Straight, Incorporated

Straight, Incorporated was a nationally recognized non-profit drug rehabilitation program that produced hundreds of reports of abuse of adolescents and their families during its 15 years of existence. Despite allegations of abuse from escaped members and pending lawsuits, during its existence Straight won laudatory praise in Republican circles. [ [http://www.webdiva.org/fox/ "Drug War Casualties"] , Radley Balko, Fox News, May 23, 2002]

Straight, Inc. was founded on April 22, 1976 by Mel Sembler and started its treatment program on September 1, 1976.Fager, Wesley M. "Flow Chart of the Straights and opening and closing dates for Straight, Inc." "The Straights dot com" Accessed September 24, 2006. [http://www.thestraights.com/the-straights/thestraights-fc.htm] ]

This program was highly controversial due to the style of therapy it used, called "tough love" that has been likened to brainwashing similar to the methods used on American POW's captured by the Vietcong.Brady, Pete. "Straight, Incorporated." "Cannabis Culture." Accessed September 24, 2006. [http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2072.html] ] Various allegations of abuse and lawsuits led to the end of Straight, Inc.

Many former patients of Straight have formed 'survivor groups' assembling themselves in small numbers seeking a means to understand the trauma suffered and supporting one another in grasping the reality of what happened in their lives. [ [http://www.isaccorp.org/archives.asp#straight International Suvivors Action Committee on Straight] ]

After the closure a lot of the senior management opened their own programs based on the methods of Straight. Kids Helping Kids, a Pathway Family Center, uses the Straight Inc. model

Some of the consequences for not 'getting in touch with your feelings' included: 90 second showers (30 water: 30 so

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