Dear Senator Steve Sweeney of New Jersey,

I am a mother of a 28 year old woman who spent seven years in New Jersey State licensed group homes.  She was physically, emotionally and sexually abused. She was psychologically manipulated, physically neglected and her medical needs were ignored. 

My daughter was not only developmentally disabled but she had severe mental health issues at the time DDD accepted her into their program.  My daughter received no mental health counselling in seven years.

My daughter has been repeatedly raped. I have documents that show doctors writing down her claims of rape. I have a day program memo that speaks of Liz complaining that she is being raped. Three professionals with a lot more qualifications than a "certification" and they did nothing to stop the abuse.

I have documents that say my daughter was observed to be dirty and she smelled. I have documents from a group home quoting a DDD case manager's supervisor telling the group home NOT to inform the Guardians of sexual assault. This cannot be allowed to happen to anyone.

I have hospital documents recording her injuries after a staff member beat her. They reported that Liz told them a staff member did the injuries. The group home told the investigator that Liz was injuring herself. I have heard my daughter's account of the incident and it matches the hospital sketch of her injuries.  She has clear memories.  The cuts to her head, the welts on the back of her legs, the swelling....   It was not self injurious behavior.  She was beaten.

My daughter was also in Bellwether. I have NO records from Bellwether.  Even the DDD case manager did all of her monthly reports by just changing the date. I have requested her records for two years (since January of 2019) and I am told they are in a warehouse at Vineland Developmental Center. 

My daughter has been abused. Her arm was broken by twisting it behind her back by a staff member named Vicki. She suffered an avulsion fracture. The only way this type of fracture happens is by a violent twisting of the tendons away from the bone. The group home then has two auto accidents in a seven day period and they said that her arm was broken in the car accident.  That her arm hit the door.  The only problem with that is that she was in the front passenger seat and the left arm is the one that was broken. If her arm hit the door, it would have been her right arm broken.

My daughter has 84 Unusual Incident Reports. As her mother and guardian, I am not allowed to see those reports. I am not allowed to know what happened to my daughter. The State of New Jersey denies access unless you get a court order. I have talked with over a dozen attorneys and they know that without video evidence, there is no case.

I have contacted many attorneys to try to get these vicious people prosecuted for what they did to my daughter.  Do you know what I was told? They want video tape evidence. One attorney got a two million dollar settlement for a girl that was raped because it was on tape.

Child Day Care centers have video cameras to allow working parents to check in on their children during the day. Why are our vulnerable adult children any less important?

Abuse in group homes is rampant. I have testified twice before Assemblywoman Downey and I listened to hours of other parents telling what happened to their children. We parents are like a group of forgotten people. Our children have been hurt or killed and NO ONE CARES. We must have cameras. I've testified as to the extent of some of her injuries. There are a lot more. I can bring the records to you. 

You cannot regulate human kindness with a certification of training.  A certificate does not mean they will never lose their temper and beat a disabled person or kill them.

This problem has been covered up and the State has legislated that they (the state) and these non-profit multi-million dollar agencies have almost complete immunity from prosecution for the injuries that occur within these houses of horror.

Parents are not clearly told that when they sign the papers for their adult child to enter a group home that essentially they are giving up all rights to their child and the right to seek justice for injuries.  I even have some sample papers that say parents are not allowed to take legal action.

Would you place your loved one in such a facility? I will not. I fought for my daughter and now have her in her own apartment with staff of my choice. Every room has at least one and sometimes two cameras. I can hear what is being said to her.  I can speak to her through the cameras if she gets upset. I can tell her good-night.    My daughter was averaging three hospital visits a month in group homes.  I have had her home for two years and we have had one emergency room visit and she was not admitted.

Cameras make all the difference. It protects my child. It protects my staff.  It is very helpful in training and behavior modification analysis.  Law enforcement officers are required to wear body cameras. I think that is a good idea for group home workers. They will change the way they interact with the disabled when they know they are being monitored. 

Please do not discount the Billy Cray Camera Law. One of my daughter's UIR reports was a violation of Komninos Law. What good was that law when I am not able to see the report and know what happened? Some of the UIRs were violations of Danielle's Law.  What good was that law when I was not allowed to know what happened.

We must have cameras. We must make it to where parents have free access to the footage.

A certification of a group home worker is much less than the Komninos Law and Danielle's law. What benefit is a certification if the group home workers lie to cover up the injury? No one is going to admit they broke someone's arm in a rage or that they killed a young man who died in a closet. Please Senator Sweeney. Support the Billy Cray Law.

Sincerely, Jennifer Worley

*1st photo before the group home, 2nd photo the day we took her home, 3rd photo today