The program was called “Visionquest”. I wonder if anyone here had every heard about it or if the evil bastards that ran it were ever charged with anything.

Thanks for sharing your youth “re-education camp” experience and God bless,
Bill

I am sickened as well.

I pray that you are well.

Thank you for your time, it is truly a great gift to educate the people about this!

HOWEVER.

I think that these kinds of things did happen at these camps, and that people need to know about them. So I’m willing to suspend my disbelief for a good cause, since even if this isn’t an exactly-correct story, even if Alli never existed, even if this is fiction, it’s fiction people need to hear.

Everyone who whines and complains that maybe it’s not true, or whatever, is ignoring that fact. I’m still not convinced it’s true (please, Alli, if it is, understand — this isn’t personal. If it is all true, I wish I could give you so many hugs) BUT I know that if these exact experiences didn’t happen to this exact person, very similar things happened to very similar people. And even if it took a work of fiction to get out the story about these evil bastards, well, so what? Works of fictionalized reality have often been the easiest and best way to notify the public about a larger problem.

So for the people who want to troll, well, stop to think. Even if it was all false — would that make it any less valid? Would that diminish the points being made? I don’t think so.

If you dont have something to say in the way of supporting Alli, Cathrine, or any survivor, then simply dont say it. It has to hurt Alli like hell to read these horrible comments every day, it is devistating her healing process.

If you truely think that Cartisano had kids best interests at heart and designed his programs with that in mind, you are obviously mistaken.

How about his gruffness? You think the program actually helped him?

I mean no offense, if Ian is happy with himself, but to me -in my world, he doesn’t seem like such a stable individual.

Alli, I don’t know how you can deal with people like that all the time. I admire you.

Mike:
In answer to your question, I don’t have my own website at this time. If I did I wouldn’t want to see this kind of language on my site. A wall goes up in front of me when someone curses at me. I no longer hear what the person is trying to say. All I hear is the cursing.

I did allow Teen Advocates USA, Barbe Stamps to post a Memorial about my daughter on her site. I did this last year in May on Michelle’s 14th anniversary of her death.

When I do put up a website, it will be to inform the public as to what is happening to children all over the country, and even out of the country, in the name of help and therapy. I won’t get into a HE said, SHE said, controversy. I WILL however stand up for what I believe to be right.

Take Care,
Catherine

I’m not asking you to support Ian. I am asking you to treat a human being like a human being. All the rape and abuse came out of people who decided that they did not want treat others with respect. Growing up and becoming a decent person requires you to respect others, no matter their opinions, ethnicity, etc. Hating someone for an opinion they have is just immature and ridiculous high school drama.

Shut up Mike, and go away.

This comment is one of the ones I am referring to.

“You support this stuff? Even after experiencing it for yourself. Maybe they didn’t rape the boys. *rolls eyes* ”

THAT is totally uncalled for. I have never said that anyone should not be SKEPTICAL of Ian’s story. All I ask is that we all treat each other with a little respect. Perhaps the last sentence of Ian’s message wasn’t the most polite, considering where he was posting, however he did not blatantly flame anyone as others have done to him.

We love the Alli!

Amanda

Ian, I’m glad you came out ok. Reading your story made me feel a tiny bit better about things, but remember kid…Michelle Sutton died, Stephanie was dragged, other kids perished, we were abused, and he went out of business for a reason. If nothing happened, then he would still be up and running. God bless you kid.

Allison

Catherine

I read that you have a website. Is there anyway that you can post the link whenever you get a chance?

Thanks and God Bless

I know you feel that some may not have a right to be skeptical about Ian’s response but who are you to say that?

I have read every one of Alli’s entries and I am disgusted by the program that hurt her and Michelle. I cannot imagine the pain that they must have gone through and to have someone come on here and say “no hard feelings Steve” is amazing to me. I am glad to hear that Ian survived and benefitted from the program however, I wonder if he truly read what others have gone through and if so, why he would want to keep in touch with these awful people.

I did answer your email. I thanked you for telling me about Alli’s site and to hang in there with your son. I also mentioned the phone call you will most likely receive once your son is up and out of the house.

