Boot Camp Horrors

On October 10th, 2007, in Washington, reports of young people in privately owned boot camps that were being abused surfaced. The reports also surfaced in residential treatment centers. Many examples of the abuse numbered in the thousands. Many of the managers and employees of the boot camps and centers were barely charged for their actions and rarely went to prison for the way they treated the teenagers. The Government Accountability Office went over 10 cases in which teenagers died while at these programs. They found that the managements were “reckless or negligent operating practices” and also found “significant evidence of ineffective management”. The same report said that the teenagers were starved, forced to eat their own vomit, and had to stay for hours in their own waste. One teen had to eat dirt to survive, while being extremely dehydrated.

Reports were finally released after a hearing of the parents of three teenagers who died. One Parent said that they found a journal in which their son, Aaron Bacon, who was at Northstar Expeditions in Escalante, Utah, wrote about how cruel they treated him. It said he spent 14 of 20 days without any food while being forced to hike 8-10 miles, and when they did feed him, it consisted of lizards, scorpions, a canned peach, trail mix, and undercooked lentils. He was also beaten just about everywhere on his body. His parents thought this would be a perfect place for him to distance himself from the drugs he was getting into in school, but they later say they feel like they sent him to a death sentence. The director of the Trade group, Ms. Moss, said by 2009 all facilities will have to have a trained clinician on staff.

In 1994, William Henry, owner of Northstar, along with four employees, pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide. None of them, however, served time in prison. Henry received 3 years probation and community service.