WWASP

Review of Casa by the Sea by an former inmate

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Casa by the Sea was private mormon run prison located in Mexico which did nothing good for anybody. It was closed down in 2004 by the government of Mexico due to problems with records and medication. This review was found on Reddit.
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I was unfortunate enough to be sent to one of these that operated out of Ensenada, Mexico. It was one of the most terrifying and horrific experinces in my life.

A little backstory, My father left at an early age and it tore me up inside. He came back once because his new wife wanted a daughter and tried to take my sister. He made it clear he wasnt intrested in being around me or my brother and it sent me into a depression that eventually evolved into a rage issue.

Cut to me at 14, My mother can not handle my rage and decided to contact this “rehabilitation center”. We lived in San Diego so my mom convinced me we were going down there for a lobster lunch. After lunch she drove me to the facility and left.

I was there for 7 months. The program was designed in 5 levels. You had absolutely no rights at the first level. 2nd level you got trivial things like a weekly candy bar and other such non sense. 3rd level you were trusted to lead other low levels and they usually became power hungry. You could always spot them because they were allowed to wear watches.

The 4th and 5th levels were practically the same and they were allowed to call their parents and move about the facility without your group. The groups were called “families” and usually was made up of a adult employee, 1 or 2 level 3s and then 20 or so level 1 and 2’s.

The place was like a military school and a prison wrapped in one afwul package. We wore these silly deniem uniforms and had to comply by the rules that were stacked against us. If you got in trouble you were knocked down a level and the punishments were usually worse.

They had a room set up with several benches all facing a table with a radio on it. The radio played tapes of literally classics. The benches had no backs and you needed to sit up straight and if you slouched during your hour you would have to restart your hour. This was the tamer punishment. I once spent 3 days in a room with no furniture or people and had to stare at a wall.

It ended on September 10th, when was escorted out by the Mexican Goverment. I lined up for my medicine and a swat team came in with assault rifles. They shut the place shut down to some political turmoil between the Us and Mexico. I was so relieved. Here is an article about the shutdown.

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A relatives testimony about Carolina Springs Academy

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Carolina Springs Academy first opened back in the 1990’s. After they closed for the first time in 2009, they have tried to reopen under new names. Magnolia Hills Christian School, Seneca Ranch, Second Chance Ranch, Palmetto Ranch and lately Southern Oaks Youth Ranch. The testimony below was made when the property was named Carolina Springs Academy

If you child is in this place you need to rescue them immediately. Let me tell you my story. Two weeks ago our precious grandaughter was acting out and we found this place on the internet that showed horses, rolling hills, and happy kids with smiling faces. What a crock.

After we put her in this place (Carolina Springs Academy) we starting researching and found out a lot of bad things. We went to the place (in the daytime) for a tour. There was no one in the front building so we opened the door and went into the library area which on their website shows a whole lot different library than we seen. The floor was actually falling in and we about froze while we were in there (no heat). The lady that met us starting reciting this speech and talked about our granddaughter. Near the end of the speech we realized that she was not talking about her, she did not even know who she was. The girls had just came from lunch so I asked her what they ate. She told me, fried chicken, rice and gravy, green beans and a choice of two desserts. Later I found out that they ate red beans and boiled noodles with no seasoning and they only drink water.

We also found out that the three antiquated dinsaur computers in the library are the only ones on the premises. We did pick our granddaughter up after two weeks. We found out that the kids are not allowed in the library, that the women would get them a book from the library. My granddaughter had to look at the ground with her head turned to the right and if she looked up she lost points. She was not allowed to speak. They got her out of bed at 4am to go and wash up the dishes from the night before which was close to 100 bowls. They do not eat out of plates, only bowls.

They loose points if they cry. We brought her some pictures of the family (4) that day and because she cried, they took them away from her. A lot of her discipline came from the older kids. One of them hit her and she could not respond or she would get in trouble. One of them stole some stuff of hers. They are allowed three towels and can only wash them (and her clothes) once per month plus they are damp so they put them in a plastic bag until the next day. When we picked her up, her three towels were wet and smelly. She said that four girls in the building have staf infections and one girl had a big sore on her mouth that was herpes. In this dorm (like a double wide trailer) was 68 girls with 3 showers and 3 sinks. She said they have three minutes to take a shower and that is all.

She said that they never got to leave this building except to go eat. They exercised in this building, watch films in this building (which is supposedly their school work) and everything else in this building. All the windows are boarded up so they cannot look outside. We had to pay around $500 for uniforms. When we picked her up we saw that she got used uniforms that did not even fit. The dress shirt that she got had four names in the collar and each one marked out for the next girl. When we picked her up she was dirty and in only two weeks they had broken her spirit. She said that the equestrian program (horses) was a big joke among the kids. They just wanted money for that program but since you can’t talk to your child, you don’t know what they are doing. They read their incoming and outgoing mail and decide if they want it sent/received or not. It’s up to them.

