Charles' WWASP Article

Tranquility Bay, located in the small town of Treasure Beach, Jamaica, is a facility where mostly American children, between the ages of 12 and 19, are locked down and controlled for every moment of their day. Tranquility Bay is under the umbrella of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS), which has had all of its overseas facilities, except Tranquility Bay, raided and shutdown amid abuse allegations. Reforming children’s poor academic performances, behavior problems, family troubles, and gravitation towards negative peer groups are the stated reasons for Tranquility Bay’s existence (http://tranquilitybay.org/faq.php?id=1). The effectiveness and ethics of the methods used to obtain the desired reformation, though, is questionable at best. Many professionals and former students of the program attest to a lifestyle at the facility which seemingly counter acts any benefits which could be obtained.

The New York Times refers to the reputation of Tranquility Bay, within the network of behavior modification facilities, as, “the harshest of them all” (Weiner 2003); Alternet.org describes it as, “a barbed-wire discipline facility” (Gorenfeld); and The Observer stated, “It is basically a private detention camp” (Aitkenhead). Many observers, with no direct involvement, would come to the same conclusion. It is evidenced by the aggressive restraining practices, lack of proper education, separation from family, improperly trained staff (if trained at all); including the absence of psychologists or others trained to deal with “troubled youths.” It should also be noted that before sending a child to Tranquility Bay, the child’s guardian signs a waiver allowing for the use of equipment such as pepper spray, electrical devices and chain restraints. (Cite Source)

I’ve seen the director of the facility doing it himself, restraining a kid. We were walking up from night head count and we could hear screaming; you always heard screaming, that was… That was an everyday, many times a day thing; you would be sitting in school or you would be trying to go to sleep and you would hear a kid being restrained and he would just be screaming his lungs out from pain…(Kravig)

This was the testimony of Aaron Kravig, who was court-ordered to complete the program. It echoes experiences many at the facility have had with Tranquility Bay’s restraining system. Jay Kay, Tranquility Bay’s director, states that restraints are rarely used; when they are used, though, they are done in a room called “Observation Placement (O.P.),” which is meant to calm a student down. Observation Placement, recalled from personal experience, is a room where 2-6 kids are forced to lay on the ground face first, hands to their sides and feet straight out, for days and even months at a time, only allowed up for two meals a day and to sleep. Layne Brown (a student in 1997) recalls a much different experience than what Mr. Kay describes, also.

At least five muscular staff members subdued him, twisting his arms behind his back past the point where his wrists touched his shoulders, Brown said. The staff then used the pepper spray, he said. Brown estimated such attacks occurred three times a day and for as long as three or four months.

During that time, the teens were forced to defecate and urinate in black garbage bags tied around their waists like diapers, Brown said. Staff members dragged Brown across the cement floor facedown, resulting in a chipped tooth and scars on his shoulders, knees and chin, he said. One staff member used a hard-bristle toilet brush to "scrub" his body and genitals, he said. (http://www.isaccorp.org/wwasps/lbrownspeaks.pdf)

There is not much left to say about what Layne describes. There is no therapeutic or disciplinary value in the abuse sustained or the humiliation he was subjected to.
Another failing of Tranquility Bay is the education provided. It’s ironic that a stated reason for a child being sent there is poor academics; yet, the school issues diplomas that are essentially the equivalent of a prison diploma (Cite source tbfight). In fact, a high school diploma received from Tranquility Bay is not even accepted at the University of Washington. There is good reason too; According to the International Survivors Action Committee (ISAC), “Tranquility Bay has no certified teachers” (Cite Source). Also, the accrediting organization, The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS), is based in Boise, Idaho (2800 miles away). NAAS is not even recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; moreover, it accredited WWASPS’ facilities in Costa Rica and Mexico which ended up being raided and shut down by the respective governments, amid child abuse allegations. If history is any indication, NAAS is not watching over their accredited schools very well.

Besides the relevancy of the diploma the kids receive, we should also look at the quality of education actually received. Unfortunately, this too is miserable. It is possible that a student at Tranquility Bay does get a decent education, but only if they decide to do so, and only if the books they are reading are sufficient. Since there are no certified teachers, the students there have to rely on “self-study.” They are given the textbooks for their respective classes, and told to learn. Again, this could work in some instances, but seems to be a very basic and non-motivational style of learning. If you recall Aaron Kravig’s testimony, then you will recall that children are screaming from pain at various times throughout the day. The screaming, coupled with a close proximity of the classroom and O.P., creates an environment far from conducive to learning.

