Jamarr's Promise

Jamarr's Promise

Jamarr's Promise: A True Story of Corruption, Courage, and Child Welfare by Kristin Morris


MEET AUTHOR KRISTIN I. MORRIS





Kristin I. Morris is a devoted wife and mother of four children. She has been with her husband Benny since age nineteen. She is a devout Catholic and tries to live in a Christian manner. She always wanted to help people, by working with the church teaching CCD, pro-life club, soup kitchen, and doing charity work.

Kristin earned her bachelor’s in Psychology from Rowan University. After school, she began to work as a social worker for the State of New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency, formerly Division of Youth and Family Services. As part of the child welfare system, she found herself watching over New Jersey’s most vulnerable citizens: abused children. She was extremely excited and na?ve, wanting to save the world. Working in the city of Camden among the people that needed the most help was extremely eye opening, but revealed the corruption of the inner systems of the Division. Jamarr’s Promise is the true story of Kristin’s battle with the State over the murder of a child she tried desperately to save..

Kristin’s dream is to open and run a foster care organization as a safety net for abused children, and to eliminate the politics and hidden agendas of larger organizations.



    MEET Joseph J. Zielinski , PH.D





Joseph J. Zielinski, Ph.D. is a New Jersey licensed psychologist certified in both Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology. He completed his undergraduate in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He has been in private practice for almost forty years as a psychologist, often working concurrently for public schools in special education, in a headache clinic, and in a management consulting firm. He also publishes in professional journals. He most enjoys working as a practitioner and seeing patients of all backgrounds and experiences.

For seventeen years, Dr. Zielinski has spearheaded a group of pioneering psychologists to pass legislation that would allow trained psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medications. This is an effort to help the dire shortage of psychiatrists in New Jersey and around the country. Their efforts to help the people of New Jersey are near to fruition.

Dr. Zielinski has been married for forty years, has two grown children and two grandchildren. He is an avid landscaper and is particularly fond of evergreens. He is a fitness enthusiast and a former marathoner. He enjoys classic rock and live concerts at local venues.



Jamarr's Promise: A True Story ofCorruption, Courage, and Child Welfare

by Kristin Morris


Jamarr’s Promise is the shocking personal memoir of social worker Kristin

I. Morris’ fight to protect a nine-year-old child, Jamarr Cruz, that ended in

his tragic murder and New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services

(DYFS)’s denial of its responsibility in the case.

As a caseworker for DYFS, Kristin helped many children and families; it

was her life’s passion. Nine-year-old Jamarr was living with his grandparents

after his mother’s boyfriend, Vincent Williams, beat him repeatedly. Jamarr

told Kristin it was not safe for him to return home. Kristin urgently tried

to keep Jamarr safe with his grandparents, but was told by superiors that

Latino children are kept in the home at all costs. This time, the cost was

Jamarr Cruz’s life. In 2009 after Jamaar’s return to Omayra Cruz and Vincent

Williams, Vincent beat Jamarr to death. Not only did Kristin’s superiors at

the DYFS block her efforts to help Jamarr, but when he was killed, they

blamed Kristin for his death.

Jamarr’s Promise is a call to end corrupt loyalties in New Jersey’s DYFS.

It is a call to protect children from Jamarr’s fate and promote child welfare.

It is a call for justice for Kristin Morris, who did the right thing and was

punished unjustly for it.


Chapter One Excerpt

Chapter 1


     The suburban New Jersey town of Pennsauken changed a lot in

     recent years and still in 2009, bordering as it does on the city

     of Camden. I am a caseworker for the State’s Child Protec-

tive Services agency long known as the Division of Youth and Family

Services, or DYFS, now called the Department of Child Protection

and Permanency, or DCPP. I am driving to my last scheduled client

of the day, the Pena family. The Pena case is about to be closed based

on earlier visits by my colleague, Omar Mateo. His supervisor has

already completed the pink slip approving the closing, so this should

be just a matter of paperwork after this last Required Monthly Visit. I

might even get home on time tonight. Providing excellent services to

New Jersey’s troubled families is my pride and joy; that . . . and pride

and joy in my own family.

