{"id":9715,"date":"2022-03-12T23:33:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9715"},"modified":"2022-03-12T23:33:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:33:00","slug":"discovery-ranch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/discovery-ranch\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery Ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discovery Ranch<\/b> (2005-present) Mapleton, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Therapeutic Boarding School<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

History and Background Information<\/b><\/h2>\n

Discovery Ranch is an <\/span>Ascent Company<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program founded on August 21st, 2005. It is marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for teenage boys aged 13-18 with “emotional and behavioral issues.” DR does not accept transgender males. The program has a maxmimum enrollment of 60 boys, and the average length of stay is reported to be around 10 months, but this can be substantially longer if the boy is deemed resistant. The tuition is reported to be anywhere between $6,500 to $12,000 per month. Their motto is apparently “Strength in the Struggle”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is located at <\/span>1308 South 1600 West, Mapleton, Utah 84664<\/span><\/a>. When the program opened, it housed both boys and girls on the same campus, but kept them completely seperate in different parts of the campus. However, in 2013 DR moved their girls’ program to Cedar City, UT and began makerting theis program as <\/span>Discovery Ranch For Girls<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Discovery Ranch has been a <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> member since 2005. Discovery Ranch is “accredited” by the <\/span>Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS)<\/span><\/a>, but it is important to note that neither the United States Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes NAAS as an accrediting agency for institutions of higher education. NAAS is an organization that has “accredited” many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including <\/span>many<\/span><\/i> WWASP<\/span><\/a> programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is affiliated with several other <\/span>Ascent Company<\/span><\/a> programs, such as <\/span>RedCliff Ascent<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Discovery Academy<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Discovery Connections<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Oxbow Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n

Clinton Dorny<\/b> is the Executive Director of Discovery Ranch. He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers. He began his career working in Admissions at <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Craig Smith<\/b> worked as the Clinical Director of Discovery Ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dave Blackwell<\/b> worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. He previously worked at <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leslie Glies<\/b> worked as the Residential Director of Discovery Ranch. She currently works as the Residential Director at <\/span>Redcliff Ascent<\/span><\/a>, another <\/span>Ascent Company<\/span><\/a> program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brent Hall<\/b> is reported by survivors to have run the facility. He also is the Executive Director of <\/span>Discovery Academy<\/span><\/a>. He previously worked at the confirmedly abusive <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization. He also worked for a time as the Director of <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Program Structure<\/b><\/h2>\n

Like other behavior-modification programs, Discovery Ranch utilizes a level system based around a merit\/demerit structure. The level-system consists of five levels, which the boys progress through by earning points for good behavior while avoiding demerits for negative behaviors and rule infractions.<\/span><\/p>\n

DR also advertises their “calf program” heavily, where each new resident is given a baby calf to care for and raise. It is reported by survivors that these calfs are later slaughtered, apparently in an attempt to teach the residents “how to deal with loss.” This practice is extremely cruel, and is reported to be very traumatic to many survivors.<\/span><\/p>\n

The teenagers at Discovery Ranch as forced to adhere to a strict set of rules at all time. Any minor infraction is punished severely. Teenagers can be punished for infractions as small as “making an inappropriate facial expression”, meaning they can be punished for crying or raising their eyebrows without permission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. It is reported that they are only allowed to communicate with their parents through heavily censored and monitored letters, as well as a once-monthly phone call, which is also monitored by staff. This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. In addition, survivors have reported that on the off-chance that they <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> able to inform their parents of abuse, their parents are manipulated by DR into believing that their child is lying and “being manipulative” in an attempt to be pulled from the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abuse and Lawsuits<\/b><\/h2>\n

Discovery Ranch is reported by <\/span>many<\/span><\/i> survivors to be an extremely abusive program. Allegations of abuse that have been reported by survivors include:<\/span><\/p>\n