To be clear, at this point the allegations against
Angela Theriault are just that– allegations (see page 1). Until they
have been proved in a court of law, or admitted by the defendant, our
system gives the accused the benefit of the doubt.

    However, the two investigations into Theriault's
conduct with juvenile male residents incarcerated at Long Creek
Development Center in South Portland raise some troubling questions,
not only about the actions of a single woman, but the policies and
procedures of the entire facility.

    Why was a woman suspected of possible criminal
behavior with residents allowed to continue interacting with those
residents? After being investigated once (with some persuasive if not
definitive evidence of inappropriate contact), how long was the
facility going to allow the same woman to develop further relationships
with other youths? After all, the second report into the second set of
allegations refers to the woman spending what sounds like an inordinate
amount of time with a single resident, including entire shifts.

    How many times is a female employee witnessed
wrestling with adolescent boys being held for what can generally be
described as a failure to demonstrate good judgement before action is
taken? Why is a 25-year old woman supervising teenage boys taking
showers?

    We attempted to get answers to some of these
questions from people who work at Long Creek, but have so far been
unsuccessful. We were told that to understand the policies and
procedures at the facility it is helpful to see them in action first
hand. We hope that invitation still stands and if so, look forward to
sharing what we find.        
   
             
–Ward Peck