  I turn into the driveway of a fairly well kept home, walk up to the

house, and ring the bell. It doesn’t work, so I knock. I hear a woman’s

voice muffled from behind the door.

  “Coming.”

  A late twenties Latino woman answers the door smoking a ciga-

rette. She looks gaunt and disheveled. I am taken aback more by her

appearance than by the fact that I expected the children’s stepfather

to answer the door.

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   “Are you the mom?” I ask.

   “No. I’m the babysitter.”

   I doubt it, but I flash my official State of New Jersey name badge.

“I’m Kristin Morris from the Division of Children Protection and

Permanency. I need to speak with the stepfather, Mr. Pena. Can I

come in?”

   The woman hesitates, then acquiesces. “He’s not here now. Yeah,

come in.”

   I enter the Pena house and observe three children staring silently

back at me. Bella is a crawling one-year-old, Tony is a four-year-old

sitting in a diaper, and Jimi is a seven-year-old bare chested in pajama

bottoms. All of the children appear Latino.

  Since it is shortly after noon, I address Jimi. “Hi, Jimi, I’m Miss

Kristin. How come you aren’t in school today?”

  Jimi shrugs his shoulders. I immediately notice a history of burn

injuries on his torso. I try to hide my grimace. “What time will their

stepfather be home?”

  The woman is evasive. “Don’t know.”

  I turn my attention to Tony and my eyes widen at a fresh burn scar

and a black eye. I get closer to look at Bella sitting on the floor and

spot a burn on her leg. Tears come to my eyes. I blink them away and

say to the toddler, “Hey, cutie.”

  I look around and begin to survey the house. My jaw goes slack as

I see makeshift wiring and exposed light bulbs at every outlet. I walk

into the kitchen and see a hole in the floor that reveals the basement. I

kneel over it to look in and whip my head back. “You have a sewage

problem,” I say. I stand and leave the kitchen, crossing the hallway

and heading toward the bathroom.

  It is filthy and there is no sink. An exposed bulb dangles to the floor.

I turn back into the hallway and see a closet door with a padlock. Inside

there is a Nintendo. I look to Tony who stares at me with fear in his

eyes. I suddenly realize what the closet is used for. I try to reassure him.

“It’s OK, Tony.” I am appalled, and I know I must call this in.

  I approach the woman in the living room and say, “OK, I’ll have

to meet with the kids’ stepfather. I’ll have to make another visit.”

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  I exit the home and search my casebook schedule for any other

visits in the vicinity. I find one and make an uneventful visit, being

careful to document it.

  Two hours later, I return unannounced to the Pena home. The

stepfather of two of the children, Rodolfo, is home and on the speaker

phone with his own father.

  The older man refers to the four-year-old. “Just beat his ass.”

  Rodolfo sees me and responds, “Oh, the DYFS worker’s here and

she can hear you. But she’s cool.” He hangs up.

  I question Rodolfo about Tony’s black eye and get a confused

series of ludicrous explanations. “He bumped it on the door . . . he

bumped it in the pool while playing . . . he came home with it.”

  I have heard and seen enough. I dial my supervisor Yolanda on

my cell. “Hey, Yolanda . . . Kristin. I’m at the Pena house and it’s a

disaster. I need to remove the kids.” I look at wide-eyed little Bella.

  Yolanda replies, “Yeah, I understand. Mateo was going to close

the case. What the hell was he thinking?”

  “I have no idea, but I can’t close it now.” I continue to look around.

The so-called baby-sitter won’t even look in my direction. It becomes

clear that the Pena children have been through this routine before.

They are no longer distressed, and even visibly excited.

  “Yay, McDonalds, yay!” Tony calls out joyfully.

  Yolanda continues, “I’m good with it. How long do you think

you’ll be?”

  “Mommy, are you coming with us?” Tony asks.

  I tell Yolanda to hold on and I ask Tony, “Who is this lady?”

  “My mommy.”

  “No, I’m not the mom, I’m the babysitter,” the woman protests.

  I step outside for a moment of privacy and get back on the phone.

“Yolanda, yeah, the mother was here alone with the children, and

there’s a court order forbidding it. She’s to be supervised 24/7 due to

chronic heroin addiction. The stepfather has full custody.”

