A parents view on her daughters stay at New Beginnings Girls Academy

Met this group, while they were on tour to our church. we were impressed wtih their evening performance, and felt that this place would be a place where our daughter could find rest, and comfort and a place to get away from it all after a severe accident left her with some serious physical complications...

it was not what we had expected, nor was it what we were promised.We were told of mending broken relationships, academically getting on track and counseling...

punishment started right away, for things that were not understood, red shirt, punishment, left my daughter with many physical problems, untreated medical condition, UTI that was untreated, afer I spoke about her needing to get medical attention, they said they would, and did nothing.

blood in her urine, blood in her bowels, hives all over her body.

Our letters were kept from her, her letters to us were never sent, she was not allowed to speak to us freely on the phone, but every word was to be judged, and she was expected to speak to us in monotone, so as not to communicate anything other than what was allowed. She was on punishment, and red shirt discipline throughout her stay, and has foot, knee, hip inflamation from the constant standing on the wall with her hands behind her back, both feet flat on the floor.

she wakes up nightly with nightmares, of being taken back to New beginnings Girls academy.

Bill macnamera has a very bad temper, in which he did lose all self control with me, while I was asking him questions about educational neglect for my daughter. We were told that she would start counseling, up to two days a week, right away...after two months, she recieved one processing counseling interview...when I asked about the counseling and the lack of education, Bill Macnamers became angry with my questioning his authority, telling me that he did not have to listen to this, and slammed the phone down...a man with a lack of control, exploding on the phone in a temper tantrum fashion, is also in charge of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and 30 little girls who needed a safe place to be, and protection...very concerning...

we called to ask our daughter if she were ready to come home, a nd she had already been in Bill Macnamera's office earlier, and agreed under duress, to stay 6 more months...at which time she told me on the phone she could not come ahome, and it was not perfect at New Beginnings, but she could not come home...now she wanted to stay another 6 months...during my conversation, she was told she had 3 minutes to get off the phone for a counseling session...so they could than tell her why she needed to stay there...

The world is sin, your family is in the world, if you leave NBGH you will going back into the world, your family is in the world, the world is in sin...
They are not allowed to know the day of the week or the date of the month, and must learn to tell time backwards...no speaking of family you miss, or anything that is reminders of home, family, affection, caring loving people in your life outside of New Beginnings.

You get punished for making eye contact with any other girl, no matter what..no speaking at any time..you must raise your hand and be silent until you are called, if you are called.

Bathroom is punishment: with 5 sheets of toilet paper, or 7 depending on your need...open stalls for shower and bathroom...strip search, solitary confinement writing sentences for up to 4 hrs. a time..

When I went to rescue my daughter from this place, I was met by the counselor who told me to come into the office, we needed to talk...told me to sit down, I refused, he than got himself a chair, so we could sit and talk before I could see my daughter...he than told me that it was a dangerous idea to take my daughter home, It was not safe, she did not want to go home, and she made it very clear, told them many times she did not want to come home, she wanted to stay,

She was severely punished after I was hung up on with more discipline...she would than say anything that would make them happy hoping they would lighten up on the severe punishment...it didnt help...
she was severely distraught, terrified, freightened, full of shame, fear, intimidation, and terror...the look inher eyes the moment I saw her was one that I had never seen in her eyes before...it was the same look I have seen on a dog, lost on the side of a highway, trying to avoid traffic, sticks and stones, wet dripping with freezing rain, terrified for its very life, shivering, full of fear, begging for help...it shocked me and paralyzed me to see my daughter sickly pale, ghostly white, bug eyed, trembling, shivering, fulll of fear in her eyes...fear and intimidation not knowing why she was now in the Office...she looked at me, and said, Mom is that you...she than began crying saying, O God, O my God, Mom, is that really you, O my God mom you came...I ran to her, picked up her trembling body, and she melted in my arms, so I picked up her weak body, and felt how weak her hug on me was...she was trembling in my arms, and I whispered...do you want to go to Braums with me...will you go to lunch with me...I knew if I could remind her of a happy childhood memory, she would answer me freely before she remembered what she was supposed to say...she said, food, o God yes...she was in shock, and was trembling as we turned to walk out...she was than ordered to take off her red shirt and return it...big red T shirt to degrade as punishment, humiliate, and abuse mentally and emotionally...she had nothing else on with the T-shirt in Missouri snow storm, boots, thin black summer skirt...when I got there, they had her hurriedly put on a purple sweatshirt...she was confused, but never knew anything about me traveling to get her...she was in total shock and surprise...she was convinced that whe was not allowed to ever coem home again, she was not loved, not wanted, and at the same time, /Bill Macnamera told my husband to just let her go, give her away...let her go...they got tiered of all of our phone calls asking questions...
later on she was able to open up, telling me that she never would have went home with me if Bill macnamera was in town there..He was on vacation with his daughter and son-in-law who are his assistant directors...family run business...he would have let her know what the right response was...she would have done exactly what he told her to do...she was fulll of fear, intimidation, she was terrified of what would happen to her if she said the wrong thing...shw would have told me she was not going home.

