A comment about Camp Tracey

This short testimony was given as a comment on another blog. All rights goes to the author.

It wasn’t a summer camp we lived there 365 days out of the year, no phones no way to call 911 letters, checked both incoming and outgoing.

We had no safety net. No one cared about a small town, and the huge farm 10 miles from the nearest anything. Imprisioned us as teens, for the first year and then every 3 months we could go off of property for one day if our parents came. I have a lot to share because I too need to heal from the five years of abuse. I would like to go into details and yes I know most of the staff members on this list. I realize now that the only way for any of us to heal is that we do need to have our story heard to make sure that this does not happen to another child ever again.

Although ct is closed there are many other secret prisons out there for teens and the word needs to get out so we can work to change legislation.

An investigation was started by DCF. They didn't investigate for too long but they managed to close the camp in the process.

Sources:

• 100. Camp Tracey (1000 places You don't want to be as a teenager)
• Abuse Charges Remain on "Dorm Father" at Camp Tracey (North Florida News Daily)

Kenny aka beaner the Heritage Boys Academy

I was that 14 year old that went to heritage boys academy. I'll mever forget the first night i went there. I was so depressed my parents told me we were going to Disney and when i woke up "brother buddy" came to the car and dragged me out and then my parents left me hysterical so there was this guy named marty the biggest asshole said "keep crying, keep crying"

I was still hsterical and he made me hold 2 broom sticks infront of me for 5 minutes long and i couldn't do hold them and he brought me into the staff room which was the CC room and he made me pick them up and hold them straight out again I couldn't Marty then picked me up and threw me through the closet causing a bump on my head so that later on I had to get surgery on it was a calcified hemotoma.

I told my parents a different story because he said he would beat my ass I was a scared 14 year old boy and yeah the gay kids name was Ben. Ben said "I'm going to tell everyone im gay so I can leave this taco stand". His exact words so the boys put bengay in his underwear and when he went to use the shower after he said "my balls are on fire" but yeah my butt was beat red I have a few stripes on my but to this day their nasty scars and marcus that kid used to be in there with me and was one of the worst kids how did he end up working there???

Marcus always told me "I wish i could take hold of that switch and give the kids an ass beating" not going to lie they were the biggest rascists ever my nickname was "beaner" the "grungie garzas" s brother rob would say were 3 brothers Johnathan Zachariah and Jeremiah Johnathan was called "chickster the spickster" because he was Spanish and had chicklet two front teeth and there were two black kids they were called n word by most of the staff or "dirt".

I couldn't imagine how much more worse it would be to the kids aron russle and cliff never smiled they always walked around with this sad depressed face on them and when you ran away you got about 40CC's for everyday for a little over a month i remember when I told buddy and rob i was going to die because they didnt let me use my inhalor I'm a "phoney bologna" they said.

I then had an asthma attack after they made me keep running and they had a defibrolator in the house that they then let me use after and also my inhalor I wasn't kidding in thought I was going to die but withing the next hour I then felt better and was able to almost fully breath but yeah my conclusion is dont give them the right to open that up again sure it is good by God we read the bible everyday but the corporal correction is abuse.

The school was closed by the authorities in 2010 but managed to be cleared of the child abuse charges due to legal technicalities.


Sources:

• The original statement (Topix.com)
• Factsheet about the school (Fornits Wiki)

Book: Reform at Victory

We were happy to learn that the school that once was named Victory Christian Academy and housed the now deceased author Michele Ulriksen is closing. For many too late. For decades this school and the people behind it had made life miserable for the girls who happened to be captured inside it.

The book "Reform at Victory" is the story about how the author lived through the difficult years when she was forced to live locked up on the campus of the school.

The school was placed in California until an accident killed one of the girls and the authorities forbade the management from ever running a school in California again. They moved to Florida where religious school could do whatever they liked until the free and independent press decided to investigate the boarding school business in Florida and found evilness which forced the authorities into action. Being put under pressure the management decided to close their school before they could be forced to do it.

Sadly Michele Ulriksen is no longer among us. The past she the school gave her was a heavy luggage to carry through life despite her actions to write it down and put it on paper.

She would have been happy to learn that the school is closing. We can only hope that she is happy where she is now.