I have almost finished raising seven children since Michelle. I have received the phone call I mentioned to you. The one where your son or daughter says, “thanks Mom, Dad for putting up with me.” One of my daughters told me it was our unconditional love that helped her. None of our children was perfect growing up. No child is.

But, all children deserve to grow up.

Catherine

Hey, if you want to find Cartisano, AKA, Scott Richard’s, Steve Michael’s, I’m sure he can be found. Go to the internet and type in any of the three names he has gone by thus far.

Also, the Director of my daughters program, Gayle Palmer DeGraff, and Cartisano are old buddies. Gayle now works for Top Flight Academy right back in good ole’ Utah where corporal punishment of children is legal. Call Gayle. I’m sure she knows right where Cartisano is. Cartisano might even offer you a job in his program, if he has one at the moment, and hasn’t been shut down again. The so-called survival experts running these programs are mostly made up of children who “survived” the program. Don’t worry, background checks aren’t always run. One of Michelle’s counselors turned out to be an Ex-Felon.

While Steve Cartisano, AKA, Scott Richard’s, Steve Michael’s is making $14,000.00 to $20,000.00 per kid because he “cares” SOOOOO MUCH about kids, he might pay you minimum wage to work for him. Then again, he might not have the money come time to pay you. He loves to live like the rich and famous.

It was said of us that we didn’t do our homework before sending Michelle to the program where she died. I would suggest you do your homework before hooking up with the “Darth Vador” of this industry. My files are filled with not just children who fell victim to this man…….Adults too!

My Michelle died in a program that SOLD itself as a Health Care Facility with Doctors, Nurses, Psychologist and Nutritioist, but turned out to be a “DO or DIE” experience. She was denied a doctor, saw no psychologist, and the Nutritionist we were SOLD turned out to be just a friend of Gayle’s. Michelle was supposed to be able to go at her own pace….we were SOLD. Instead, she died because stupid is as stupid does.

Catherine

It must be really hard to hear that someone has benefited from a program that was obviously such a horrific part of your own life. I’m sorry about what your daughter went through and we can only hope that your work in making the camps more safe saves the lives of other’s people daughters.

Catherine

I support Alli and think she is a strong woman to have survived and is now telling her story. BUT I also support Ian, who is allowed to have his own opinion. If he went through Challenger and benefited from it, that is awesome. Maybe there is some good in all that bad.

You support this stuff? Even after experiencing it for yourself. Maybe they didn’t rape the boys. *rolls eyes*

How could someone support this behavior? His tone and language says everything about his peronality now.

Be careful.

Catherine, I sent you a email a few weeks ago. I’m glad you found Allis blog. I think your input every now and then will be of great value.

Alli~I read each entry with a flutter in my chest. It is riveting. I hope you one day write a book to reach a wider audience. Best wishes Alli!

Diane

I call you on the phone and tell you that the man who SOLD you this program is NOT who he says he is.
I direct you to the internet and inform you of the following article.

http://outside.away.com/magazine/1095/10f_deth.html

What would you do? What would you say? Would you bring YOUR son or daughter home IMEDIATELY?

I received different responses from parents when I alerted them of Cartisano’s involvement in an out of country program. Some were in shock and disbelief and did bring their child home. Some left their child in the program even after learning the truth. They desperately wanted their son or daughter to receive help, so they chose to have faith in the people who were caring for their child. Their were a few parents who threatened me with a law suit and told me to mind my own business.

If you don’t know it already. This is a very controversial issue. Desperate Parents are what keep this lucrative, out-of-control business going.

Years back I hand delivered the ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children) into the hands of a District Attorney who was handling a case where a boy was sent to an out of country program by his parents. The neighbors had received a call from the boy pleading for their help. This turned out to be a Parents Rights VS Childrens Rights case. I was present in the courtroom when the Judge favored the Parents Rights inspite of all the negative publicity and the ICPC. The courtroom was filled with parents who supported the boys parents. The Judge was swayed by this. Controversy………….It stinks!

Catherine

I’ve been reading the Sutton webpage. It’s unbelievable how she wasn’t even allowed to withdraw from the program after she entered it voluntarily, and how there’s a PHOTO of her lying there dead for almost a day! At least her story will help others, and so will yours.

Thanks Catherine for your explaination. You’re appreciated.