I must confess that I am not one with free time on my hands to write openly, but this trauma is not half described due to time restraints...I am a mother of great love devotion, and concern for my daughter, and other daughters across America...Mothers who think thye are doing the right thing, finding out after it is too late, that we made the worst possible mistake of our lives...allowing total strangers, to have dominant control over the lives of a child that we have invested so many years, to a person that we knw so very little about.

I am reaching out to Moms everywhere, no matter how desperate you are to find help for your daughters, do not give up, do not give in, and do not send them to a place with your eyes closed, and imagine it is a good thing...if your heart is aching and grievingf, and warning you...listen to those cautions, it is real life screams in the dark...she was very exhausted and walked painfully...when I stoped for the night she was barely able to walk with terrible muscle cramps, and joint pain from the constant standing ont he wall, 7 days a week, *8- hrs. a day, and 500 jumping jacks each evening you are on punishment...she was in terrible pain, and groaned each time I held her, she was having muscle spasms throughout the night, with nightmares of being taken back to NBGH.

She now has anxiety attacks throughout the day, gag reflex from being force fed large amounts of food, and punished if you dont eat it all, or throw it up...punish is by demerits, and the girls who have grown up in the system and arrived at the age of 18, than become the new guards, to give punishment demerits without question...

the prisoner becomes the guard, so the abuse of the bully system continues, and the fear factor of this is evident in the lives of the girls that are full of fear to look anyone in the eye again...

Sources:

• New Beginnings Girls academy (Complaintsboard)
• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)

Eric at Anchor Academy

This testimony was found on Topix.com. All rights goes to the original author Eric Marchant

Jordan, is your last name Crawford. Well, i most certainly agree that the degree of punishment endured at Anchor Academy by many of the students was boader line auztwhich tourture tactics. They system eventully turns many of the the students into the same kind of monster. When a student "gets saved" and works their way to a promotion ( crew leader , dorm leader ), they become the next generation of born again sadists. The cycle turns victims into victimizers. I know from exprience the horrors of red shirt.

I also served as a crew leader in the program, and treated many new students with the same inhumane disrespect i also encountered as a new student. It shows how deranged leadership and authority can feed off of this cycle, Hitler convinced a nation that the hebrew people deserved the holocost and he was able make them actively participate. It shows how primitive man can be. No student was ever killed at Anchor Academy and I am a happily married man with children today. So dont interpret this post as a complaint, rather let it serve as insight from an experienced alumni of Anchor Academy. I respect all opinions, but i only ponder opinions that are resonable. So someone like John, who posted a comment in defense of the sick practices of this program, in my opinion, has never matured mentally. I hope he is not a father. I feel mixed emotions when i think back in tim to those years. I feel regret for any harm i caused anyone as an active goon for bro Dennis, i feel scarred by those black days and nights on red shirt, and i feel a fondness for many of the students i befreinded during those years.

Sources:

• The original testimony on Topix.com
• Factsheet about the Academy (Fornits Wiki)

UGH at Anchor Academy

This testimony was found on Topix.com. All rights goes to the original author known as UGH

This place was hell. Anyone who reads this will know who I am, but I don't really care. I've been out of that place for eight years and I still have nightmares of being sent back - I'm in my mid-twenties now. That place was like a soul-sucking leech pit. And it wasn't just any one person's fault - you throw some misguided teens, adults and fanatical religious types into a room together and you're going to get some 'Lord of the Flies' shit without a doubt.
l have severe social anxiety, physical mobility issues (my back hurts constantly) and it is because of the near constant abuse I faced in this place. I'll admit a lot of it was my own doing - but then again, what fourteen year old kid doesn't buck up at authority? And I wasn't sent there for drugs or because I was in trouble with the law - I've never been in legal trouble in my life. I was sent there because my grandparents couldn't get me to go outside and play and I was obese; because I was rebellious to my mother who has a long history of drug abuse, the which had already taken it's toll on me. In short, I was sent there because my family didn't have room for me anymore.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Not to mention I'm gay as a three-dollar-bill - throw a confused, terrified fag into a group of christian teenage boys and see how well he does. I was the fish in the barrel for most guys at that place, though a lot proved to be decent and kind.

The reality of it is, abuse aside, if you're looking for a program to stick your unwanted child just do the kid a favor and emancipate his ass. Trust me, he's better off without you anyways. As far as those parents/families that actually care for their kids and want to help them, try reaching out and talking to them - jeez. Stop looking for quick-fix-it programs where you ship your kids away like busted blenders and get back the newest, shiniest model. It doesn't work. Your kids are people, not freaking hardware to be replaced and reprogrammed when you don't like their life choices. Believe me, if they're going to get into trouble, sending them to a program isn't going to do anything but delay the inevitable.

Get off your lazy asses and love your damn kids - stop expecting others to do it for you because you're crappy parents.