Sources:

• Reform at Victory (Homepage of the book)
• Michele Ulriksen (Red room)
• Christian girls' reform home closes after Times investigation (Tampa Bay Times)

Rosita at Potters Girls Home (From: Fornits)

This story was originally written on the message board called the Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora. All rights belong to the original author:

My name is Rosita Rodriguez and I was 16 when I was sent to the Potter's House via a recommendation from the youth pastor at my church. This place is still open and I'm trying to get it shut down for good.

I wrote a review about the place that kind of explains a little bit of what I went through. My friend that went there was forced to give up her baby to adoption just because none of the "Leadership" (girls who have been there for over 2yrs and told you what to do) liked her, while another girl who they loved got to keep her baby.

I helped to get this place shut down temporarily but I see that it re-opened. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Having a daughter of my own I can't let this place continue their disgusting ways. My email is xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx if you want to help put these backwoods perverts in jail.

"I attended during the summer of 2003 along with 20+ other girls. This girls home is ran by an older couple in their 70s (back then) named Sandy (woman) & Manny (man). They charged my parents and most folks $800/month supposedly for food & board, forced you to give up custody of your kid to them, and addamantly pitched to the parents that they were active christians and would teach their children better morals then those they came to the home with.

On the day you arrived, both owners were present, they assured you that Sandy would always be present, any unchristian items were taken away from you, and your hand was tied to another girls hand (who'd been there for a long time) in front of your parents to show the seriousness of their words in front of them. What they DIDN'T tell you is that they used that money to buy a dozen horses, and Sandy was NEVER present (which left Manny to "tend" to the girls alone) because she would take their daughter & grand-daughter up to North Carolina with a horse of two to race them.

Some of the girls were promised that they would be allowed to ride the horses as long as they signed a contract stating that they would wake up at 3-4am cleaning up horse crap, clean the stables, then finally wash and fully groom each horse on a day-to-day basis. These girls already had other chores to do on top of that and would miss school because of it.

Now as far as paying for food comes into play, they should be charged with for starvation and feeding under aged kids rotten food. They would get expired and moldy food from a nearby grocery store to feed us. For breakfast/lunch we'd have 15mins each course to stuff our faces with who knows what and if we didn't our chores perfectly then they would take away our time to eat and time to sleep. Girls would try to get their chores done so badly that they'd miss meals (if you'd call them that) and sleep. Isn't that border line torture? Now as far as Manny goes he shouldn't be allowed to step miles near any child.

During the first week my shoulder was sore so he attempted to give me a sensual message to which I elbowed him and told me to never touch me again or else. I understand that they want to "help" girls out but you don't touch someone else's child and there is NO excuse. I had to pull a girl out of his lap because because she said that her head hurt so he told her to put her head in his lap because "the power of god runs through me" and began to message her head and shoulders.

There was a girl that I we were all convinced was having relations with him. She was constantly obsessing about how great he was, and always all over him. The reason why we thought that there could even be a possibility is that he never pushed her off of him, told her that it was not right because he was 55yrs older than her and that he was married, and in fact would call her over to sit RIGHT next to him. A girl was caught sleeping with a knife under her bed because she was scared of him.

For all of our chores we earned points to visit/call our family but they would always get taken away for some b/s reason. So when my family demanded to visit I told them exactly what was going on and threatened to take me out right then and there. They would have, but the thing is that YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS IN A CONTRACT GIVING CUSTODY TO THESE TWO STRANGERS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. So Manny threatened to call the cops and have my grandmother who can barely walk arrested and told them flat to their faces that he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.

This is a scam and your daughters will be forced to spend months with a pentecostal old pervert while his wife takes your money to ride horses. She could care less and was in fact known to beat up on the girls if they didn't listen to her. Punches, choke-outs, belts..the phrase was "anything to get you down". After my family left from the visit I received extreme punishment, 5min meals, no school, and hardly got to sleep.

2 weeks later my family threatened to sue and reveal the happenings of the school. I still think to this day they should have and I am trying to track down the girls I went there with to make sure it closes for good. After I left another girl from my church was sent to the girls home and had VERY similar experiences. Her father had to be taken away by family members because he was about to beat the crap out of Manny for touching his daughter. Please hear my warning."