When she came out of the back door of the dining hall, she looked down at the ground all the way to us because they are not allowed to look up. When she finally saw us she started crying and hugging us. On the way home she told us some horror stories. She also started talking about how if you “secret” something and believe it in your heart and write it down everyday that eventually the universe with align with your heart and it will come true. We still don’t know what all that is about but if they had her talking like this in two weeks I wonder what they would have done to her mind on a year or two. She said that a lot of the girls had been their years. She said that she saw her family rep only once per week and that she had to stand in front of her, look to the right and to the ground. The rep would ask her if she is ready for her feedback and she would say yes. The rep would then tell her what she thought about her and tell her what she thought she should do (remember all along looking at the ground and to the right). They strip them of their dignity and self worth. Nothing a child can do is bad enough to deserve this.

Everything this school told us is a lie. One particular sheet in her application that gave them permission to move the child across state lines was not signed. They said that we did not have to sign it. Just send the paperwork without it. They said that that sheet was only for the children that were wards of the state. When our granddaughter was admitted, they wanted that paper signed. We refused. Then in a few days, the same paper was sent to the home to be signed and a return envelope was inside. Again, the paper was not signed. One of the women told her that if she did not straighten up that she would be sent to another program in Jamacia and one of the girls had already been there and showed off a big scar on her leg from that place. All the pictures on the web site are a joke. I will continue this blog at a later time but I really want you to know that your child is in danger in this place. I am not with an organization or anything like that just a concerned grandparent. Get your child out, now. I know that all boarding schools are not like this—but this one is.

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High Impact / Casa by the Sea testimony

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This testimony was found on a blog about haunted places. The person who made this testimony was confined at Casa by the Sea in Mexico, which were shut down by force by the authorities in Mexico. A boot camp nearby was also shut down by the authorities in Mexico in 2001.

I was woken up at 3 in the morning in my own room and told that I could only change in front of this man and woman. I was also told that I would only be going for a 3 day evaluation and that I would be able to come home if everything was okay. I was handcuffed and taken across the border illegally. My mother signed over 90% custody to people she had never even met. I got to Casa By The Sea and was stripped of all of my personal belongings, including my sneakers. I was given sandals, “so I couldn’t get away”.

After a week in “Worksheets” and being placed in R&R (where they would bend your legs and arms behind your body, laying on your stomach and while a large heavy man sat on your back), I was sent to High Impact. I witnessed the “dog cages” and was even placed in them. In the dog cages, you were made to roll up your sleeves and pants so that the sun could burn your skin. after your skin was burnt, the red ants would bite your burnt skin. We were made to sleep on a carpet, placed on top of a cement block. We were only given oatmeal (about a cup) for breakfast, rice and beans for lunch (also about a cup) and for dinner we were made to eat a chicken breast, along with the bones. If you did not eat the bones, you would be put in the dog cages. I witnessed two girls who tried to escape, tied around their ankles with rope tied to the back of a truck, be pulled up a rocky mountain.

I wrote my mother that my feet were blistered and cut deeply, and they lied and told her I was lieing. We were forced to take ice cold showers, where you could see the steam rising off of people’s bodies. We had no brush, we weren’ allowed to brush our hair. We had no soap, because after the count of 100, we were forced to get out of the shower. And the worst part of all, we were given 30 seconds, once a day, to use the restroom. If you asked to go other than that, you would be given consiquences and miles that you ran would be taken away. It got so bad that I would hold my bowels until I would go to the bathrom (#1 & #2) in my pants, because I was afraid to ask to use the restroom. We handwashed our clothes on a piece of concrete. And 75% of our days were spent running and doing excersizes.

I lost 40lbs in 3 monthes at High Impact. We werent allowed to so much as sratch ourselves without asking permission, but you would be denied permission if you asked. After going to bed starving, the “mamas” would break out their candy, snacks and good food… and eat it while laughing at us trying to stay warm under a sheet, with no pillow, in the 30 degree weather. I have hip pains to this day because of sleeping on concrete in the fetal postion for 3 monthes. When I finally got back to Casa, I found that my mom thought we would be swimming, they even made her send a bathing suit. For what??? There was no swimming going on at Casa By The Sea. There wasn’t even proper medical treatment. I once witnessed a young girl go into seisures and be left alone to fend for herself. Dace Goulding is a liar, along with King Kay and everyone else. I would love to see him in the streets.

DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO THESE PLACES! The pictures are lies, the statements are lies… these fun things NEVER go on at these places. If you want t talk to me, I will tell you anything!

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A former student at Majestic Ranch in Randolph in Utah writes

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I attended Majestic ranch when I was 12 years old and I was pulled out of the program when I was 13… so I attended in 2003.

I would say… The abuse, the torture, the pain was terrible… Even until this day it gets to me….. It made me heartless at such a young age…

We were forced to do all sorts of things that we didn’t want to do… Little girls were getting restrained on the ground by Wayne who was around 6 foot something… She was only 7 years old…. After getting pulled out of the program I became worse.. the I ended up going to Juvi and having a child…..

The mental abuse was just as bad; leaning more towards worse than the physical abuse…. Our parents were brain washed…. if the card was too sweet and we sounded like we had changed… well it was a lie and we were “manipulating” them to pull us out the program therefore the needed to tell Tori or whomever and we would get punished or needed to be in the program longer….. if we cried to our parents about how bad it was in there… same thing… we were “manipulating”….. My relationship with my mother got worse….. I no longer cared about anything I did…. I went from a sweet innocent girl who had made one innocent mistake at 12 year old … to a cold hearted monster…. If this cruelty of a place is still running; pull your children out asap!!! Dont let them suffer… they are only children and no matter how troubled they are… there are other solutions…

I am now a mother and I would never put my child through this…The night mares never end….. Over the years I have managed to erase most my memory… Its something I never wanted to remember….

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1991 cali kid about his time at Majestic Ranch in Randolph, UT

/ jsoerensen / Leave a comment

I went to majestic for almost a year around 91.

It was indeed a prison. The school was not accredited and my time there made it impossible to graduate high school. staff had no training – we had to live on 8 cents per person per meal- i saw “Dave” the therapist once during my stay – lots of hard labor- bloody take downs – relentless solitary confinement – zero contact with parents – constant pressure to become a mormon – the towns people called us devil worshippers – when i came home i could stare at the wall for hours, so conditioned the long hours of boredom.

There was no attempt at helping us to be better people. That place was a cash cow for the Pearts and it screwed up alot of kids. I was there with Harold mentioned above. He was caught molesting the houseparents one year old baby and sent back to the little kids house. I often wondered what happened to him later in life. He was the kind of kid you would imagine becoming a serial killer, unbelievable to hear they made him staff.

I have lots to say about Majestic but no one ever asked. Terrible place that was traumatic and tough to get over. Made my transition into adulthood harder not easier. Pointless abusive shithole. there main goal was to keep everyone there til 18 and many got stuck in that trap regardless of theyre level of so called rehab. It was known that you will not leave. My insurance ran out so I was luckily sent home after 11 months. It was really scary and I had no way to have uncensored conversation with my family.

I was there with – Ross Kulkin, Jason Labansatt, doogie howser, Paul Smith, big Clint, Matt Hendrix, Nate from Seattle, Rob, marine wannabe John. and yes Harold. One kid was only 6 years old. fat Jeff was the program director. Dave was the nonexistant counselor.

The craziest part is my dad still doesnt believe me when i tell him about that place.

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A testimony from a former student at Academy at Dundee Ranch

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Hiii, my name is Mary. I was enrolled in Dundee Ranch Academy from November of 2000 to November of 2001.

I entered the Academy when it was just started, to explain how new the program was at the time I entered, when we numbered our clothes with our initials and numbers (The boys having 1-100 & the girls having 200-300), I was number 209.

I left approximately a month before the place was torn to shit.

I don’t know how much any of you read the plethera of articles that was not only in many local newspapers, but in Time magazine, The Costa Rican Embassy came into the property and proceeded to tell all the students that this program could no longer keep them, and that they were allowed to leave. The students proceeded to tear apart what was once a hotel- turned into the program. They kicked down walls, some ran down the streets into Costa Rica, others were having sex in what was left in the dorms (obviously unprotected, because how many WWASP programs have condom dispensers?). The parents were contacted soon thereafter, but some had problems getting their kids because of the chaos that was going on (i.e. they didn’t know where the fuck their kids were).

Out of the approximately 300 kids that have left Dundee Ranch Academy, I am almost positive that I am the only one that has been completely drug free since. And by drug free, I mean completely. No alcohol, no drugs, no cigarettes, nothing. I’ve made the lifetime commitment to become straightedge, and am still standing strong.

Once I left the program, I tried to keep in contact with some of my friends that were in the program through e-mail and phone contact. My first friend who actually came to visit me ended up smoking weed with my other friend who lives here, and we have had very little contact since.

