Sunday, April 13, 2008

Message To Family Court Victims - Read This Book!



From Dr. Stephen Baskerville, political science...

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:09 AM

    well i dont know about any of that but i was a victim of foster care and i was living at Sabl Arbor Ranch for girls. Sabl Arbor was a group home believed to be ran by an awesome lady with a good home that is suppose to benefit these young ladies. Well sadly enough, it was nothing as it appeared to be. There was no form of physical or sexual abuse, but there was however emotional abuse; and a lot of it! I only lived at Sabl Arbor for about 6 months and I can honestly admit that those were probably the most difficult times in my life. While I was there my best friend sent me two letters that were never given to me, when my friends would call me, Sandy Harkness, the lady who ran the group home, would tell them that I wasn't there even though i barely ever got the opportunity to leave the house. She never told me that they called. I was left there to believe that there wassn't a single person that I loved and cared about that cared about me back. I felt alone, and isolated. I was lied to numorous times, and I remember when I would read my court reports that I would just get so angry, because there was barely an ounce of truth in there. I was made to believe that I was some terrible child that needed to be locked up and away from all of the people that I needed most in this world; the people I loved. It was extremely hurtful to be so isolated. but that was the way she liked it. And by "she" I mean Sandy Harkness. She didn't want the girls there to be able to go home, she wanted them to stay there with her and she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, no matter how much pain she enforced on others; it just didn't matter to her. She had told me that my social worker didn't want me on her case anymore and that she was going to switch me over to Lassen County (where the group home was located). I even remember listening to a conversation she was having with her husband. She was telling him that I wasn't ever going to be able to return home and while she spoke her cold words, she was laughing. I just sat there quietly and began to cry. I didn't know what else to do. Nobody bothered to listen to me or anything I had to say so I just sat there and remained hopeless. That was probably one of the worst days of my life. Well, my story does take a good turn and save me with a fortunate ending. I finally was able to return to my home with all of my loved ones that i no longer take for granted, and now I'm finally beginning to get my life back on track to where I know it should be. I actually called Sandy not that long ago, because I wanted her to return all of the things that she had taken from me. I wanted all of my pictures of my friends and family, my digital camera, and my clothing.Well, unfortunately she told me that I didn't have a digital camera and that she doesn't know what happened to my other things, and obviously I was very upset about this. I mean, I think I would know whether or not I had a digital camera and as far as the other things go, well my pictures were very important to me too so I was angry about that. The thing that made me upset the most though was when I asked for my friend who is still currently living there. We had shared the same social worker and I wanted to speak to her to see how she was doing. Well, when I asked about her, Sandy told me that she no longer lived there and that she had moved to Yuba City with her sister. I found out that was a lie. I spoke to Sandy today and I asked her once again if my friend was there. She replied "Oops, i guess she is here" so I then asked her why she had lied to me before and with a nasty voice once again she replied "I lied because I can"..."and I wanted to prove to you that can do so since you already know I can anyway." This made me very upset. It is true that she has the power to do things like that but still it does not make it right by any means and I believe that somebody needs to stand up and speak. That is where we as people come into play. We should not allow things like this to be happening. Most of the kids who arrived at Sandy's house are good people. They are good people who have been made to believe otherwise, and who feel confused and helpless in the world. I am writing this right now for all of the young people who have had similar experiences but who are too afraid to stand up for what they believe in. So i want to know your opinion. Do you believe that this lady should be able to take kids into her home and keep her group home going? Well I am curious as to find out what you think. My name is Jessica and I am 14 years old, and if anybody out there ever happens to read this I want to know what you think. My email address is flashy.j@hotmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:18 AM

