Loving the podcast, but the fact you’re not pushing back on the obvious LIES he’s telling is infuriating! Granted, I’m only on episode 3 and I’m sure his comeuppance is coming, but if you’re not going to challenge his lies as you go, it just feels like sensationalism.

I was enlightened by the information gathered and shared so gracefully in this podcast. Thank you for your devotion to this topic. A dear friend of mine could barely bring herself to tell me the story of when she was “kidnapped“ from her home and even repeated the lines “we can do this the easy way or the hard way“ it is gut wrenching, and yet incredibly validating to hear Testimony of others who have been through similar trauma. My one criticism of the podcast is the wildly out of tune guitar! I am a musician & also score music for a variety of film, TV & podcasts. Every time the music came in it was so wildly out of tune - I even tried to convince myself that it was because The Situation feels uneasy or something… But even with artistic license I couldn’t let this slide. I BEG you - just tune in the guitar before pressing record next time! Otherwise very well done!

As a child I knew two kids who were sent from their homes on the east coast to a wilderness program and a boarding school for bad kids in Utah. Recently I’ve thought about those two friends and wondered what their experiences were like as I’ve followed the news of Paris Hilton’s advocacy on this issue. As a believer in the criticality of public policy and regulation this podcast highlighted so helpfully why oversight is essential to public safety. I feel for all the parents who were trying to do right by their kids under challenging circumstances and for the kids who survived abuse. Thank you for reporting this story so thoroughly. Incredible local and national journalism. I’ve started donating monthly to APM because of In the Dark and Sent Away.

Very thorough research and good story telling. I had no idea these programs were a thing in Utah. Always enjoy learning something new and love listening to podcasts while doing mundane chores. This one really held my interest but I hated to learn about the mistreatment of so many teens.

One might, or might not be surprised to know that even in today’s age, there are judges and lawyers, who have no idea but there is in fact, a well organized “troubled teen industry“. Thank you to APM for reporting on this little piece of a giant story. For those who don’t know what the TTI is, listen to this podcast and you’ll get a good taste. I know that there is so much more above below, and beyond what is covered in this podcast series. Step one begins with “educational consultants“ who are less interested in placing your child into a great score, and more interested in the short buck to be made funneling kids into wilderness therapy, treatment, and then onto therapeutic boarding schools. I don’t like the word “score“ or “academy“ for you. These are not schools. They are behavior modification centers determined to punish. And break children, even still.

I got into this because I was inspired by a book by a well-known children’s author by the name of Todd Strasser. in addition to writing many children’s novels for entertainment, he’s also novelize various feature films, but the book that got me interested in this podcast is a book by him called Boot Camp, about a boy, who, after ignoring several warnings to stop dating one of his teachers, is sent to Lake Harmony, a treatment program located in upstate, New York, on the Canadian border. The book itself was horrifying enough, but the afterword really hit home. And that’s why I looked at this podcast. However, I don’t think the story of people who are sent away is over with his final episode. It’s so good that I think that Moore needs to be talked about, including these so-called professional transporters. In fact, I read about one that I think should be interviewed. and unlike others, he is one of the good guys. His name is Evan, James, otherwise known as. bullet. In fact, he was featured on an A&E TV show called the extractors. And such facilities exist well beyond Utah. So I think there’s plenty of material to continue the podcast. But I would suggest doing one about a place called agape, in Missouri.

I am a professional in my state who oversees residential facilities; I am a government employee. This podcast was equally horrifying and eye-opening. I feel that we have many more safeguards and (to some degree) better oversight in my state, and decades forward; but I still think every government official in my position should hear this podcast. This investigation is thorough and insightful and I think it is EXTREMELY valuable content! THANK YOU.

I recently just went through these things that your broadcasting! It’s absolutely ridiculously horrifying that the world is unaware of the torture these Children are going through! It was sooooo hard to learn about it. Sitting in my room all alone, no support from the community or even guidance. Just listening to my child and other children on just a 10 minute phone call 4!times a week. The things I wanted to do to make them pay! The world needs to stop bashing police, running from Covid and focus on what is happening behind these closed doors! Absolutely hands down this has to be the best podcast channel ever! Thank you Thank You and Thankkkkk Youuuuuu! 🙌🏼🤗

Fantastic pod sharing important information about what we don’t hear. Love them and very interesting story. Please keep going!

