Our Mission
Our mission is to replace youth prisons with 1,000 acre ranches in all 50 states with safe and supportive spaces where nonviolent young offenders can heal, grow, and thrive. These ranches will focus on rehabilitation, education, and personal development, giving youth the tools and mindset to build bright, fulfilling futures. This isn’t about punishment. It’s about purpose, potential, and giving every young person a real second chance.
Our Mission
Our mission is to replace youth prisons with 1,000 acre ranches in all 50 states with safe and supportive spaces where nonviolent young offenders can heal, grow, and thrive. These ranches will focus on rehabilitation, education, and personal development, giving youth the tools and mindset to build bright, fulfilling futures. This isn’t about punishment. It’s about purpose, potential, and giving every young person a real second chance.
The Legacy of Fire
The vision of Phoenix Ranch was born from two flames: Michael Turner’s own journey through juvenile detention systems, and years later, watching his son lose himself to addiction.
“We don’t build revolutionary systems because we’re visionaries,” Michael says. “We build them because we’ve witnessed the catastrophic failure of what exists.”
Phoenix Ranches are the cornerstone of Michael Turner’s vision. For him, the secret sauce that holds it all together is the ethos of the Rising Phoenix Movement. Click on the video to learn more.
Our Declaration of Independence begins with the following:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
When children are locked in cages, their right to liberty is stripped away, and in most cases, so is their pursuit of happiness. In doing so, we are also robbing them of their lives — the very rights our Founding Fathers set forth as the bedrock of our democracy.
Jailing tens of thousands of children each year undermines the core principles of liberty and happiness. This is not the vision our Founding Fathers had for us. The time to act is now—it is well past time to honor their legacy and protect the future generations who will inherit our planet.
The Legacy of Fire
The vision of Phoenix Ranch was born from two flames: Michael Turner’s own journey through juvenile detention systems, and years later, watching his son lose himself to addiction.
“We don’t build revolutionary systems because we’re visionaries,” Michael says. “We build them because we’ve witnessed the catastrophic failure of what exists.”
Phoenix Ranches are the cornerstone of Michael Turner’s vision. For him, the secret sauce that holds it all together is the ethos of the Rising Phoenix Movement. Click on the video below to learn more.
Why Ranches?
Phoenix Ranches: A Proven Path to Healing and Rehabilitation
The programs and services at Phoenix Ranches are rooted in time-tested methods that have been used around the world for generations—methods that consistently result in lower recidivism rates and higher long-term success.
Techniques like animal husbandry, farming, gardening, and trade skill training, combined with Montessori-style classrooms and activities that support physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, form the foundation of our approach.
Why Ranch Environments Work
Ranch settings uniquely bring these proven methods together in a safe, loving, and nurturing atmosphere. The result? A space that encourages personal growth, emotional healing, and transformation—paving the way for a fulfilling and productive future.
The Role of Youth Prisons
While Phoenix Ranches is committed to redefining youth rehabilitation, we recognize that traditional youth prisons will still play a necessary role. Approximately 30% of the population—including those with violent offenses or who are unable to adapt to ranch life—will continue to require more secure environments.
We acknowledge that not every youth will succeed in our program. Some may be expelled and transferred to conventional facilities. But this only underscores the need for a tiered and flexible approach to youth justice—one that distinguishes between harm and healing.
A Second Chance for Status Offenders
We firmly believe that young people who commit status offenses—such as running away, substance use, or behavioral outbursts—deserve more than punishment. These behaviors are often symptoms of unresolved trauma, and traditional detention settings tend to intensify that trauma.
Our Mission
At Phoenix Ranches, our mission is to offer support, healing, and opportunity—not just containment. We believe every child deserves a chance to rise from adversity and become a force for good in their community.
“When given the right environment, youth don’t just recover—they transform.”
