**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
Six months prior to Challenger
“Get up Alli. You’re going to be late for seminary!”
My dad was pulling the blanket off of me by the foot of the bed. I grabbed the blanket and rolled with it onto my side, groaning and complaining about how early it was.
“Just get up. You’re [...]
Fall 1986 - 2 years before Challenger
Mom and Dad took me over to the Jr. High School. It was 8th grade orientation and the school I was attending had just reopened after a year of asbestos clean-up and I could smell the new paint the second I walked through those heavy metal double doors.
WELCOME BRUINS!
The [...]
February 15, 1990; the day before:
Mom had just dropped me off in front of the High School, it was 7 am. I waited for her to go around the corner and pretended to walk across the street. As soon as she was out of sight, I walked back over to the church parking lot across [...]