DECLARATION UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY PURSUANT TO 28 USCA 1746
I, Shiloh declare and state as follows:
Name of Program:
Eagle Ranch Academy
Location of Program:
St. George, Utah
Period of Internment (MM/YY to MM/YY)
08/10 to 09/11
Declarative Statement
My 11 months spent at Eagle Ranch Academy were the lowest and most emotionally painful months of my life. I have experienced a considerable amount of abuse and emotional turmoil in my life, however (unbelievably) nothing compares to the complete hopelessness I experienced at Eagle Ranch Academy. Their strategy is to break you down so you can build yourself up. By the time I left the program, I was reduced to a raw, miserable, suicidal creature. there were goodhearted staff employed there who sincerely cared and tried, but there were also many hardened, questionable staff. I was picked apart and all my insecurities were ripped open and thrown in my face. I was called degrading and hurtful things on a daily- hourly basis- by staffs. The medical care was insufficient; any medical problems were remedied by “drinking more water”. The education was mediocre and unhelpful. There was one person per 52 children to aide in education and it was rare that we ever got help with our studies. Everything is done online with little to no assistance. Restraints were performed frivolously and often without credible reason. Some staff would use the ability to restrain as a revenge tactic. The humiliating and twisted approach taken at Eagle Ranch still amazes me- mainly because they are still in business and parents (who really only want the best for their children) are still sending their children there. It has now been 3 years since my admission, and I have been able to heal and overcome the abuse of ERA through therapy and self-esteem development. ERA broke me down, and I’m the lucky one who has been able to learn to love myself and survive the sickness of the program. All, seriously ALL, of the other members of my pod in Eagle Ranch Academy have relapsed on drugs, alcohol, and/or other risky behaviors. There is no one I know who has experienced success because this program. If any success has been made, it’s been through other means (such as religion, counseling, family support, etc.).This is a genuine outreach to parents considering this program, please, please don’t do it. If you have a story about Eagle Ranch, please speak out. We need to do what we can to end this. I know it seems like this is a huge thing to tackle, and it is, but if we get enough testimonies, maybe we can beat this.
I give WWASPSurvivors permission to use this statement. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on(date: MM/DD/YY): 12/29/14
