“So how did your parents find out about this program?”
“Google. It was the cheapest option and they had to scroll really far down to find it, but it looked nice”.
An off-chance click to a cover page with a view of a lake or sunshine filled forest. Whether it be a wilderness camp, behavior modification program, or religious “academy”, these facilities know how to make a good first impression. And for desperate parents or a tired social worker, oftentimes that’s all that’s needed to convince a guardian to sign over a child’s custody for a period of time, in exchange for that child to come back well-behaved. However, the elusive promise of helping a child rehabilitate a relationship with a parent is unfortunately not the purpose of these programs. The purpose is profit.
Upon building the #WeWarnedThem Campaign, we’ve been asked who “they” are. And that’s a good question since, “they” are the proprietors of silence. Government officials continuously make the choice to not pass or enforce state laws that regulate these private institutions. Why would they receive a financial benefit? They are the ones skimming the tops of large donation funds while simultaneously acquiring loop holed tax exempt statuses. They are the creators of systems, or at least the upholders of the crumbling ones that at-risk youth fall between now. They are manipulative marketing teams describing inaccurate depictions of program models, persuading parents to sign over custody of their children. They are the parents who still do not understand the dangers of mental health issues proven to be caused by sending a child to these kinds of institutions. Those in positions of authority need to understand the crucial role they play in allowing these programs to sift through the weeds of the justice system because justice is not being served. And we are proof.
This collective is composed of survivors and activists who believe the Troubled Teen Industry should cease to exist. We are the bearers of testimonies and preservers of stories dedicated to exposing the truth of what occurs at these institutions. We are question askers and problem solvers. We are the underdogs in an underground network that allows teenagers’ bodies and stories to be exploited for profit. We are here to warn. The question is, will you listen? And what will you do?
We Warned Them is a national campaign aimed at Washington and allies to take direct action towards protecting at-risk youth from the abuses at for profit private residential facilities. Our core commitment is to amplify marginalized voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, & disabled survivors. Follow us @WeWarnedThem on all social media platforms to stay up to date, download our Toolkit, and checkout our website to learn how you can take action!
Margaret is an artist and activist originally from Rochester, NY. She is passionate about educating her own community on social injustices that often occur silently, which led to her investigation of Freedom Village, a Troubled Teen Industry Program that had been running in upstate NY for over 40 years. This spiraled into her creating 6-part audio documentary about the facilities and it's connection to TTI. She know serves as a campaign coordinator for WWT and lives on the road with her partner, Maggie.