Another one came to visit me about 6 months ago or so, and because getting to my house is hella difficult, we opted to meet downtown, and go to lunch. She had us meet her in the parking lot of some sleezy motel, and the van she was driving was surrounded by hella creepy looking dudes. She asked if I could wait 10 minutes so she could go inside and smoke weed with them. I didn’t know what to say, so I allowed her to.

We then went out to coffee, and after about an hour there, she asked if she could go hangout with those dudes again and then meet me at my house at around 12 or 1 in the nite. I finally called it the last straw and told her she was not welcome in my house if she didn’t come with me right now.

She did not end up coming home with me that night.

Dundee Ranch was the shadiest place ever. Despite the fact that you couldn’t look at members of the opposite sex, it happened all the time. None of the staff members spoke english, and most of the Family Reps weren’t qualified for the job. They were endoctorinating the students into the Mormon religion through seminary classes in the morning. When my mother inquired about this, they lied to her and told her that they weren’t teaching any kind of religion in the school.

They had observation placement, in which they would make us lay on the ground with our hands behind our back and our chins to the cold hard ground. I might add, the ground was horribly filthy, plus there were bugs crawling all over it. It was absolutely disgusting.

Many people didn’t believe me about the entire OP thing, or the physical restraint that broke many student’s arms, including mine. Some still don’t. While my mother was here for PC1, we took this photograph of what happens in Obserbvation Placement.

Obserbvation Placement example

My mother pulled me when I was at level 2 with 200 points.

I don’t really know what else to say. I think I mumbled a lot about some dumb shit. Oh well.

It’s pretty awesome to find this on livejournal. It’s a shame that a lot of kids don’t know about it.

After the raid the owner renamed it Pillars of Hope. Later it operated under names like Teen Discovery Costa Rica. It remains marketed here in 2017

Troy Tj at Majecstic Ranch Academy – now Old West Ranch Academy

/ jsoerensen / Leave a comment

I was sent here back in 02- 04.

They run the program like jail. They staff just watch the kids and put in punishment after the kids do something. No help unless the staff member themselfs love kids with a passion and most don’t. It’s just a job.

They don’t do anything when a kid gets hurt. There is no nurse of any kind. I was playing basketball with the staff an other kids. I jumped to blocked a staff member. Instead some how. He just ran me over and I landed on my head…. Next thing I know I woke up in my bed the next day with 2 (cat 3s) for not fallowing directions. The kids told me I played the rest of the game really sloppy an falling down a lot. After our PE was done in our room they said I started crying and asking who my dad was I couldn’t remember anything from my life, my past, my family where I was from or anything. An they didn’t even seek medical help for me.

They just gave my consequences for my actions takin away pretty much what u have to work for there. I feel like that is really low u can’t even get the kid help that might have amnesia. I also fell on my hand and busted my wrist. I couldn’t use it for 3 weeks and after it healed it has a numb in it. They completely ignored it and the fact I couldn’t use my hand. A staff member literally tried to trip me down a set of stairs. Because of a resent conflict between me and a kid in her group. Iv seen several kids leave puddles of blood after a staff member/s has used excessive force to (restrain) kids under 14.

An Dan makes the kids do all the ranch work. From the birth of the new sheep to killing them and have us skin an gut them. We have to herd the sheep, an brand the cows. He uses the kids as his personal slaves the only thing u would ever get if u get anything would be a soda after u ate a pepper and the can was shaken an thrown somewhere for u to find. So not only is he getting paided for the kids to just sit on his ranch. But then he uses the kids to run his ranch. He has 3 Mexicans he pays nothing to do the rest. He’s a slave owner.

Instead of sending a kid here where they have to deal with a bunch of traumatizing Shit how about u just step in they’re life more. be a real parent. Grow the fuck up take care of your kid you brought into this world. An yes there still times I have very vivid dreams of being there. An so happy after I wake up in my bed.

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News about lawsuits – will the lid come off?

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At Diamond Ranch Academy located west of Hurricane in Utah a lawsuit is the subject right now. Parents of a girl who was confined to the facility has filed a lawsuit where it is stated that the girl was subjected to sexual assault conducted by a therapist hired by the facility and operating at the facility. According to the lawsuit the facility neglected to supervise and correct the therapist when they saw his actions.

Another lawsuit has been filed against the former Red River Academy in Lecompte, Louisiana. The facility now operating under the name US Youth Services was hit by a lawsuit in 2016. The father of a boy state in the lawsuit that the boy suffered abuse of neglect. The facility opened as a WWASP school but has since worked on their own since WWASP disappeared after several schools were raided and closed by authorities in a number of states and countries.

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