State lawmakers are getting involved after a scathing report detailed numerous safety concerns and abusive living conditions at St. Mary's Home for Children in North Providence.
It all started on Thursday when a bipartisan resolution was introduced into the Rhode Island General Assembly that condemned the Hamas attack on Israel. This week was the first week that legislators had met since the October attack.
A report by the state’s Office of the Child Advocate detailed instances of neglect, drug overdoses, sexual contact between youths, and even bikers invited to work security at the residential treatment center. The House Oversight Committee is launching a hearing.
“When you watch ‘School House Rock,’ no one says, ‘That poor bill sitting on Capitol Hill can only have 14 friends,’ " Common Cause’s John Marion said.