Sources:

• potters house girls home? (The original testimony on the Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
• The datasheet on the facility at Fornits Wiki

StopTHEM at The Potters house girls home (From: Insiderpages)

This story was originally written on Insiderpages. All rights and credits goes to the author known as "StopTHEM":

DO NOT SEND YOUR DAUGHTER THERE!!! IF SHE IS THERE GET HER OUT NOW!!!

I was a girl there. I was sexually abused before being sent there and a victim of neglect and abuse with a severe eating disorder and horrible depression. They do not provide counseling and when I told sandy I was purging in the bathroom and severely depressed she called me "a pain in the a** and tied me to another girl and made me wear a sign that said I have a big mouth that I cant keep shut".

I went so far as to leave in a tampon for three months praying to die of toxic shock syndrome when my depression peaked. I was drowned in that pond out front in the middle of the night, made to eat a bowl of salad with mold all over it because I let a brown piece slip past me when making dinner and moldy salad was my punishment, I was also forced to spend a 3days in 105degree weather without water shoveling horse pop for Sandy's garden because I loved school and books were my escape they would punish me by denying me school and books. They tortured me. I have reported it to child services but the girls in there are forced to lie for fear of repercussions.

Your daughters may act changed but they have no choice I cant tell you the torture they will endure if they say a wrong thing. You will be off the phone or gone after the visit and there will be nobody there to protect them. I had bibles thrown at me, was forced to sleep outside when the wheat-er went down to forty degrees and was sleep deprived. Prayed every night for death.

I am twenty-five now. A 4.0 GPA college student and still suffer post traumatic stress disorder. Any parent who leaves there child here should be charged with child abuse and forced to pay restitution to the child for as long as they live for the irreversible mental ailments the child will suffer.

As for sandy and Manny, I hate you for what you did to me!!!! I dare you to summons me for speaking the truth so I can counter that for child abuse, negligence, child endangerment, and intentional infliction of emotional duress with malice intent, as well as close down the fraud you have going on and save these girls you are currently imprisoning.

Parents get your daughters help at the right place. I beg the world to shut this place down!!!

Sources:

• Stop them now!! save these girls (The original testimony on Insiderpages
• The datasheet on the facility at Fornits Wiki

Girl from SC at The Potters house girls home (From: Insiderpages)

This story was originally written on Insiderpages. All rights and credits goes to the author known as "Girl from SC":

I also wish to not state my name as to the connections they have. I dont know about the sexual abuse cause Manny never physically touched the girls when i was there.

Hm... where to start. Well when i first came there i was court ordered so yes i was a troubled teen. Yes, they took me and the girls to church, and I can say that Manny and Sandy are NOT the ones who changed me at all. It was myself and making the choice to believe in Jesus as my lord, the people at the church are the ones who led me there. It says that you get counseling and whatnot at this program but as far as Manny or Sandy they did not. As for some of the reviews stating about precautions that you would receive being there if you made even a tiny mistake, I can vouch and say they are out of this world.

I remember being outside for hours at a time like from 8 in the morning to I wanna say 8 at night working in the summer heat. I asked to go to the bathroom and got screamed at and punished for it. Sandy does use the girls for personal slavery. I was so behind in school because all I did was slave away. All they talk about is the world is ending and if you are not perfect then you wont be in heaven. For this reason, I have serious paranoia and I cannot enjoy life like I used to. I am for 90% of the time depressed.

DCF has been called many of times on this house and nothing has been done about it because Sandy does scare you into lying to them for fear of not being able to go home because she will lie to the parents and say you did something wrong. Yes, she brings you to movies and shopping but I feel its a tactic to make you think for a bit that you are really not in such a bad situation.

They are extremely rascist and will bluntly talk about it. If you are so Christian than you should know that God created all men, not just white men. I remember staying up til 3 in the morning wrapping gifts for only their toddler. If you walk into her cottage, you cannot even go through the halls because its filled to the top with things that she takes for herself that are supposed to be donations for the girls home. Onto that note, if the parents are paying for the child to live in this home, and they receive thousands and thousands of dollars in donations, and united way gives them a grant every year why are the girls eating expired donated food from kash and karry(now sweetbay)?

