Yeah, there are endless reports of these horrendous "programs". I read an entire series about them a good while ago. I think it was ProPublica or maybe Slate. It was a good source, regardless. The one was a ranch I think in Montana and they had PICTURES of young girls doing hard, heavy manual labor that was wrecking their bodies. I think someone smuggled in a camera because they weren't allowed phones.

I just remember being gobsmacked that these places aren't being shut down. I get that parents get desperate but for god's sake, in this day and age to be unaware of such a rampant problem and do no research before consigning your child to this hell is beyond me. I think the one place the local yokels were in on the grift and getting quite a cut of the deluge of $$ the place was making. LE, judges, state rep's - the whole nine yards.