Posted on 01/21/2022 11:14:57 PM PST by Morgana
A Georgia pastor and his wife were arrested on charges of false imprisonment after officials found up to eight people locked in their basement, police said.
Curtis Keith Bankston and Sophia Simm-Bankston were running the unlicensed "group home" out of their rented Griffin house "under the guise of a church known as One Step of Faith 2nd Chance," the Griffin Police Department said in a statement.
Griffin Fire last week responded to a call about someone having a seizure at the home and noticed a deadbolt on the basement door, according to police. Crews had to climb through a window to reach the patient.
Investigators determined the people in the basement, all with mental or physical disabilities, or both, were "essentially imprisoned against their will, which created an extreme hazard as the individuals could not exit the residence if there were an emergency," police said.
The Bankstons controlled the finances, medications and public benefits of the people they were keeping in the basement and had sometimes denied them their medications and medical care, according to police.
The people, who range in age from 25 to 65, were all placed into housing by the Georgia Department of Human Services. Five of the people kept in the basement are wards of the state, police said.
Curtis Keith Bankston, 55, and Sophia Simm-Bankston, 56, will likely face additional charges, police said.
"It is both frightening and disgusting to see the degree to which these individuals have been taken advantage of by people who were in a position of trust," the police statement said.
A bio on One Step Of Faith Ministries' website said Curtis Keith Bankston is committed to "feeding the hungry," "clothing the naked," "housing the homeless" and "helping the brokenhearted find a way out through Christ."
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
False imprisonment? Seems like pretty real imprisonment.
Demons.
This still happens in year 2022.
After working with this population for years, (now semi-retired) I would say perhaps 60% of them have no regular family contact. Nobody visits, or maybe they plan to and cancel at the very last minute. COVID is now the most popular excuse.
Some clients may be approaching their 60’s, and parents may not be around or able to travel. The remaining family may not know how to manage certain behaviors and are not all that interested in learning about it.
Every well trained staff person in such a home is supposed to act as an advocate for those who can’t help themselves. Meaning; if you see something odd, say something, either to the group home manager, or to county licensing, the health department, or if you really don’t know who to ask, call your local police. They will help by making a Courtesy Call. Advocate for God’s other children.
The U.S needs a lot of things right now but one item in particular is sorely needed: more prisons.
I wonder how much the State was paying the pastor to house each person.
Probably much less than it will now cost, now that the State has stepped in.
Regards,
Quelle surprise.
Hmm...., Modern day slave holders. Guess they were collecting their disability checks every month too...
There are people falsely locked up in DC jail and nobody cares about them.
Careful what you wish for. We could soon have thousands of gulags for “insurrectionists” and people with wrongthink.
Thank you for your service with them.
We should all be advocates for what is healthier for those around us.
Yes!
The Africans sold into slavery by the millions in the 16-19 Centuries (and continuing to this day in parts of the world) were enslaved by.....other Africans.
Not much has changed.
My guess is it was a private arrangement. Sign over your checks and we will take care of you.
Might even have kept some of the residents off drugs and off the street.
Well, he never did mention anything regarding freedom, so I guess he lived up to his mission statement. /sarcasm
It saddens me that my initial thoughts were, indeed, true.
Free government money
My daughter works a relief shift one weekend a month at a Christian group home. Her clients are a handful of older women with disabilities.
They are proud women who have jobs through a local agency. They make some of their own meals, my daughter loves to cook and entertain and takes care of their dinners.
She also takes them to movies, plays and the beach. One family owns a cottage that they use also.
She loves her side job and the women she serves. From what I understand, their families are all very supportive. For these women, it’s a method of independence.
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