Sources:

• The original testimony on Topix.com
• Factsheet about the Academy (Fornits Wiki)

"Human" and BHodge at Anchor Academy

This testimony was found on topix.com. All rights goes to the author known as "Human"

I was at the Anchor Academy for 2 months shy of 2 years. They are fanatical in "Christian" beliefs, are physically and mentally abusive, education is primitive at best, and they force-feed religion of their own sect on the impressionable minds of teens and young adults, all the while in the name of God and their own justified actions; putting not only the Bible's morals, but their own, on God's level, and judge the same according to both. The Bible called these people Pharisees and hypocrites for the same. This being said, I hadn't prior to my stay, nor post-stay, failed in my life to become a cretin of any sort, and am currently a productive member of society with a great family, child, and job, absolutely no thanks to the Anchor.

----

This testimony was found on topix.com. All rights goes to the author known as Bhodge

Hey, everyone like Adam, Sam Wood, and others in the early part of '04, I was not there for, but I was there for Jordan Harrell, Curtis Watson, Ryan Sessions, on and on.

I know for a fact that is was MUCH worse even the months prior to my Nov.'04 admittance, and I'll admit I had it easier, but it by far was not easy, and I shuddered at stories that Tim Ballard, Deery, Cody Beals, Elerbrach, and others told from days of the past. I spent 2 years there and got sent home after a bad car accident that almost took my life at the hands of a staff member.

Personally, being 16, that's scary stuff, now, I look back, and it's all a learning experience. Fact: Anchor is messed up a lot of ways. You deny that? Then you were there I the 7 years or were in a place of authority....or on the good side of Bro. D. Now, there's a moderation for everything. I think the kids that got in trouble MOST of the time deserved it, but here's my problem: some kids got in trouble when they didn't deserve it,'cause his guide or crew leader was told they needed to be harder on them....put that in the hands of a 14-18 year old and what do ya get? Power trips! Everyone remembers someone like that, and that's a bad rep.

Now for the kids that actually deserved getting in trouble: does not mean they deserve the extent punishment they were given. Prior to the academy, I was a bad kid, but I didn't change because of the academy. There was more bad than good, but I learned ya really gotta "eat the meat and spit out the bones""with a grain of salt" all in one. I learned very little from that place. The largest being, what not to act like or send your kid too. Parents, if you really love your kids, don't send them here. Do you honestly think after 10 years people would still urging you to NOT send your kids there if it didn't have a fairly negative impact on said individuals? That being said, I made it out on the other side of the "A-hole" very well. Food for thought.




Sources:

• The original testimonies on Topix.com
• Factsheet about the Academy (Fornits Wiki)

A mother about her sons stay at Anchor Academy

This testimony from a mother of a former student at Anchor Academy was found on topix.com. All rights goes to the original author

As a mother of a child that I sent there, I know first hand of the abuse that goes on there.

I made a huge mistake by ever those people to have anything to do with my child. My son is doing excellent but not because of this place. They took a great deal of money from us as well. My child had nightmares for years after leaving that place.

And yes there is abuse taking place there. Peanut butter sandwiches do NOT provide adequate nutrition for the amount of extensive exercise that these kids are forced to endure. I could go on for hours of things that happened in that place while my son was there including tying children up. There are much better programs out there. I was also told they had no connection to rolloff homes in which they are. I was told a great deal of lies when leaving my child there. I have to live with that choice everyday of my life. Thank God he protected my child.

This is not a just place. They hide behind the bible. Punishment does not fit the crime at all. So unless you have had first hand knowledge of the things that go on there and that doesnt mean just by going to church there because I assure you, YOU DONT KNOW EVERYTHING that goes on there.. You really have NO room to even comment on the blog. Because you have NO idea!!! And trust me Having to eat ONE peanut butter sandwich and water for every meal is not even the icing on the cake as to the abuse that goes on there. The only reason I did not press charges against the place and cause a huge blow up is because I didnt want my child to have to relive the experiences in that place.

He is an adult now doing exceptionally well loving life and praising God.



Sources:

• The original testimony on Topix.com
• Factsheet about the Academy (Fornits Wiki)

Drake at Anchor Academy

This testimony was found on Topix.com. All rights goes to the orignal author

Its strange to see how many people are posting on here that attended this school with me. Jesse wood was actually my first guide and crew leader for quite some time. I find it curious how such a topic got started and why you are all here. I found myself writing a paper for english class about reform schools and was suprised to actually find a topic on the school I happened to attend. As for the matter at hand I personally would not suggest sending your kid here.

From personal experience I feel that I was one of the fortunate ones in the aspect that I was not subjected to some of the nasty business that went on there. For parents looking to send their children here I would say that much of the claims being made here are true to some degree. Like others have mentioned being at that place changes you in a very gradual way. When you first enter the program you are the same person as when you left home just in a different place. It isnt until you adjust and realize that this place is your home for an unknown amount of time that you start to change. I feel the change stems from the fact that everything you had and lived for had been taken away from you.

