Why Ranches?

In the vast majority of youth incarceration cases, underlying trauma exists. With rare exception does a well-adjusted, happy child does not wind up in a child prison. Child prisons are scary, dangerous places. Being separated from family and friends at such a formative age adds to the existing trauma. I had severe PTSD for years after being released. I had no friends and was barely able to cope with life’s constant barrage of challenges.

How I survived is nothing short of a miracle…a miracle that was fueled by my promise to bring an end to youth prisons. That fire shined brightly through years of darkness that pervaded every aspect of my life. Without it I have zero doubt that I would have wound up like the vast majority of my ‘classmates’ in child prison…either in an adult prison or dead.

What happens in youth prisons

  • You arrive at a child prison in hand and ankle shackles and are put in a cage…

  • You are forced to wear orange jumpsuits…

  • You are provided no intake or evaluation process in order to determine and subsequently treat the cause behind the crime…

  • You are fed highly processed, unhealthy, unbalanced diets…

  • Your access to the outdoors and vital sunlight are severely restricted…

  • You are prevented from engaging in healthy activities…

  • You are provided with little, if any therapy or treatment…

  • You are left alone, scared and devoid of caring and love…

  • You are surrounded by other youth offenders, some violent, without guidance, mentors or examples to live by…

  • You are provided with little or no schooling, vocational or life skills training…

  • And then one day you are released, traumatized, unskilled and uneducated…

  • Statistically, you have a seventy percent chance of re-offending and winding up back in the system…a passing grade if the test is scored based on the failure rate of the current system.

 

What happens on Phoenix Ranches

  • When you arrive at a Phoenix ranch, you are paired with a kind, loving mentor who is your guide into the world of rising Phoenixes…

  • You are not shackled…

  • You bring your own clothes and are allowed to retain your own identity…

  • You are welcomed not into a cell in a cell block, but into a room in a home environment, with loving house mothers and fathers…

  • You spend your first month engaged in healthy activities while trained counsellors evaluate your own, unique needs…

  • You are given the opportunity to adopt a dog or cat from the local humane society that will be your companion throughout and after your stay at the ranch…

  • You are allowed to attend a state of the art on ranch Montessori style school where you can explore your interests and expand your horizons…

  • If the classroom setting is not a good fit for a fallen Phoenix, vocational opportunities abound on the ranches, ranging from vehicle and engine maintenance, welding, framing, electrical, plumbing, gardening, cooking, animal husbandry such as training service animals or livestock management and a variety of other endeavors that can provide.

The Difference is Set and Setting...

The programs and services that will be offered on Phoenix Ranches are not new. Many have been practiced around the world for generations. Animal husbandry, farming, gardening, learning trade skills as well as classroom style Montessori formats combined with activities promoting physical and mental health as well as spiritual health and direction are far from novel ideas.

Ranch environments marry these ideas, programs and methods with a safe, loving, nurturing environment that fosters growth, recovery and a bright, happy, prosperous future.

This is not an either/or choice…

It is a logical and pragmatic choice for both:

Youth prisons will not entirely be replaced by Phoenix Ranches. They will continue to exist alongside Phoenix Ranches. Making up about 30 percent of youth prison populations, they will be reserved for violent offenders and those that are unwilling or mentally unsuited for Phoenix Ranch life. Not all fallen Phoenixes will graduate from Phoenix Ranches. Sadly, some will be expelled and will go to youth prisons. It is a reality that some people are not suited for freedom in a law-abiding society of laws and peaceful coexistence.

This said, putting ALL youth offenders in cages, forcing them to wear chains and jumpsuits, leaving them alone in dangerous, stressful traumatic environments with no support is a recipe for disaster. It is a recipe for destroying a person’s life.