Cedar Rapids Weather
Atalissa’s Dependent Workers Thriving After Abuse ScandalBy Charlotte Eby, Gazette Des Moines BureauRelated Content
DES MOINES - State officials gave an upbeat report Monday about men removed from a bunkhouse in Atalissa earlier this year after they were found to be living in substandard conditions.
Twenty-one men with mental retardation were found by state officials in February to be living in what Gov. Chet Culver called a deplorable situation. When the men left the home in Atalissa, some of them were found to be malnourished. Most of the men are now living at Exceptional Persons Inc in Waterloo. The men had worked for Texas-based Henry’s Turkey Service and had part of their wages deducted for housing and other services. A criminal probe into the situation is under way and the company is facing at least $900,000 in possible fines for alleged state labor violations. Charles Krogmeier, director of the Iowa Department of Human Services, said all of the men that remain in Iowa have settled into an apartment or home. Some made plans to move to a house together. “In general, the case managers report that they’re doing relatively well, and actually, very well in many cases, compared to what they were involved with a few months ago,” Krogmeier told a task force studying the state’s laws and policies related to dependent adults with mental retardation. Three of the men have returned to Texas. Some have indicated their wish to return to Texas and are looking for services and or family members there, Krogmeier said. More Good Stuff |
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