It is no secret that the introduction process is meant to basically break you and make you into a clean slate that they can work with. Everyone starts out on the same level and depending on their attitude can work their way up through leadership. In doing research for my paper I came across the term stockholm syndrome which I feel accurately describes why people who go there do not want to leave. As someone who was tricked into going I was completely crushed when I understood what was going on. My emotions were all over the place, and I was not even able to be angry or sad or sorry for my actions that led me to that place. One thing that really stuck with me was that these students helping the staff take me in looked at me with disgust. My peers who were there for reasons usually far worse than mine scowled at me. Treated me like I was the scum of the earth and showed no sympathy even though however long ago they were in the same position as I. Then without my realizing it had happened, I had become what had bewildered me. I had become the one slamming kids into the ground and forcing their noses onto surfaces. At the time I thought I was doing what was right and wanted nothing more than to please my superiors.I was helping to uphold the very system I thought so unjust.
When you go up in leadership there are certain privileges that go along with it that make it a highly sought after position. For me it was the feeling of being in control over my situation again. This is about the time where I feel stockholm syndrome came into play and here is a quote describing what I feel to very accurately describe what happened,"Identifying with the aggressor is one way that the ego defends itself. When a victim believes the same values as the aggressor, they no longer become a threat". By conforming to the rules and standards set by the staff I had worked myself into a position where I was in my mind "safe" from the system. The only thing it cost me was my dignity.

The things I did to my peers as a crew leader pale in comparison to the stories I heard from students of former generations. Fortunately for my conscience I really did care for those under my supervision and tried to hold myself to a standard I could take pride in. Unfortunately as those in anchor would say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and such was the case for me. My compliance to go along with such activities did not leave anchor entirely to blame. At any point I still had a choice to say no... but I didn't. I had become caught up in the web of this place that had become my life. Their standards were my standards and my old standards and morals were wrong.

It really is sickening to look back at those poor souls who were unable to follow the rules. Unfortunately at the time I showed no sympathy..it was initiation



Sources:

• The original testimony on topix.com
• Factsheet about the Academy (Fornits Wiki)

Samuel at Anchor Academy

This testimony was found on Topix. All rights goes to the original author

I have not even thought about the Anchor Academy for a looong time. My wife asked me today what the name of the school was cause one of her friends new someone that was attending a boys home in Montana. It was obviously not the same school since its not in Montana anymore. Anyway I ended up doing a many hour search on the Anchor Academy and found this along the way......

THE TRUTH....

First of to Ronnie. You are ignorant. Thats all I have to say to you..

I want to start out by saying that I used the system of the Academy to best keep myself out of trouble and to be in a leadership role so I didnt have to listen to the leaders who I felt were not near as smart as me. That may sound arrogant, but its true.

I hurt many people while I was at the Academy and I fell terrible when I think about the stuff that I was involved in. During the time that I was there I witnessed with my own eyes what went on behind the curtain of what parents saw. Jordan and Adam and Id rather not say are right and true. Any counselor that was there during the the times I was (Dec. 2002 to June 2004) and says there was no abuse is not telling the truth. I dont know how it is ran now 6 years down the road. But I know it cant be 100% abuse free from what I witnessed in the past.

The punishments of the Anchor when I was there were not meant to be helpful, but to tear the person down. They would tear to the point that you were so low you had nothing else to do but 'improve'. Their goal was to inflict pain on those who were involved.

PT (physical training) was designed to hurt you beyond what you thought your body could handle and then add 100 rockets on top that(people who were there know what a rocket is, they would make people cry at there mention). Or duck walk until literally cant even stand straight for awhile. Some people who were there were in PT for 30 minutes every morning before the rest of the boys got up and for a few hours on weekends. Remember what I just described Anchor PT as. It was not constructive. On top of this the kids that were living on Peanut Butter sandwiches for 3 meals a day topped of with a nice glass of water could not have been properly Nourished for the amount of physical activities they were going through.

Abuse. To say that there was no Abuse is like saying there is no such thing as the Anchor Academy. I will say briefly some of the stuff I saw. I saw the Foxy . A group of 5 kids who cheated in school made to go through a week of German style punishment. They were made to look like fools in front of everyone. People made fun of them and critizised them (me being one. They were made to sing a song written by one of the counselors and dance to it. This was done to "entertain the rest of the students and counselors while we were eating out huge dinner (they were eating peanut butter sandwiches, when they did eat). Late at night you could here them screaming because of the PT that they were doing ( my bunk was on the back wall, where on the other side they were caring out their punishments). Josh Deery was mentioned by Jordan. Who he said was bent over digging a whole with a spoon. This was the toned down version. He was Bent over, digging hole"s" with an eating spoon, under an old barracks buildin( in the foundation) for many many days. I remember hanging sheatrock in the serving area and him having to do PT based around his spoon while I watched him..This is just what little I saw him do during the 2 weeks or so he was punished. God only know what else he had to go through. If any of you PARENTS can tell me that will not have a lasting effect on Josh's life you are ignorant, and have no clue what it is like to go through such emotional pain. Ill continue on next post.....

