to be removed resident – in order to maintain their control
upon this region.
3)Much like the majority of unregulated policies,
the monitoring of communication between parents and residents of Pinehaven
Christian Children’s Ranch is conducted for the sole benefit of the
administration and staff of Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch, to the
purpose of upholding organizational survival – not for the benefit and progress
of residents.
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