Second Chance Busted!!

[byte301]

An update on the Second Chance situation. Merry Christmas!

Nighttime shuttles clear
rehab center
Second Chance blew last chance?
Last Edited: Wednesday, 24 Dec 2008, 11:40 PM MST
Created On: Wednesday, 24 Dec 2008, 11:40 PM MST

Reporter: Dave Bohman
Web Producer: Bill Diven
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Under cover of darkness Wednesday the troubled Second Chance rehab center mysteriously shuttled nearly 50 patients or inmates away from its facility just ahead of a deadline to explain who it's been housing.

Albuquerque police who put the West Mesa facility under surveillance said they witnessed the bizarre twist in the Second Chance saga early Wednesday. Later in the day the rehab program was under a 5 p.m. deadline to document all its inmates and clients to the city of Albuquerque.

The city wanted to make sure Second Chance wasn't violating its lease by taking inmates without a judge's referral.

Police said they caught a bus and a van sneaking people out.

"This is very disturbing," Chief Public Safety Officer Pete Dinelli told KRQE News 13. "I'm very disappointed."

Dinelli said received documents naming 46 people listed as patients or inmates at Second Chance. But he said he wants to know why 48 apparently additional people were bused out of the addiction-treatment facility early in the morning.

"I don't know if there's a public-safety issue, because I don't know what those 48 individuals were doing there," Dinelli said.

Police followed a van with eight individuals from Second Chance to Interstate 40 and then west until it left the city limits, according to Dinelli. Cops also tracked a bus with 40 others from the facility east to the St. Martin Hospitality Center, a shelter in downtown Albuquerque.

When News 13 went to St. Martin's Wednesday afternoon two workers closing up for the holiday said they did not know of anyone brought in.

So who are these 40 individuals with addiction problems? Were any of them sentenced to the facility as an alternative to jail, and where are they now?

"I think the city's entitled to answers, and we better get those answers," Dinelli said. "Otherwise we may be faced with a situation of evicting."

Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White is among many critics of the facility's addiction-treatment plan that is based on the teachings of the founder of the Church of Scientology and includes vitamin and sauna treatments.

"If anything were to go wrong out there, we wouldn't even know what we're dealing with," White said. "This is a real safety risk for the people of Bernalillo County."

He said the busing of patients should mean no more chances for Second Chance.

"Shut them down," White said. "It's time to put them out of business."

However the city, which leases a former jail near the Double Eagle II Airport to Second Chance, isn?t quite at that point yet.

"We're going to be asking for a further explanation as to what happened this morning," Dinelli said.

News 13 attempted to reach Second Chance President Joy Westrum but instead got a return call from her number from a man who declined to identify himself. However he said he was speaking for Westrum in saying that News 13 was presenting "a false picture to the public."

However the man did not address any of News 13's questions.

If the city decides to evict Second Chance it would take at least 30 days. Dinelli said he'll spend this holiday weekend reviewing the documentation Second Chance provided late Wednesday.

 

[Lohan2008]

Albuquerque - Official City Website

Albuquerque - Official City Website
http://www.cabq.gov/

Contact
Esther Tenenbaum, Division Manager
311 or (505) 768-2000
fax: (505) 924-3740

Address:
Plaza Del Sol Building
600 Second Street NW, 6th Floor
Albuquerque, NM 87102

*The Citizen Contact Center may record your phone call for quality assurance and development purposes.

 

[Free to shine]

Second Chance Inmates Moved: 8 Are Driven Away in Van; 40 People Taken to Shelter
Thu. December 25, 2008; Posted: 10:23 AM

Dec 25, 2008 (Albuquerque Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Eight inmates were loaded onto a van at the embattled Second Chance Center drug rehabilitation program early Wednesday and driven west from the secure center and across the Bernalillo County line, officials said.

Another 40 people were loaded onto a bus outside the center and dropped off at an Albuquerque homeless shelter, city officials said.

Authorities are still trying to sort out how many of the 48 people were inmates who had been sentenced to Second Chance.

Second Chance President Joy Westrum said the 40 people were actually homeless people who had been staying at a shelter that shares the old West Side jail building with Second Chance.