K that last post was a test post.... I wrote a few posts that took up the whole 4000 characters each. I posted them yesterday. Was wondering why they havent posted. That one I just posted showed up in 2 sec. Any answers would be helpful. I went to the Anchor and thats the reason for my post.

Im running long so I will give a short overview of things I witnessed. Keep in mind these are kids. Your kids.

Kids made to do push ups in the snow in freezing weather. Pushed over or sometimes tackled if they were not keeping up the PT pace that was set. People slammed or thrown around to get a point across to them. Kids made to eat peanut butter sandwiches, while standing in the the front of the eating hall, to humiliate them. The Foxy 5. Dream Team (another version of Foxy, just as brutal). I Stood over a student (Cody Beeles) and held him down while this guy (not a student or counselor kind of in between) poured a gallon of water over his face military style. Kids would have to stand in the eating hall on Sat. nights if they didnt memorize their 3 verses of scripture a day for each week. They would stand and read the bible for the duration of a movie. I saw kids (foxy 5) made to do squats with cinder blocks held over their head for very long periods of time. If they ever put it down they had to start over again. These cinder blocks were carried around with them for a day or 2. These kids were dressed up in torn, ratty cloths of types of colors and dumb hats that made them look ridiculous to everyone around them (back to the foxy five again). Students would be made to bend over in as uncomfortable of a position as you could get them in, and put there nose on whatever object you would tell them(wall,water fountains, toilets, whatever was not easy to do) If students would not do this or would not do it properly they would get written up or slammed. Depending on student usually. And all of this being done in the name of God at a Christian boys home. This makes me think of James Halford who was beat, humiliated, criticized, and looked down on the whole time I was there. He was ugly by set standards. He was different, he was not a normal kid. When I think about the way he was treated in pains my heart. It was terrible what was done to him and will probably have lasting effects on his life. I don't know how Dennis sleeps at night knowing what he did to this kid and many others. I can go on an on with names and things that were done. There is no excuse.

Students are a big part of the abuse at the school. Leaders were subtly encouraged to do things to subordinates that were inhumane. I cant stress how terrible I feel for what I did and saw there. I don't know how the people in authority don't feel the same. Like Pastor Spencer, Trevor. How can he preach know what he know about what happened to these kids. Its wrong in so many ways.

I wont say that it is all bad by any means. It didn't ruin my life in anyway. I am successful for a 24 year old. I have my own construction business, just build my first house, have a beautiful wife. I still attend church regularly. I'm not at all trying to say that if you go here it will ruin your life. But I just don't see this as the best option for a kid. Ask the Anchor what the percentage of students that are doing well. Its not high. Of the 15 or so people I graduated with, I only know of 4 that are doing really well. Most went back to exactly what they loved and lived for. I would not trust any profession of faith that is made at this school because it is shoved down the students throats, and ones you accept Christ its like part of become a "good kid" at the school. Its not done for the right reasons. I also think that the school will stress most kids relationship with their parents once they are out of the school.

I'm going to stop now, but don't just believe the shiny crap you see when you, as a parent, loot at the school and when they are singing in your churches. I was there giving my perfect, trimmed, and well thought out testimony. Take it from people who have been there and arnt blind.(me, Adam, Jordan, and the other people who wouldn't list there name.

If you have questions please ask.

email: xxxxxxxx(a)xxxxx.xxx

Sorry if this is scattered.Wrote very fast


Sources:

• The original testimony on Topix.com
• Factsheet about the Academy (Fornits Wiki)

Sarah at New Beginnings Girls Academy

This Interview was found on the STOP NBGA website. All rights goes to the original author.

1. What is your name? (Only give what you’re comfortable giving, i.e. Full name, first name, initials, first initial and last name. If you choose to use your full name, please include maiden name in addition to your current, legal name.)
   Sarah <name to be found in source>
2. Time spent (give dates to best of your ability) in The Home:
   May 15, 2004 -July 3, 2005
3. Which location?
   Pace, FL
4. What was The Home called when you were there/what name was the institution going by during the time of your stay? (i.e. Rebekah Home for Girls, New Beginnings Rebekah Academy, New Beginnings Girls Academy, New Beginnings Ministries. Multiple answers may be necessary.)
   New Beginnings Girls Academy
5. Who were the head directors at the time?
   Bill "Brother Mac" McNamara and Jennifer "Mrs. Mac" McNamara
6. How old were you?
   I was 17 when I got there, 18 when I left.
7. Please describe reasons/circumstances for which you were sent to The Home: (i.e. trouble with the law, issues at home or school, etc.)
   I had quit going to school about 4 months prior to being sent there and was hanging out with a rough crowd. I was supposed to be doing this homeschool program that my mom got me enrolled in but I never did it. I was gone all the time with my friends and had started to experiment with drugs and alcohol and didn’t really care about where my life was going. There was one incident where I got in trouble with the law and I think that pretty much was the breaking point for my mom. She knew that I needed help and that she couldn’t give it to me because I would not listen to her anymore. So she decided to send me to New Beginnings to finish high school and get my life straightened out.
8. Please describe instances of abuse you EXPERIENCED at The Home, if any:
   
