**The names and ages of some have been changed to protect the families of the individuals involved.**
In the 80’s, "boot camps" for troubled teens became the new treatment dejour for parents at their wits end. However, after numerous allegations of severe abuse, untrained staff and several deaths, these camps came under much scrutiny. Steve Cartisano ran the most notorious of these camps, called Challenger Foundation. I was 15 when I was kidnapped from my bed and taken to Challenger. 63 Days is the story-in-progress about my brutal experiences there, my subsequent escape and the aftermath. This is my story, this is my life.
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Visitors Since May 25
*Notice: some of the names that have been used here were too close to the real ones. I’ve been asked to change some details about them as well as the names, as they have apparently led to some issues in some of their personal lives. I apologize for this and hope that no [...]
Have you ever smelled rain in the desert? Its like nothing you’ve ever inhaled, the wet, cool fragrance tickling the back of your throat as it fills your lungs with moist musk. Perfume from trees like junipers and yuccas wafts into every breeze scenting the air. I love that smell.
Hole-In-The-Rock road went on for miles. The Kaiparowitz mountains were to the west of us, the cliffs appearing black and steep while to the east of us, the desert went on for miles until it dropped down into Lake Powell. Slick rock and desert were in between.
Cody and I had decided to [...]
We woke up on the morning of April 21st to a beautiful sunrise. We gathered our things, and I thought nothing of it. We stuffed a spoonful of dry oats into our mouths and started out for the daily route. In a few hours it began to get hot out on the road, the [...]
“So, you’re Alli the car stealer?” Cody asked me, inquisitively yet not quite judgementally. I took no offense and answered with a nod to the affirmative.
“Wow yeah, I heard all about you. My dad was called into his office when you were missing. You’ve got balls” she said.
“Well,” I answered “I didn’t [...]