The move of inmates and possible violations of the center's agreement with the city of Albuquerque could cost Second Chance its lease on the old West Side jail building, Albuquerque Chief Public Safety Officer Pete Dinelli said.

It was unclear where any of the inmates were Wednesday night, what charges had landed them at Second Chance, or who authorized their move from the center.

No one could be reached at St. Martin's Hospitality Center, a multiprogram service provider for homeless people located on Third Street NW.

In a letter to Dinelli, Westrum said there were 46 inmates at Second Chance as of Wednesday. Late last week, Dinelli said he counted about 65 inmates at the center when he inspected it; Westrum said there were no more than 58.

Dinelli learned of Wednesday morning's inmate move -- which was confirmed by three former Second Chance employees who still have ties to the center -- from Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz.

Dinelli provided the Journal a copy of an e-mail that Schultz sent to him Wednesday.

"Acting upon a tip that inmates were going to be moved this morning from the Second Chance Center located on the West Mesa," the chief wrote, "I had personnel monitor the area. This morning between 7 and 10:30, officers observed 40 persons transported from Second Chance to St. Martin's Hospitality Center in Albuquerque. Additionally eight individuals were loaded in a van. The van was followed west on I-40 to the city limits. The van continued west from there to an unknown location."

Police spokesman John Walsh said the people were dropped off at St. Martin's, but he did not know how long they stayed.

Dinelli said he suspected the eight inmates sent west were headed to Grant County, which has been sending inmates from its jail to Second Chance.

Someone who answered the telephone at the Grant County Detention Center said the jail had not received any prisoners from Second Chance as of Wednesday night.

Sierra County also has sent overflow jail inmates to Second Chance.

[...]
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock News/2100194/

 

[sandygirl]

Just a prediction here..........

Somehow, this exercise in deception will be turned into a cry for $$$

I can hear it now.......WE are the only true help for these people and the evil SPS are getting nervous. Believe me, the local members will know NOTHING about this ridiculous sneaking out of inmates. Of couse the church is scamming for $$$ somehow.

Please, please, let the media follow up on this...............

 

[byte301]

Second Chance Update!!

Re: Second Chance UPDATE!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the whole story from KRQE:

Second Chance responds
to allegations
Last Edited: Thursday, 25 Dec 2008, 9:35 PM MST
Created On: Thursday, 25 Dec 2008, 9:34 PM MST

Reporter: Dave Bohman
Web Producer: Devon Armijo
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The Director of the Second Chance rehabilitation center is firing back after a News 13 report on Wednesday.

Director Joy Westrum is angry after Albuquerque police claimed the facility snuck out 40 inmates ahead of a deadline to report them.

The city made a mistake. Those 40 people bussed downtown on Wednesday were from the Albuquerque Rescue Mission which shares a building with Second Chance.

However Albuquerque Public Safety Director Pete Dinelli said he's confirmed eight other people were taken out of Second Chance on Wednesday.

They were in van, last seen leaving the city limits on Interstate 40 headed west, according to Dinelli.

"What I wanted was an accounting of the individuals that were there as of last week, and apparently they are deliberately deciding not to include those eight individuals," Dinelli said. "And to me failure to disclose is just as good as lying."

Dinelli spent part of Christmas Day reviewing documents handed to him by Second Chance on Wednesday, the deadline the city imposed on the drug and alcohol treatment facility.

He wants to know if Second Chance is abiding by the terms of its lease.

Dinelli said the documents reveal at least eight of the 46 inmates currently at Second Chance have been convicted of violent crimes.

"The lease is very clear that you can only have minimum or medium secured individuals," he said. "In all likelihood, I'm going to recommend that we terminate their lease and evict them."

The public safety director said that there's another clear violation. He said Second Chance built a large sauna inside the facility and there is no record the addiction treatment center ever applied for the proper permits.

On Thursday afternoon, Director of Second Chance Joy Westrum delivered a statement to News 13, saying Second chance transferred 11 inmates out this week for various reasons.

The statement also said that Westrum's confident that she's acting within the terms of the lease.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Iknowtoomuch]

Hell yeah!
Thank you for the updates.

 

[iaxiloll]

In case you missed this earlier.

YouTube - KRQE Chan. 13 : Invest. Report on Scientology 2nd Chance
YouTube - KRQE Chan 13: Second Chance seeks state funding

 

[Iknowtoomuch]

As I asked in the other thread....I wonder how many of these people rave about the program just to make it look like they've been rehabilitated?