    well i dont know about any of that but i was a victim of foster care and i was living at Sabl Arbor Ranch for girls. Sabl Arbor was a group home believed to be ran by an awesome lady with a good home that is suppose to benefit these young ladies. Well sadly enough, it was nothing as it appeared to be. There was no form of physical or sexual abuse, but there was however emotional abuse; and a lot of it! I only lived at Sabl Arbor for about 6 months and I can honestly admit that those were probably the most difficult times in my life. While I was there my best friend sent me two letters that were never given to me, when my friends would call me, Sandy Harkness, the lady who ran the group home, would tell them that I wasn't there even though i barely ever got the opportunity to leave the house. She never told me that they called. I was left there to believe that there wassn't a single person that I loved and cared about that cared about me back. I felt alone, and isolated. I was lied to numorous times, and I remember when I would read my court reports that I would just get so angry, because there was barely an ounce of truth in there. I was made to believe that I was some terrible child that needed to be locked up and away from all of the people that I needed most in this world; the people I loved. It was extremely hurtful to be so isolated. but that was the way she liked it. And by "she" I mean Sandy Harkness. She didn't want the girls there to be able to go home, she wanted them to stay there with her and she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, no matter how much pain she enforced on others; it just didn't matter to her. She had told me that my social worker didn't want me on her case anymore and that she was going to switch me over to Lassen County (where the group home was located). I even remember listening to a conversation she was having with her husband. She was telling him that I wasn't ever going to be able to return home and while she spoke her cold words, she was laughing. I just sat there quietly and began to cry. I didn't know what else to do. Nobody bothered to listen to me or anything I had to say so I just sat there and remained hopeless. That was probably one of the worst days of my life. Well, my story does take a good turn and save me with a fortunate ending. I finallywas able to return to my home with all of my loved ones that i no longer take for granted, and now I'm finally beginning to get my life back on track to where I know it should be. I actually called Sandy not that long ago, because I wanted her to return all of the things that she had taken from me. I wanted all of my pictures of my friends and family, my digital camera, and my clothing that she never returned to me. Well, unfortunately she told me that I didn't have a digital camera and that she doesn't know what happened to my other things, and obviously I was very upset about this. I mean, I think I would know whether or not I had a digital camera and as far as the other things go, well my pictures were very important to me too so I was angry about that too. The thing that made me upset the most though was when I asked for my friend who is still currently living there. We had shared the same social worker and I wanted to speak to her to see how she was doing. Well, when I asked about her, Sandy told me that she no longer lived there and that she had moved to Yuba City with her sister. I found out that was a lie. I spoke to Sandy today and I asked her once again if my friend was there. She replied "Oops, i guess she is here" so I then asked her why she had lied to me before and with a nasty voice once again she replied "I lied because I can"..."and I wanted to prove to you that can do so since you already know I can anyway." This made me very upset. It is true that she has the power to do things like that but still it does not make it right by any means and I believe that somebody needs to stand up and speak. That is where we as people come into play. We should not allow things like this to be happening. Most of the kids who arrived at Sandy's house are good people. They are good people who have been made to believe otherwise, and who feel confused and helpless in the world. I am writing this right now for all of the young people who have had similar experiences but who are too afraid to stand up for what they believe in. So i want to know your opinion. Do you believe that this lady should be able to take kids into her home and keep her group home going? Well I am curious as to find out what you think. My name is Jessica and I am 14 years old, and if anybody out there ever happens to read this I want to know what you think. My email address is flashy.j@hotmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2:42 PM

    that shit is hella true i was there for over 2 1/2 years. being there was really difficult, they dont help you like they say. You dont do shit except school. You have to earn the right to go shopping, even after you do everything for her, (sandy). She takes away family visits, doesnt let you talk to ur family when they. Or when they call and ur not there her or the staff dont tell you that anyone called. So you think that you have nobody when you do but they dont want you talking to anyone on the outs. Youre isolated the only people you see are the ones in the group home.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:50 PM

    I was at the group home on two different occasions and ended up finally running away from there. Sandy passed away last week so no one has to worry about her any more!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous6:28 PM

    your guys are idiots
    you didn't get help because you didn't want help
    sandy was a wonderful woman who treat me while I was there for almost a year and half right. I admit to my fuck ups maybe that's where you guys need to do. its a group home not a vacation , you have to earn shit and expect it be giving to you

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:28 PM

    your guys are idiots
    you didn't get help because you didn't want help
    sandy was a wonderful woman who treat me while I was there for almost a year and half right. I admit to my fuck ups maybe that's where you guys need to do. its a group home not a vacation , you have to earn shit and expect it be giving to you

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great news that Sandy died, good ridence!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great news that Sandy is dead. She was a controlling evil woman.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous12:55 PM

    Wow you didnt get help beca use you didnt want it. Sandy changed my life in such an amazing way.her and her family tought me how to trust, to believe and to love. Rip gone but never forgotten not a day goes by that I don't think of you.until we meet again

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:57 PM

    Wtf who the hell says that.certainly hope no one says that when you gone

    ReplyDelete