A common question that might be asked at this juncture would be: So, why don’t the families pull their children out after they realize what’s going on? The reason is because the families do not realize what is going on. There is an intentional time period in which the child is not allowed direct communications with anyone on the outside of the facility. This time period usually lasts anywhere from 3 months, to over a year. During this time, the only information the parents receive is from the staff, and an occasional letter from the child (which can take up to a month to be delivered in the United States). If a parent receives a letter that is worrisome, the staff responds that the child is “manipulating” them. Manipulation is, in fact, the main excuse WWASPS and Tranquility Bay use to discount the testimony of the children who have attended. Sure, he complained like hell at first,' he recalls fondly. 'Typical case of manipulation, just like they said in the handbook. He said the staff were mean and violent, they beat you, the food is terrible. (Jim Mozingo Parent, The Observer)

In the quote above, Mr. Mozingo is recalling how his son tried to express the negative aspects of the program, early in the program. He points out that the Tranquility Bay handbook, given to parents, already excuses this type of behavior as “manipulative.” That was apparently enough to reassure the father that nothing was wrong. After a sustained time of non-action by a child’s parents, Dr. Charles Huffine believes the child becomes willing to buy into the program as the only option left. This is, in effect, the way Tranquility Bay succeeds in transforming a child’s behavior.

So, in a facility that specializes in dealing with “troubled youth,” you would think there would be trained therapists and psychologists. After all, the kids are being completely separated from their previous life, removed from parental figures, forced to listen to their friends getting beat, possibly getting beat themselves, and nobody they tell will believe them. But no, there are no psychologists or doctor of any kind (except one optometrist), on the facility at all times. Tranquilitybay.org does list one psychologist, but makes no promises on when or how often he will be at the facility. In fact, according to his resume, this man not only is the one psychologist for a couple hundred kids at Tranquility Bay, but is also the one psychologist for a couple hundred more at Spring Creek Lodge in Montana (another WWASPS affiliated program), and was the one psychologist for a couple hundred more at Casa by the Sea in Mexico (a WWASPS affiliated program which was raided and shut down by Mexican authorities amid abuse allegations). During the same period of time he was counseling all those kids in three different countries, he was also: a consulting psychologist for the Lifeline adolescent program in Utah, Walsh and Company in Idaho, the Salt Lake County and city fire departments and the 3rd District Juvenile Court in Utah; he was also the Director of the Brightway Adolescent Hospital in Utah; and finally, the Supervisor of Children’s Assessment and Resource Unit at Valley Mental Health. This was one busy guy. During my stay at Tranquility Bay in 1999, neither this man, nor any other psychologist, was witnessed. I believe it can be safely inferred that one man cannot adequately assume psychological responsibilities for such a large number of children.

I could go on to detail WWASPS’ rebuttals (such as, children lie and the media distorts), but it would only serve as an effort to trivialize the trauma experienced by people like Aaron Kravig and Layne Brown. The fact of the matter is that WWASPS is not suited to handle children. The current director of WWASPS, Ken Kay, said as much to the Rocky Mountain News while he was temporarily disenfranchised from the organization: We could be leading these kids to long-term problems that we don't have a clue about because we're not going about it in the proper way… How in the hell can you call yourself a behavior-modification program — and that's one of the ways it's marketed — when nobody has the experience to determine: Is this good, is this bad?

The simple truth is, if what Aaron and Layne stated is true, there is no excuse in the world that could legitimize the existence of Tranquility Bay. It is true that some children with behavior issues could be served well by a residential program. Dr. Charles Huffine, former President of the …, states that, contrary to WWASPS’ style, it is best to keep a very close family involvement in the process. He believes that separation of the child from the family will create a very deep emotional scar, which is unnecessary in the rebuilding process. The National Mental Health Association had this to say on the subject:

Research has shown that small, community-based programs are more effective and less costly than correctional institutions, for the majority of children who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. Rather than removing children from their families and communities, which only increases their difficulties and sense of marginalization, most youth can be managed in their communities while they receive a full range of rehabilitative services, including mental health and substance abuse treatment.

It’s more than clear that WWASPS and Tranquility Bay are not the answer for rehabilitating a “troubled youth.” The abuse, poor education, separation of family, untrained staff, and lack of proper counseling all contribute to an environment which is more detrimental than beneficial. Will parents and courts learn of this before they send their kids away? So far, it does not look to be the case. Tranquility Bay and WWASPS are receiving more and more kids every day.