In January 2007, my parents sent me to a wilderness program in Montana. A few weeks later, I was transferred to a Residential Treatment Center in Idaho. A year and a half after that, I was transferred to my final program, a Therapeutic Boarding School in Utah. I turned 18 there, then I was finally free. Except I wasn’t free mentally, only physically. I’ve spent over a decade trying to recover from the trauma I experienced in these places. I’ve been in and out of therapy, on various medications, have endless nightmares that scare my loved ones, and I’m only just recently trying to accept that I may never fully recover. My therapist sent me this podcast with a trigger warning attached. She wasn’t sure if I was ready to hear what was shared in the episodes. Turns out I’ve been very ready. I’ve needed this validation for so long. That I am not alone. That my experience was real. That what happened to me was NOT OKAY. I really hope this podcast will be a step forward in shutting these places down.

This podcast is so well done, in every aspect. Production, writing, narration, story. It was well laid out, easy to follow, answered all the questions popping up in my head etc. Very impressed. Great presentation of an unfortunate story. Highly recommend to anyone.

Serious subject matter ruined by a sappy production style and weird instrumental breaks with a score that belongs in a CW series. I’m all for local journalists getting their bag but the production style on these kinds of podcasts needs a refresher.

The story is important and reporting well done. I just wish the music was less heavy handed - it was used often to force how you were supposed to feel about the information instead of letting the information sit with the listener and have us decide. I also wish there was one person reporting on the story instead of the voice changing to several reporters, felt confusing at times to remember who everyone was.

Compelling story, really well done, I would sit in my driveway just to hear the last part of an episode. Really appreciate investigative journalism like this. If I have one criticism, it’s not about the content, it’s about the way voices are used on the radio and in podcasts, especially women who are speaking so low that their voices start to gravel, I think it’s called voice fry, and it’s really prevalent in most women in podcasts and on the radio, but in this case some of the men as well are doing it. I know this is not the place to critique voices, but perhaps these highly intelligent journalist can listen to their voices and not push their voices so low that they get out of the actual resonating range of their voice. It sounds like they’re really just very tired and that maybe they have laryngitis. OK enough about that, the program is very good and I highly recommend listening to it.

This is a fantastically well-reported and suspensefully recounted story of government failures in the Utah youth treatment industry. Equal parts appalling and gripping, this is important news you need to hear.

We need more investigative reporters like them. Please keep it up and keep the public informed as much as possible. We would be lost without people like you. Thank you.

It is so important and the reporting is so good!!!!!!!

Take it from someone who attended 3 RTCs in their teens, this is a really good podcast! I binged it all in about four hours.

I love you guys for covering this and exposing the truth! 💙🙏🏻

A little too whiney for me personally - The Paris Hilton segment was the final straw. The next step for out of control teens is prison - right?

As a survivor, I’m so grateful for this podcast for exposing what has been hidden for so long

I’m 4 episodes in and I’m furious. How did they think they’d never be found out? How is this not considered kidnapping and human trafficking for financial gain? These people have no business as mental health care providers. They should be in prison. The gaslighting, the abuse of power, the dehumanization. Thank you for shedding light on such horrors and holding these monsters accountable.

Well done and educational look at the growing teen treatment industry in UT. Listen and learn

This was an amazing podcast!! Super interesting, important information delivered informatively and engagingly. Mental health is something people like to sweep under the rug. This show gives stories of MH a voice and shows that conversations about safer and more effective treatment options must be put in the spotlight to provide people with the care they need.

Great podcast! Very informative and the storytelling is superb!

At IH. I have personal accounts of my own abuse and trauma, as well as everything I saw and heard. This reporter reached out to me but I didn’t feel like I could share my story at the time because I had just had a baby & wasn’t wanting to relive the trauma. This podcast covers a lot of the inside working of IH, but I truly hope this podcast helps families make better decisions, because this podcast is just a scratch on the surface. And FYI…every time state came, Daniel gave us pictures of our families to put up. He put fruit in a bowl on the kitchen table, even though we would have never been allowed to eat it. They stayed in the room with us while we were questioned by state, and if we said anything that could get them in trouble we had pretty severe consequences. As soon as state left, down came the family pictures and fruit bowl. Also, I think the entire time I was there I talked to my mom maybe 5 times. Always in front of staff. We were timed. We had a script we were allowed to talk about. This place was fake, horrible, abusive. I won’t share my story here but this podcast does a great job outlining some of the terror we endured. Thank you for caring about us troubled kids rather than blaming us for our abuse.