   I personally was never physically abused while there. There was mental abuse that went on all the time. Scare tactics were used, and we were yelled at all the time and called “whores” and various other names. If they thought that we weren’t "right with God" then they would put us on Discipline (a major punishment) for no reason other than that. We had to be happy all the time and feel like we were being helped by them, if we weren’t then we would be "openly rebuked," called names, and denied privileges.
9. Please describe instances of abuse you WITNESSED at The Home, if any.
   
   
   There was a little girl with serious mental health problems. She was about 12 when she came in and was on a bunch of medication for her problems that she truly needed. They took her off all meds and said they could help her better than the medicine. She always looked like she didn’t know what was going on and she didn’t understand why they were treating her the way they did. I remember one time where myself and other girls and staff members were made to stay up with her until about 4 in the morning and force her to stand in a circle of masking tape on the floor. If she got out of the circle or didn’t comply then we had to push her back in. If she kept misbehaving then we had to put her into an ice cold shower with all her clothes on while she screamed. She was always in trouble and yelled at for no reason at all. You could tell that there was something wrong with her and that was not the place she needed to be. She couldn’t even talk that well and we could barely ever understand what she was saying sometimes. They pretty much just treated her like crap and blamed her for it because she wasn’t “right with God" according to them. It was awful and I felt very bad for her.
   There were two girls that I graduated with who were forced to get a tan before graduation. They were told that they were too “white” and that was a sin because being white was something that “gothic” people did. They wanted to talk to their parents about it but the directors would not let them tell them. They were made to stay outside during practically the whole time we were in school for, I'd guess, 6 hours a day with tanning oil all over them while we could see them out the window. I remember looking out there and feeling bad for them because they did not want to get a tan but they had no choice. They tanned until they were burnt and their knees were purple and they had huge blisters. The tanning did not stop until a few days before graduation.
   I remember one incident where we were at church and we stayed there after the service was over and Brother Mac had all the girls stand up one by one and the rest of the girls got to raise their hands and vote if that person was “negative” or “positive." The people who were “negative” got punished. They gave them 4 sheets of toilet paper when they used the bathroom, took away all condiments from their food, and had to drink only water with meals and made them stand at their bunk beds with their nose touching the bar at the end every night until 11pm, (an hour and a half to two hours after Lights Out,) and they also took away all extra privileges. They were told that they weren’t right with God and rebuked often. The people who were considered “positive” got nothing. We just had to watch the “negative” people suffer. It was messed up.
   If someone tried to run away or just couldn’t take it anymore and didn’t obey their rules, the directors would have other girls in the home sit on them or hold them down. They would be locked in the dorm for days, even weeks, and had to be constantly watched by the more "trusted" girls They pretty much did whatever it took to restrain them. Some of them just got fed up and refused to do anything because they were tired of being treated like crap and after so long they got to go home or got sent to other homes.
   In the dorm, we were always rushed to be ready on time, trying to make our way through 20 other girls to get ready. It was stressful. We had to iron our clothes and they could not have any wrinkles in them or we would get in trouble. We were timed when we ironed and that resulted in us rushing to get it done and trying not to have any wrinkles and we would burn ourselves often. If we burned ourselves a lot, we would get in trouble for that also (they'd say we were hurting ourselves on purpose) and they would take away our curling irons/flat irons, and someone else would have to iron for us and that would result in them being late and getting in trouble. There was always something to get in trouble for. It would be the stupidest thing like looking around in line or just talking or something stupid like that. It was hard not to get in trouble. It was horrible and everyone was always scared, even some of the staff.
10. Do you feel that you witnessed or experienced any discrimination for race, faith, or any other characteristic or persuasion? If so, please explain.
    
    I remember people being insulted for their sexuality. If they were gay they were called "faggots" and told they were going to hell.
11. What was your overall impression of The Home? Do you believe that it helped you?
    
    My overall impression of the home is that it was a mentally and physically abusive facility. It was a complete waste of time and money. It put me in a place where I really was not happy (but had to pretend to be) and I tried to do everything that they wanted me to so I could hurry up and get out of there. The rules were crazy and extreme and nothing the average person would think is right. Nobody deserves to be treated like that and almost all of us would have been happier in jail. At least we could have thought for ourselves and kept our own beliefs. We weren’t even allowed to talk. When someone just nit picks and looks at every single fault someone has then there is going to be problems. No one is perfect and that is definitely what they expect you to be, which is humanly impossible. I do not believe that it helped me at all. If anything it made me worse than before I was sent there. I now suffer from panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and many others girls that went there also suffer from various kinds of disorders as well.
12. What is your opinion of the quality of education you received while in The Home?
    
