So reads the title of a very disturbing piece in the New York Times. At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity discusses problems with the group homes in New York.
Nearly 40 years after New York emptied its scandal-ridden warehouses for the developmentally disabled, the far-flung network of small group homes that replaced them operates with scant oversight and few consequences for employees who abuse the vulnerable population.
Not only is there abuse, but perpetrators are often not charged.
A New York Times investigation over the past year has found widespread problems in the more than 2,000 state-run homes. In hundreds of cases reviewed by The Times, employees who sexually abused, beat or taunted residents were rarely fired, even after repeated offenses, and in many cases, were simply transferred to other group homes run by the state.
Sounds like the stories of abuse by Priests in the Catholic Church in a way, doesn’t it? Abuser is uncovered and moved rather than fired or prosecuted.
The Times puts a good share of the blame for protecting the perpretrators on the uniion:
The state initiated termination proceedings in 129 of the cases reviewed but succeeded in just 30 of them, in large part because the workers’ union, the Civil Service Employees Association, aggressively resisted firings in almost every case. A few employees resigned, even though the state sought only suspensions.
The story is fairly long, and very saddening to say the least. While a difficult read, it is an important one.
Left Brain Right Brain 
40 years after New York emptied its scandal-ridden warehouses for the developmentally disabled, the far-flung network of small group homes that replaced them operates with scant oversight and few consequences for employees who abuse the vulnerable population [NYT say]
SICK, Sick, sick…it was hard to read the whole article…from USA coast to coast (LA to NY)…our children and friends are abused…we now take two steps back with programs cuts and threatened POS(purchase of service) cost (not quality) standards…way to go CA/america.
except for the affluent society (and sometimes even them) this is the fate of our children/friends.
stanley seigler
this is and old history,I hope someone will really look how our tax maney, medicaid money will be spent. Hope NY not to continue porring thousands of money to poor caring, poor trained staff working with this vulnerable population. If so much money is spent year by year at least someone should seriously oversee that our developmentally disabled individuals are treated with care and respect
Stanley: “SICK, Sick, sick…it was hard to read the whole article…from USA coast to coast (LA to NY)…our children and friends are abused…we now take two steps back with programs cuts and threatened POS cost (not quality) standards…way to go CA/america.”
Count Finland in with that lot as well, Stanley. It’s a shit-hole here. The services here are all ‘yes, we’re SO much better than Russia!’ But that’s not exactly an achievement is it? It’s like me saying I’m better looking that Boris Yeltsin… even if I was, it’s not exactly a brilliant result.