Very unfortunate that the show on Netflix was limited to so few stories and testimonials from the Male side of the facility, however that was a job very well done! I was one of the few people “court enforced” to attend the program and one of the few to leave after turning 18 after reaching upper level status and completing my high school education. I then was sent to college in Utah (I guess they take fake diplomas) where I met with another ex Ivy Ridge attendee who had never exceeded level 2 or 3. We had several close friends in the program who unfortunately ended their lives because they were disowned by their families when they left and turned back to narcotics and living on the streets. When I was allowed to return to New Jersey, my home, I was asked to give my testimonial to a group of people in Philadelphia, one was the district attorney, and I am unsure who the rest of the people were. If you’d ever like any additional content or the perspective of an entirely different situation, feel free to reach out. I am probably still in the original Myspace group, however I have not used social media in any form since I was in my early to mid 20’s (I’m 36).
I am now a Food Service Director in NY state for a series of Nursing and Rehabilitation facilities dealing with those who can no longer help themselves ranging anywhere from mental health issues to terminal illness and hospice.
Sorry, this wasn’t really a testimonial, it would be impossible to summarize the things that went on in there in a few paragraphs, however my face is blurred in most of those videos. I remember the day Dom (from the show) went home, I think I remember him taking some other upper levels Jordans or maybe the other way around lol… Towards the end I was responsible mainly for new intakes as an unpaid staff member, which was an opportunity to me to give the new kids, to the best of my ability, an honest and straight forward instruction guide on how to get out of this place as quickly and efficiently as possible. Otherwise there was about a 50% chance that those kids would be “restrained” as their orientation, and that much less likely to “conform” and get the fuck out of there. I manipulated the staff, used textbooks to cheat and fly through the “schooling,” I even got 1 staff member fired, Mr. Clyde. I was there for less than a year leaving about a month after hitting level 4 and completing my “diploma.” I was one of the few kids in there who’s family actively wanted me out and knew the shit that was going on in there. It’s disheartening to hear that there was a incentivized structure for family reps to keep kids there, but it doesn’t surprise me. I did have a good relationship with Mr. Floyd but I did get the vibe that he was lying to me because he would say shit like “your father is working his program” which is about the most unlikely thing to happen on the face of the earth. Come to find out he didn’t show up to any of that shit, my mother did, she definitely drank the kool-aid.
Anyways I’m done with my rant. You can reach me by e-mail or by phone ([PHONE REDACTED] if you’d like, and thanks again for devoting so much to this.