    I would say that the education we received while in the home was very poor. It was the A.C.E. (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum and you had to do these workbooks called PACEs and teach yourself. There were no real or qualified teachers and no really one cared if you learned anything or not. Some of the girls (including myself) and some who weren’t doing well in school would be called outside to work all day during school hours and never really made up any work for the time they missed.
13. How old are you now?
    
    24
14. What was it like being released into the “real world” after your time in The Home?
    
    It was pretty awkward. None of my friends recognized me because I had lost 60 pounds while in there. It was strange to be “normal” again and it took a while to get used to it.
15. What is your current profession?
    I am a stay-at-home mom.
16. What affect did The Home have on your faith, if any?
    
    It really didn’t change what I believed (even though you had to believe exactly what they believed while in there to get by) but it definitely made me sick of being yelled at all the time about things that don’t make sense, always being made to feel like you are “wrong” and a bad person, and need to "get right."

The facility was founded on methods used in the so-called Roloff homes established in Texas in 1970s. The authorities’ interest in the horrible conditions at these homes forced the operations out of state and in the end former employees established their own extreme religious boarding schools. New Beginning and whatever changing name they put behind it to make the authorities lose track of them when they move across state-lines was founded by former Roloff employees.

Sources:

• The original testimony on StopNBGA
• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)

A parent about Anchor Academy

This testimony was given by a parent on the Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora. All rights goes to the original author

My son was at Anchor a couple of years ago. I agree with yall, something definitely needs to be done. Here is a post that I put on another page. This is how I feel and a little bit about our story:

The people that have never had any dealings with Anchor really don't know what goes on there. We sent our son there 2 years ago. When we went to check out the program, we felt like it was a great place. The boys seemed well mannered. We were told what we wanted to hear. We thought it would be great place for our son because he had problems with defiance. He wasn't a REBEL but he was an ADHD child that needed some direction. We are a Christian family and our children have been brought up in a Christian home and church.

We took money out of my husbands retirement to send him there. This was the biggest mistake of our lives. There IS abuse there. I don't care what a child has done, YOU DO NOT TIE THEM UP!!!!! There are other options!!!!

We were told there would be counseling in which there was not. For breakfast they ate Raw oats and milk. For 3 1/2 months of the 4 months that my child was there he had Mostly Peanut butter and water for meals. We paid them thousands of dollars and my child ate raw oats and peanut butter sandwiches. These are children not criminals. Number one, you do not allow children to totally be over another child. They are Children. My son could not speak, address or even look at the other kids for four months. In prison, at least you can carry on a conversation with people. They allow the guides and leaders; in which are children;to be responsible for the discipline of the other children. The adults allow the guides and leaders man handle the kids that are under them. They give way too much control to the kids that have learned how to play the system. MY son was pulled off the commode while having a bowel movement because he took more that 3 minutes. So again we gave them thousands of dollars to allow other children to do their job. There are way too many kids and not near enough staff. If you have a kid with adhd then you know how easily distracted they can be. This does not make him a REBEL. So naturally his complaints piled up especially when the complaints were given to him by the kids the were "IN CHARGE".

The exercise was way to intense. They made them exercise around the clock. They wouldn't allow them to drink enough water during the exercises. Im a nurse and from what I have been taught, Peanut butter sandwiches and water, raw oats and milk is NOT enough food for that amount of exercise. When my son came home he did not have an ounce of fat on him. In fact he was malnourished. Im sorry; That is ABUSE. There are plenty of programs out there that can get across to these kids. The Punishment should fit the crime. And it doesn't there. In fact when we went for our visit and we asked for a meeting with BRo. Dennis because we thought there was a problem maybe with his guide, we were told that were undermining his authority and he didn't know if he wanted our son to stay because of it. During our meeting Bro Dennis blasted me because I was asking all the questions. I was told our child was just a REBEL. My child is not a REBEL!! In fact to this day my child still has nightmares about that place. In fact, He would cry if you even discussed Anchor with him. They did teach the Bible but in my opinion they hide behind the Bible. They also make these kids work long hours at the cotton mill and are not paid for it. Sounds like a child labor issue to me. If my child is such a rebel why is he done with high school and in college at 16 years old. No thanks to Anchor. If you went to Anchor and had a good experience; thats great. Not everyone did!! You cant let children have that much control over other children.

By the way we pulled our son 4 months into the program. Praise God, we got him out of there. Yes my son had problems, but no one deserves to be treated like that. Like I said the punishment should fit the crime. No matter what a kid does, you don't tie them up, You don't pull someone off the commode while trying to use the restroom, You don't allow other kids to control there every move. You don't allow kids to manhandle other kids because you cant. They even made my son do so much exercise It caused a testicular hernia. You also should make sure these kids are getting enough food to justify the exercise. By the way Bro Dennis did verify all of things were told to be correct. Funny how he didn't tell us everything when he first met him. We were told they had no connection to Roloff homes in TX. If this is true why did they go to Corpus Christi for Founders day while my son was there.