I recently applied for food stamps as to I was struggling, and when I was accepted I received no card. My husband called DCF to find out what was going on and they said that I already had one. But funny thing is I never applied for food stamps in my life. They then told me it was located at the address 140 Dunty Road Lake Placid Fl. I asked my mom if she signed any papers about medicaid or food stamps cuz I know I didnt and she didnt either. I asked if it was ever active at one time and it was back when I lived at this house. So I wanna know why Sandy and Manny were able to fill three to four fridges up of food to the top and the girls had only donated food never bought?.... so they are playing the state too. But as someone else said they have so many connections that I'm sure they will never get caught.

They said that if the girls left the program early they would end up dying. Well out of all the girls that i heard of or knew only 3 out of 100's are a success. Think about that. I never finished school because I am one who got pregnant but because I was scared of not living a life as to the world was ending. I could say alot more but what is the use. Oh and speaking of therapy... I want to say the only thing Sandy considers therapy would be defacing somebodys belongings (i mean egging an exboyfriends close to new mustang) She went so far as to buy two cartons of eggs and bring a few girls dressed in black and drove them to his place of work and Sandy was the lookout.

Sources:

• agreed... disgusted (The original testimony on Insiderpages
• The datasheet on the facility at Fornits Wiki

Tania's Story 1990-1991 (From SIA)

All rights and credits goes to the author Tania, who published this story on the homepage of Survivors of Institutional Abuse (SIA)

I was a "student" there in 1990-1991.

My name at the time was Tania (I have since changed my name). I was the first "new girl" in the Jay, FL school.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Christina and Katie, "helpers" from the California school. My stuff was searched, I was searched, changed into "appropriate" clothes, and said a very formal and unemotional goodbye to my parents.

Evening chapel that first week was obviously directed toward me.

I "got saved" every night in hopes of stopping the pointed attention to my sinful, disgusting self. (How I was made to feel- NOT what I actually think of myself!)

I had such a hard time with "the rules"-the unspoken, unknown rules. You didn't know a rule until you broke it. I lost the "privilege" of my two week break-in period when I said "yeah" instead of "yes ma'am" too many times, and rolled my eyes too many times for Mrs. Palmer's liking. I started writing lines before my first week was up.

I was force fed my first meal. There was a DESSERT I didn't like. I was made to finish it. After a long stand-off at the table, I was fed the remainder of my food. Then, made to clean up.

I had very short hair (had shaved my head) and I often heard comments from staff about appearing to be homosexual or various other comments. (Not the case. They should have been more concerned about my insane desire for a boyfriend!)

I feared the Palmers. They were calculated and unforgiving.

I was relieved every time they left to tie up loose ends in California. The Browns (both couples) were much kinder. "Ma", the Mexican lady that cooked for us, was so sweet.

When the Palmers returned, she and I both got in trouble when she comforted me for crying. She was in a lot of trouble for teaching me to say "Good Morning, How Are You, Well, Thank God" in Spanish.

Our new dorm mother, Connie, was the only person who seemed to really "get" God. Not religion, but JESUS.

Brother and Mrs Sullivan were wonderful people. I used to love hearing Mrs Sullivan come into the school room to ask if I was done with my work or if I could be spared, to go work in the yard.

For as much as I hated the school, I LOVED Mrs Sullivan, and owe being a hobby farmer to that woman.

She was one of the only staff that LOVED the girls, and showed that often.

I got my "year" started over around 6 months or so. I was sent to the GR room- a walk-in closet that was locked- for being disruptive in school. I was stripped of all my clothes except a tshirt and underwear, and given my Bible. I snuck a chapstick in with me. I kicked 13 holes into the wall, used the chapstick to write offensive stuff on the walls. I was "restrained" (tied to a chair) until I talked to the pastor.

I spent a week in that closet.

When I was allowed to rejoin the group (on "silence" restriction, of course), it was obvious the other girls were afraid- if not of ME, then of what would happen in they showed even a hint of sympathy or a kind smile.

It stayed that way until I "got saved" again.

I remember a scare tactic "lesson" on abortion. We were all told what "murderers" we would be. One girl left the room, crying hysterically.

No one was allowed to comfort her. No one was allowed to ask her about it.

Her bed was close to mine, and I listened to her cry herself to sleep that night.

After my little episode in the GR room, my mom worked it out with the Palmers to keep me until I was 18. (I was 15 when I started attending.)

I didn't stay that long.

I eventually "got with the program". I "got saved" enough to make it appear to the staff that I had repented of my sins, and followed enough of the rules to work my way to "dorm helper" status- the highest "helper" position.

