Letter from mother, Dawn Chase

From: Secretary DJJ
Date: 4/16/2007 6:44:47 AM
To: Willow Dawn; Secretary DJJ
Cc: Isabelle Zehnder; Mark Caldwell; Cathy Cory
Subject: RE: Abuse at Dozier Justin Caldwell, Christopher Sholly

Thank you ! I'M SO SORRY FOR ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED AND WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE CHANGES AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

-----Original Message-----
From: Willow Dawn [mailto:willowdawn1962@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 1:41 AM
To: Secretary DJJ
Cc: Isabelle Zehnder; Mark Caldwell; Cathy Cory
Subject: Abuse at Dozier Justin Caldwell, Christopher Sholly

Dear Mr. McNeil,

I'm also writing to you due to the horrible abuse my son and other's have suffered while in DJJ, This includes the facilities Of Dozier, Greenville HIlls Academy, and Okaloosa Youth Development Center.

There are names that have been named years ago by my Son, and these Staff members are mentioned in his Diary.

Here is a direct link to my Son's diary. I now have a law suite pending against this State for the cruel and inhumane Treatment that has left my son suffering now with severe emotional problems, and has been diagnosed with Post traumatic Stress disorder, and is now on medication and treatment under a Doctors care.

For years I have tried to tell this Department of all the abuse and treatment that my son went through, and What he also witnessed. My son was also falsely accused of hitting a staff member with only 20 days left till he Was to come home. He too was direct filed into the adult system at the age of 17, and suffered in Indian River
Correctional Institute, where he was beaten. I cannot believe the gross treatment and neglect that our youth suffer from in this state, and many of them in for Minor "KID" actions.

Please read my Son's diary

You may then scroll down, and read his entries also here..

The names I have of those that abused my son, and his story about how they abused him are in his diary.. I'll list them here as well. These men and woman need to be removed from our facilities.

Greenville Hills Merrit Cottage 2002

Mr. Jones
Damien Choice
Mr. Bleu (Blue)
Ms. Thompson
Rodney Baynard
Mr. Mactear
Ms. Dickie
Ms. Hopkins
Mr. Joseph
Mr. Williams

John Tallon at this time, he was the Northwest Regional Director
Okaloosa Development Center
Mr. Robinson
Mr. Winston
Marvin Bliss

Dozier School for boys

Mr. Miller
Mr. Zanders
Mr. Spears
Mr. Spates(Speight)??? Spelling
Ms. Harvey
Timothy Justice
Gavin Tucker
ED LEEKS... he has since retired, and needs to have his pension taken from him!!
Mr. Williams this is the staff member that accused my son of hitting him... where the tape came up missing or was
un viewable.
JC White

I will be calling these facilities to make sure they are fired from DJJ, with a NO REHIRE classification, and I want charges bought up on the people that my son mentioned.

I also would like to be able to reach some of the boys that were abused by staff that were mentioned. I and my attorney need to contact Tyler Clarrey, and Anthony Johnson.

Some of these staff have even been promoted to superintendants since their abuse of my son and others. Some have been transferred to other facilities, and I do know where some are.

I will be giving my son's story to the media as well. These people are the scum of DJJ, and they don't care about these kids. They do nothing but hurt them, mentally and physically. As of now.. my son will never be able to hold a job and keep it.
He is on SSI as well. I intend to make sure DJJ and this rotten State compensate him and his family for what you all put us all through!!!!!!!!! I will never stop and will work to make sure a major reform of all policies and programs are fixed and changed! I am in close contact with Mark Caldwell, and will go to Tallahassee with him if and when the time comes. Something has got to change.. these kids need to be given an amount of time in a program, and come home... not have any extentions or starting over!!! The staff need to know that should they lay a hand on any child, charges will be pressed.

I'm sick of hearing of all the abuse going on. I sat in on a conference call with John Tallon, Timothy Justice, a few weeks ago,concerning Justin Caldwell, and told them that I knew exactly what they were doing, and they both lied to me, stating that they would make sure that an honest investigation would be done.. I see now that at the beginning of it, this was not done, and they were going to sweep everything under the rug as they did to my son as well.

When a parent rocks the boat, and reports abuse going on.. wether it is on their own child or another as I did and Mark Caldwell did, retaliation, and false charges are pressed on the child. Abuse anywhere should be reported without the fear or retaliation.

This abuse has been going on at Dozier for many years. A well known Author by the name of Roger Kiser, who writes in the books "chicken soup for the soul" was a boy at Dozier... abused severely as well. He has writeen testimony on this.

It is up to you to make changes in all policies and procedure. If things do not change, then there will be more abused children, and more deaths.

I intend to sue this state on behalf of my son, and I won't stop there till major changes are made.

Mark Caldwell has also contacted Vice President Dick Cheaney and he is well aware of the atrocities here in the Florida DJJ system... It does not work. If you wish to speak to me, I would appreciate your call.

Sincerely
Dawn Chase
Christopher Sholly's Mother
850-983-6777