I was a resident at Island View RTC for thirteen months between 2000 and 2001.
I was sent there for skipping school, experimenting with drugs, and sneaking out of the house- normal teenage stuff, right?
It all started when I was woke up in the middle of the night by teo "escorts" who explained that they were taking me to s special school for a while. I was too sleepy at the time to put up a fight, but in retrospect I should have run away from them right then- I had no idea the hell I was about to be put through. When I arrived at Island view I was placed on the green team.
My therapist was Seth Geisler, and our team director was Jennifer VanBuskirk.I felt that their purpose was to use whatever means necessary (seclusion, sensory deprivation) to brainwash me into subscribing to their golden way of life. I had many takedowns, sometimes for just making rude comments. I was hummiliated, strip searched, locked in the "time out room" (one of three prison cells they had at the time, before I left they built yet another one!).
I was also made to sit at my desk staring at a white wall all day everyday for weeks. At this point I had no hope. I dreampt up elaborate "escape plans" of how to get out of Island View and live my life on the run. I wished for god to kill mr everynight as I lay in bead waiting for the heavy tranquilizers to send me to a better place, untill the rooster came around to yell and flip on the bright flouresent lights at 6 in the morning. Since arriving at Island View my behavior and grades reached an all time low.
They transfered me to purple team near the end of my stay because I had become a "negetive peer".I felt imprisoned and hopeless and didn't even try in school. I tried to daydream the days away to briefly escape from that terrible place. To this day I have nightmares that I'm still locked up in that place, in the tiny, cold timeout room wigth the door locked. I remember being tackled by huge clean cut mormon "houseparents". Their primary purpose was to serve as guards so that no one could escape.
I could go on forever about what a terrible place that is but there isnt space or time. I would be interested in communicating from anyone else on green team or any other former residents with similar experiences.
Sources:
I don't know anything about you other than i was at Island View around the same time. I was on silver team and my therapist was Scott. Jen often led groups- she scared me more than anyone else there. I don't know who you are or if you even check this anymore but i am really trying to get in touch with survivors from Island View. I wasn't allowed to leave with anyone's names or addresses because of "confidentiality laws". My name is Megan Sharp.
ReplyDeleteI was on Copper and then I ran away from oakley. Same years as you guys
ReplyDelete