 

[byte301]

As I asked in the other thread....I wonder how many of these people rave about the program just to make it look like they've been rehabilitated?

They have to rave about it or they won't let em out. Just like the purif. lol Then they get out and re-offend.

 

[byte301]

UPDATE... AGAIN

Just saw on wwp that Mayor Chavez has announced he will serve Second Chance an eviction notice as early as Monday morning! He said them lying and trying to hide the 8 violent offenders was the last straw.

Just in time for New Year's!

 

[ScudMuffin]

Now they have to start work on the Narconon/Criminon.

Nice first step

 

[Iknowtoomuch]

They have to rave about it or they won't let em out. Just like the purif. lol Then they get out and re-offend.

Hey, great idea for a thread!

 

[Lohan2008]

2nd chance ?

wonder if they are crimanon?

post: Second Chance is Running Out of Options
thanks byte...

 

[Voltaire's Child]

Just a prediction here..........

Somehow, this exercise in deception will be turned into a cry for $$$

I can hear it now.......WE are the only true help for these people and the evil SPS are getting nervous. Believe me, the local members will know NOTHING about this ridiculous sneaking out of inmates. Of couse the church is scamming for $$$ somehow.

Please, please, let the media follow up on this...............

I'm sure you're right. The IAS fundraiser events will flourish like the green bay tree...

 

[Iknowtoomuch]

Those damned SP's!!!!! (Please give us more money!)

 

[byte301]

Yeah, the evil sp's are trying to suppress the most ethical group on the planet!! BAWWWWWWWWWWWW! 10 more million should handle them! Dig deep, people. We have this one fleeting chance to make more mon...uuh to clear the planet!! Nobody leaves this auditorium till they have reached way down deep into their pock...hearts and promised to give till it hurts!

 

[Free to shine]

They're out!

From WWP:

From KRQE:

Rehab center loses
contract, lease
Last Edited: Saturday, 27 Dec 2008, 6:24 PM MST
Created On: Saturday, 27 Dec 2008, 6:24 PM MST

Web Producer: Devon Armijo
SOCCORO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) - It's been a bad week for the controversial Second Chance drug and alcohol treatment center.

On Friday, the City of Albuquerque terminated the center's lease, and a day later Socorro County is cutting ties.

The El Defensor Chieftain newspaper reports that the Socorro County Commission voted this week to void their contract with Second Chance because of problems that recently surfaced at the facility.

Two Socorro County inmates were housed there when commissioners voted Tuesday.

Friday, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez said Second Chance violated the terms of its lease by housing inmates charged with violent crimes.

"It's an unfortunate end to what could have been a great experiment in an alternative type of rehabilitation," Chavez said.

The facility currently houses 46 inmates which undergo a series of diet, vitamin, massage and sauna treatments based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard.

Second Chance has until the end of January to vacate the city's old Westside jail.

 

[Div6]

I can not enjoin the schadenfreude about this for a number of reasons, but it does call into question the validity and application of the "admin tech", as well as the general integrity of those involved.

I think we need decent alternatives to jail, multiple "rehab" paths, and an overhaul of the laws to decriminalize possession of certain substances....

 

[byte301]

I can not enjoin the schadenfreude about this for a number of reasons, but it does call into question the validity and application of the "admin tech", as well as the general integrity of those involved.

I think we need decent alternatives to jail, multiple "rehab" paths, and an overhaul of the laws to decriminalize possession of certain substances....

Yes, I agree. We have a huge drug and alcohol problem in New Mexico. A REAL program such as Second Chance (minus the sauna, the massive doses of vitamins, and the scientology courses) is needed badly. It's a shame that so much state money was given to a scam when it could have gone to a proven program.

An UPDATE to this story is that Sorcorro County cancelled their contract with Second Chance because of Mayor Chaves' actions. Socorro County is just south of Bernalillo County.

Curry County had cancelled their contract with Second Chance in Oct. due to Second Chances false reporting of success in the program.

It's seems the house of cards is falling. I'm waiting for more counties to cancel now.

I don't think they will be getting much business in the state of New Mexico anymore.