My son is at Youth Challenge Academy now. He make platoon leader and squad leader right off. He has not gotten the first citation against him the entire time he has been there. No we didn't send him there because he was defiant or a REBEL. He wen't to finish high school and start college early. The staff loves him. They have nothing but great things to say about him. There are children there that are defiant and rebellous. If they can get to these kids without the extremes that Anchor uses, Anchor could do the same. I don't see ycp tying kids up. They get plenty to eat. They receive real counseling every day. They make sure they have plenty of water. The kids aren't touched by staff or other children. There is an adult with them at all times. The do exercise but in moderation. The punishment fits the crime. By the way, when we withdrew our son for Anchor they refused to refund us any of the thousands of dollars that we paid up front. Sounds real Christian-like to me. So if any of you are thinking about sending you child here. Please be VERY vigilant. Do your research and go with your gut feeling.

The home later moved to Montana and on to Missiouri where it exists today.

Sources:

• The original testimony on the Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
• Factsheet about the academy (Fornits Wiki)

Raine at Happiness Hill Ministries

I was there in the mid 90s, and I wouldn't call it a "great place". It was supposed to be run along the lines of the Roloff homes, but they went way downhill and a lot of them degenerated into abuse after Lester Roloff died and they started being run more for profit. Happiness Hill is/was run by the Palmers, who used to be on staff at Rebekah, which was a Roloff home with a lot of abuse complaints. I was never there, but my sister was there for a few months and says it was pretty bad (She was pregnant, and got moved to another home when they found out. I think it was run by the same people. She doesn't talk about it much, but they made her give her daughter up for adoption).

As far as Happiness Hill, I was there for about 8 months, after the previous home I was at was shut down under state investigation. I think the Palmers may have had their hearts in the right place, but some of the staff was horrible, and they were who we usually interacted with (not all, a few of them seemed really nice, and that may be why some people there at the same time had good experiences and others had bad ones). There was one woman there who would make her own rules, even what words to say and how to come your hair, and make the rules/punishments harsher than they were. I spent a lot of time on "confinement", which meant talking to nobody and keeping your head down, and Debbie would make us keep our chin touching our chest, which hurt real bad to do all day. We also had to do so while going to church, even on the bus - I'm almost 30 now, and still have trouble keeping my head up or looking people in the eyes, instead of looking at the ground. She was also big on making you kneel with pencils under your knees (they hurt/bruise) and holding Bibles up on your hands for hours, which makes your whole body hurt, and then would end up with licks (spanked with a board, sometimes to the point of bruising, and more than once to where it bled) for disobeying when you couldn't keep it up. We were also cuffed to the beds at night, and if you peed or anything you were stuck there in it, then punished for making the extra dirty laundry (again, not sure if this was a policy or Debbie being too lazy to get up at night for bathroom breaks). The point I'm trying to make is the way things run all it takes is one bad staff member to really mess people up.

If you're thinking about sending your child there, or supporting them, I wouldn't unless things have changed a whole lot. Any of these homes that don't let parents visit whenever they want, that listen in on phone calls, and that censor mail going in and out are just so subject to abuse and so easy for abusers to hide behind. If you're dead set on supporting or sending someone to a place like this, I can say that I had a decent experience at Victory Village in KS, and the Cowells really seemed to care. They did use discipline but not abuse, and not all the psychological games that other places did, and they seemed to care about us and have love, not just think we were horrible like other places said. (eta: This was my experience, it may have been different for others, but it was much better there for me than the other 2 places I'd been, and I don't think I've heard any bad stories from there like I have from some other places). Also, be careful what curriculum they use for school if you plan to have a child graduate there. I was sent home early enough to graduate from a public high school (I think my mom told them I was going to Christian school, but didn't want to pay the money), but one of my friends who graduated from another girl's home that used ACE had to get a GED to qualify for her job because they didn't recognize it as a high school diploma.

I know some people support all these places no matter what, and want to discount anything someone who's been there says, because they paint us as the bad, evil girls, but that's not always the truth. I was there for running away from hope, because my mom let my sister's boyfriend move in and he kept trying to mess with me - then my sister ended up in another home soon after, and apparently he'd gotten her pregnant. One girl I knew at HH was there just because her dad didn't like her dating a black guy so he said she was into all sorts of other things. Some people had really bad problems, but a lot of girls came into the homes loving God and knowing they'd messed up, but the way God was portrayed and the things done in the name of God probably turned more people away from Him than it helped turn back to Him. I ended up with a lot of baggage from my time in some of this places, and it took me years to ever want to read the Bible or set foot in a church after getting back home, because of all the time being forced to and having to fake everything. Many others can't separate God from their abusers, and are living as atheists and hating God because of what men have done to them.


Sources:

• Factsheet about the facility (Fornits Wiki)
• The original testimony (Fundamental Forums)