I made "remarkable progress", had agreed to abandon all my old friends and ways, and was told my parents would allow me to come home to start my junior year of highschool. (total time at Victory approx 18 months)

A few weeks before going home, I panicked. Completely freaked out. To the point of losing helper status and going back on "buddy" and dorm silence.

School was bad. Home was going to be bad. There was nowhere to go.

I was sent home. Actually took a plane by myself. I contemplated running away in NC, where I had to change planes, but went home.

Ironically on homecoming, my parents told me I needed to drop all the boarding school "crap", but "better behave".

I was SO confused.

The rules of boarding school were so STUCK in my head. I failed Gym Class for refusing to wear pants. I abandoned all my "worldly friends". I tried to evangelize my parents and my siblings.

When I couldn't mesh back in to the "real world", I begged to be sent back. When my parents refused, I went the opposite direction. Back to my old lifestyle, back to biding my time until my 18th birthday. The day I turned 18, I packed a backpack and walked out, living on the streets.
That was years ago.

It took years of hard-knock life and therapy to undo my mess.

Some things still confuse me.

I hated God for a long time.

It wasn't until YEARS later that I realized they never introduce me to GOD, they introduced me to mind-control cult religion.

I eventually came to God, the REAL God, as a Christian. I DO believe in Jesus, and I want to be like Him.

Nothing about that school looks like the Jesus I've read about in the Bible (NOT that blasted King James Version, either!)

I still struggle with "religion".

I still struggle to tell the difference between FAITH and religion.

The Bible tells us that faith without love is useless.

There is no love in that school.

It's not allowed.

I remember having an argument with Brother Palmer about how the Bible says "God is Love".

He laughed at me, and told me love based faith was "out of the will of God." and that maybe I wasn't really saved.

End of argument. Back on buddy. Dorm silence. And more of those pointed sermons, determined to "save" me. Until I once again, "got saved".

Not all my memories were terrible.

There were some fun times. (Well, when you hadn't gotten so many demerits for saying "yeah" that you weren't allowed to participate in Friday Nights.)

And as sad as it is to admit, that school WAS a better, more peaceful existence than my home life (another story and more therapy!)

I hate that we weren't allowed to keep in touch with the other girls.

I've often wondered what happened to Christina and Katie. Are they still militant helpers? Did they "keep the faith"? Did they leave and look back on their time at the school fondly? Did they hate it?

I saw Sharlene's story.

I wonder what ever happened to Diane, the second new girl at the Florida school.

Or any of the other girls I knew there- though we never really were allowed to KNOW the other girls, were we?
Did we eventually turn out "normal"?

And the staff.

Did all of them believe in this school?

I always wondered if Connie thought the school was something different when she took the job. She eventually left, and Virginia (Sullivan) took over as dorm mother.

What of Brother Jimmy?

I'll never forget him spitting out, in that southern accent, "Before you lay yer head down on yer piller tonight, you'd better make sure you know Jeezus." and the lyrics to "I'll Fly Away".

Oh, music! Do you know I once got demerits and got the entire dorm's music priveleges taken away for "dancing" (swaying) to an acapella rendition of "Beulah Land"!?!?

What of Amy and Niko?

Or little Mike Palmer and his wife?

When I googled VCA, I was mostly just wondering if that place still existed.

I didn't realize there was a whole BUNCH of people who felt like that place was something they "survived" in their childhood.

I have moved on.

It took years of therapy, years of figuring things out, and years of some hard knocks.

I'm married now. I have two teenage boys (14 &16) that live with their dad- I didn't get my act together until many years after they were born.

I also have two young daughters (2 &3), and expecting another in June.

We live in Alaska (thousands of miles from my past!).

We homestead and run a small hobby farm.

We have FAITH, minus religion.

We love our neighbors as ourselves.

We live a quiet life.

It took a long time, but I learned to like me.

I wish I could say I've forgotten about VCA or Jay, FL or the way things were.

I haven't.

I probably won't.

I hope any of the other "girls" I went to school with at VCA are now living content lives.

Most of all, I hope you know the one lesson we definitely did NOT learn at VCA-

You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and LOVED.


Sources:

• The Original story on SIA's webpage
• Datasheet of the facility on Fornits Wiki