From One Citizen to Another: Aversive Therapy

Note: The letter below references a recent hearing held on the Patrick administration’s proposed ban on skin shocks, a practice currently employed at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton. The proposed ban is nearly identical to the budget amendment advanced by Senator Brian Joyce that was defeated by House members during recent conference committee debates.

Dear Editor:

Today at the hearing on Senator Joyce’s bills to ban the torture (sweetly misnamed “aversive therapy”) going on at the Canton Torture Center, I heard so many lies I got dizzy. The funny thing was that all who spoke against the bill were employees or dupes of Matthew Israel. According to Joyce, “it all comes down to money,” with over $400 million in revenue over the past ten years, spent on lawyers and lobbyists and PR firms, “many who are in this room today.” Bless his heart.

So here’s how to lie skillfully: “These parents have used every means possible to solve their children’s behavior problems.” There was nothing recorded about what the process for evaluating their child was, nor what the conditions were at these “other alternative schools” they claimed to try first. Their lies about the qualifications of those who can give these shocks is contradicted by the fact that many of our Canton citizens have worked there with no prerequisites whatsoever, and have been given the power to shock those kids into a continual state of fear.

New York regents were so appalled by the conditions at this shocking, pinching, slapping, starvation “school” that their exported children can no longer be “treated” with these GED devices — delivering shocks that a CNN reporter experienced and described as very painful.

A speaker on human rights spoke to the videotaped spectacle of a staffer just taking out the shocker device as he walked behind a girl skipping down the hall. Children nearby noticing the appearance of the shocking device started screaming, not knowing whether it was to be administered to them or not.

As usual in these hearings on the use of GEDs, the lies about psychotropic drugs were widespread. When that alternative to skin shock was used at all, it was used with highly ambiguous language: “They cause weight gain.” (I’ll take weight gain any day over painful shocks.) “They are very dangerous.” Yes, if not administered and prescribed by neurologists, psychologists and psychiatrists closely monitoring these patients, they can do harm. However, that costs money.

The JRC has already been given a slap on the wrist for claiming the kids were seen by psychologists when they were using people with high school degrees. Someone in the family was hired there, with a degree in graphics, and was told, when she said she wouldn’t shock the students, “You may not now, but later you will.” No, she had more than a high school degree, but she is not a psychologist.

Matthew Israel was forced out of California and fined for claiming to be a psychologist when he wasn’t. Six children have died here in Massachusetts, in Rhode Island, and in California under Israel’s care. Massachusetts is the only state that allows this kind of skin shock therapy. There were lawyers all over the place today. Representative Jeff Sanchez, of course, tortured his nephew by putting him on display. And his dire predictions of what would happen if he didn’t have these shock treatments totally ignored the fact that there are drugs that can help people like his nephew.

They call it the “last hope,” but social workers have been told not to tell these parents about the many other schools in Massachusetts that offer behavioral help without shocking the kids.

This is simply, “Spare the (shocking) rod or spoil the child.” Of course, we in Massachusetts have a history for rationalization of extreme cruelty: We hung witches and pressed others under stones. So it makes sense that people are making loads of money at the JRC. And they were in full howl today, earning it.

There should be some kind of rules at these hearings concerning your right to testify. If you are an employee of a company that may be affected by this bill, you should not be allowed to testify at the same level of regard as other plain citizens.

This barbaric practice is a horrid snake pit to house in our town. I am thoroughly ashamed of our town for allowing it. California kicked Israel out; Rhode Island kicked them out. Why can’t we?

When will they come up with the data to prove their treatment works? They only have papers and anecdotes, but no data that can be scientifically replicated. Just pie charts and stories.

So much lying I heard today, I’m nauseated.

Alice C. Brown

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=7031

Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 3 2011. Filed under Featured Content, From One Citizen to Another, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.