By Christina Pfister

Guest Writer

On Feb. 15, Charles Long II, 56, head and founder of the America's Buffalo Soldiers Re-Enactors Association, (ABSRA) camp for youth, was arrested and charged for second- degree murder along with eight counts of child abuse, aggravated assault (putting a knife to a camper's throat) and the possession of half a pound of marijuana.

The whole story goes back to July 1, 2001, when Tony Hayes, a 14-year old ``troubled boy'' died in the desert on the last weekend of a five week survival boot camp.

He had been forced to stay in direct sunlight for five hours in 111-degree heat. In his state of dehydration, he became delirious and started eating dirt, whereupon camp supervisors took him to a motel and left him in a bathtub alone to cool off. When they returned, he was lying facedown in the water. The counselors then called 911 and brought him back to the camp, but it was of no use. Tony never regained consciousness and died soon after the ambulance picked him up.

Tony is not the only one who has been mistreated at camps like this. Many of the 7 to 17-year-old boys and girls at these camps were sent there by their parents, who hope that the drill on respect and discipline will separate their children from gangs, drugs and alcohol problems. And indeed, there have been several accounts of lives changing for the better after they had gone to such camps.

At the same time, there have also been many complaints. Many children have said that they had been punched and kicked, as well as forced to eat mud. At ABSTRA camps, food for a day consists of an apple for breakfast, a carrot for lunch, and a small bowl of beans for dinner. Campers also complained that the staff never offered them enough water, even though many of these survival camps are located in the deserts of Arizona. Justin Boe, a 16-year-old former camper at ABSTRA, said that drill instructors sometimes forced campers to lie on their backs, arms and legs in the air at a 90-degree angle. The instructors then would stomp on their chests, and pour mud on them and force them to swallow it.

``Every time I closed my mouth he (the instructor) told me `Open it!' He would start stomping harder. Even if I spit out dirt, he told me to swallow. After, I was coughing up rocks for about four hours,'' said Boe.

The organization prides itself in what its Parent Handbook refers to as ``no nonsense, in your face, tough love'' as well as their dedication to ``building character by supplying a supervised outlet where youth strengthen their minds, bodies, and spirits in a highly disciplined arena via strict honor code.'' ABSTRA consists of physical fitness, close equestrian arts, a confidence course, a pledge of respect, an honor code and study about the history of the American Buffalo Soldiers, for which ABSTRA is named. Throughout all the activities, the camp maintains a militarist style.

Since 1980, there have been at least 30 deaths at such camps- three in 2001. These ``therapy-camps'' operate on the theory that rugged conditions and tough discipline can break antisocial behavior and even criminal habits.