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February 11, 2005
New Attorney
General Sees Federal Role in Oversight of Teen Boot Camps
By: Robert Gehrke
WASHINGTON -
President Bush's new attorney general says the Justice Department
may take a more active role in oversight of boot camp programs for
troubled teens.
 The
comments by Alberto Gonzales (left) came in response to a question
submitted by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on
the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Miller has been
pressing the Justice Department unsuccessfully to investigate
allegations of abuse at World Wide Association of Specialty Programs
(WWASP), a Utah-based chain of programs for at-risk teens.
“Mr. Gonzales'
comments suggest he will be more sensitive to this serious situation
than the Justice Department has been to this point,” Miller said in
a statement. “I will be watching carefully to ensure that he
fulfills the commitments he has made in response to these
questions.”
In his written
responses to questions during his confirmation process, Gonzales
said the Justice Department would work to engage states and
directors of private facilities to ensure children are protected.
If cases of inappropriate or abusive practices cannot be resolved,
they may be referred to the Civil Rights or Criminal divisions at
the department for action, Gonzales said.
Previously, former
Attorney General John Ashcroft had responded to Miller's inquiries
by stating that the department lacked the authority to investigate
abuse allegations at private facilities.
Ken Kay, president
of WWASP, said he has invited Miller's staff to visit the WWASP
schools and would welcome the attorney general if he wanted to
visit, but “unnecessary government intrusion is never the answer.”
“I, and all our
affiliates, maintain that our No. 1 concern is always for the safety
of our students and children in general,” Kay said. “I would be more
than willing to be part of any fact finding committee with members
of the [attorney general's] staff.”
There are seven
schools in the WWASP network, including three in Utah.
One of WWASP's
facilities, Majestic Ranch in northern Utah, was investigated by
state officials three times last year, resulting in one
conviction. Others have been shut down, including Casa By The Sea,
which was closed by Mexican authorities last September.
Last week, a
committee in the Utah Legislature approved a bill sponsored by Sen.
Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, that would toughen state regulation of
the schools.
WWASP founder
Robert Lichfield, his family and business partners have given more
than $1 million to politicians in the last two election cycles,
including hundreds of thousands to Utah officeholders and
candidates.
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