If you aren’t from Utah, Sent Away offers you a crash course in a disturbing trifecta among the three prime actors in many Utah’s stories: Utah State Government, the LDS church and the pervasive classic Utah entrepreneur. The complicated 50 year history of the “troubled teen” business is meticulously unraveled with shocking personal stories from abused teens, exploited families and interviews with a cascade of Utah businessmen who have profited while the state of Utah looked the other way. This series reveals a nightmare for thousands of children and an indelible stain on the state of Utah, where every branch of the government is thoroughly in the hands of the majority culture of the LDS Church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Thanks to the partnership between the Salt Lake Tribune and KUER we have a deep dive into a part of our culture that needs more daylight.

Binged the whole thing in two days! So interesting. Utah do better and stop being gross.

It was AZ but, this is it. My story a parallel. Being sent away, this podcast in its forty five second intro- had me having a panic attack. But I look forward to getting through this. And finally our story is out there. It was bad, but it happened more than you know.

Investigative reporting at its finest! Strong factual narrative interspersed with the girls’ experiences. Kept me wanting to hear more from each reporter.

Such an important topic and wonderful journalism work.

Thank you for investigating the youth centers and staff in Utah. As a mother it is hard to hear about the cruel and unjust treatment all of these kids have endured for decades. I can’t imagine how this has affected families that thought they were helping their child. It’s heartbreaking. Continue to shine your light on these “treatment” centers! Thank you for your hard work!

This podcast is so well done it is an absolute must listen !! I binged all the episodes! Keep making more content you guys! It’s excellent 👌😉✨👏

This is so well done. I appreciate the trigger warnings in addition to the thorough reporting, some of this stuff is so dark. I hope these stories continue to be told and those who perpetrated these horrific acts be held accountable.

I don’t know if I enjoyed this pod so much because it doesn’t have any commercials yet or because I was raised Mormon but this one is worth checking out. I also had to send my only son away to get past the 9th grade but this show is definitely worth checking out.

Great!

Well produced, researched and sourced. I had no idea how unregulated these businesses were/are. All three reporters are great. They got so many people in the story to talk to them.

This is an important topic and great investigation and reporting.

Loved the reporting and the interview’s with former victim’s.

I listen to a lot of podcasts, and this series has some of the best storytelling I’ve heard in a while. I finished all seven episodes in two days because I couldn’t stop listening!

As a parent of a troubled teen I’m grateful that I have listened to this. Parents often don’t know where to turn or what to do to save their struggling child. These types of programs prey on all parts of a struggling family. This is disheartening and tragic.

Excellent reporting!

Great series covering the troubled teen industry in Utah in conjunction with KUER. These journalists have clearly put in years of work and research to learn as much as possible about the industry, it’s failings, and the states reactions. A must listen, especially for those who live in and around the state of Utah!

My husband is a survivor of one of these treatment centers operating around this same time. He still has regular nightmares about the time he spent in treatment. The stories he’s told me of abuse and control are sickening. I am so glad that survivors are speaking out! I hope this podcast can help put an end to this industry.

Super interesting, eye opening and disturbing how troubled youth are treated. Very well produced show.

Disturbing in all the ways you could imagine, but excellent podcast. Best long form pod I’ve listened to in a while

As someone who has been through the adolescent residential treatment system I want to thank you for bringing awareness to this issue. More people need to know what goes on in these places. Though my experience was not nearly as extreme as the stories shared in this podcast, I can attest to the lack of quality care and oversight in these places. They are for profit businesses that have little regard for treatment outcomes. Most do not use evidence based therapy and employ undertrained and unpaid staff. It sickens me how these places profit off of some the most vulnerable and powerless people in our society. So thank you for your reporting. It really means a lot

Here b/c Karen Kilgariff sent me (via MFM). Outstanding research, reporting + production

Bring a survivor of 4 years in and out of totalitarian residential treatment as a teenager in the 90’s, this podcast really hits home. Bringing these stories to light is so important & the whole industry needs to be exposed! Listening to this has brought up so much I had forgotten, but healing somehow. Thank you

Riveting, disturbing, and very well done.