  “OK, bring the kids in. Estimated time of arrival?”

  “About an hour, after we stop at McDonalds.”

  “I’ll set up the pediatric appointments. You’ll need the rest of the

day to process the paperwork. See you then.”

  I walk back inside and speak to the entire family, “The children

are coming with me. Kids, get your clothes on. Where are Bella’s

clothes?”

  The mother points to a basket overflowing with unfolded clothes.

The two older children quickly throw on their socks, clothes, and

shoes. The mother hands me a onesie. I clothe Bella and continue to

hold her. Rodolfo stands helplessly in the background.

  Jimi and Tony bid farewell to their mother.

  The mother’s cigarette hand trembles as she smokes with a vacant

look in her eyes. She appears emotionless and remains silent.

  Jimi addresses me with enthusiasm, “If we’re getting McDonalds,

can I have a Happy Meal?”

  “Yes, Jimi, you can.”

  As I leave the house with the children, the stepfather mutters

curses. We all walk down the front steps to the driveway. The older

children smile while we hold hands walking to the car, and I carry

Bella. It takes a few moments to put the children in baby and child

seats in the state car marked, “For Government Purposes Only.” We

drive away.

  This is exactly what I have come to expect as a case manager in a

child protective service agency. I see the worst of the worst and can

always be surprised in the saddest fashion. I can only do my job to the

best of my ability to meet the needs of these children.


Seeking Justice for Caseworker who warned

NJ DYFS before Tragic Death of 9-Year-Old Boy

Jamarr’s Promise is the shocking true story of Kristin I. Morris’ fight to protect a nine-

year-old child, Jamarr Cruz, that ended in his tragic death and New Jersey’s Division

of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)’s denial of its responsibility in the case.

As a caseworker for New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), Kristin

helped many children and families; it was her life’s passion. Nine-year-old Jamarr was

living with his grandparents after his mother’s boyfriend, Vincent Williams, beat him.

During the last required monthly visit before Jamarr was scheduled to return to his

mother and Vincent’s care, Jamarr told Kristin it was not safe for him to return home.

Kristin urgently tried to keep Jamarr safe with his grandparents, but was told by

superiors that Latino children are kept in the home at all costs. This time, the cost

was Jamarr Cruz’s life.

In 2009 after his return to Omayra Cruz and Vincent Williams, Vincent beat Jamarr to

death. Not only did Kristin’s superiors at the DYFS block her efforts to help Jamarr, but

when he was killed, they blamed Kristin for his death. Kristin was terminated at work

and sued by Jamarr’s mother Omayra Cruz—even after Omayra won a settlement for

$425,000 from the State of New Jersey. Kristin’s witnesses who provided proof of Kristin’s

innocence were pressured to alter their testimony by Kristin’s superiors. After Kristin

won a court arbitration, was completely exonerated, and was ordered to be permitted

back at work, DYFS still would not let Kristin return to work. Meanwhile, those above

Kristin who sealed Jamarr’s cruel fate have been promoted to higher offices.

The State of New Jersey has crippled Kristin financially, has stripped her of a career

helping vulnerable children, and has blatantly ignored facts and sworn testimonies

that an investigation of the herein named DYFS and State corroborators is necessary.

Jamarr’s Promise is a call to end corrupt loyalties in New Jersey’s DYFS. It is a call to

protect children from Jamarr’s fate. It is a call for justice for Kristin Morris, who did the

right thing and was punished unjustly for it.

Sign our petition here at Change.org and call for a full investigation of those

responsible for the mismanagement of the Jamarr Cruz case, from Joyce A. Thomas,

NY/NJ Regional Administrator of the Administration for Children & Families.

Petitioning [email protected]

https://goo.gl/YKWzUq

www.wisdomhousebooks.com ? 919-883-4669 ? [email protected]

Wisdom House Books

www.jamarrspromise.com

Paperback: $12.95 U.S. $18.95 CAN ISBN: 978-0-9983799-0-6

E-book: $2.99 ISBN: 978-0-9983799-2-0

TRUE CRIME / Murder / General

Wisdom House Books


REVIEW COMING SOON!


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