Daily life

Based on the TV-show Brat Camp and survivor testimonies a typical day is described as follows [4]. Strict time limits are enforced in order to stress and cause breakdown on the detainees.

• Day starts off by counselors calling 5 minutes. This means that everyone has 5 minutes to be dressed, have their sleeping bags hung on a tree, grab their food bags, and be sitting around the fire pit. If everyone does not have this done by 5 minutes, everything gets put back the way it was, the detainees has do it again until every thing is completed in the 5 minute slot.

• Hygiene follows. This involves filling a cup with water and soap, taking a rag and washing your face, hands and feet. The time limit is 8 or 10 minutes. Counselors checks the detainees. Also here it has to be done again if all has not been checked within the time limit.

• Breakfast is next - usually 20 minute time limit. Breakfast consists of cold oats, with water, powdered milk, brown sugar and raisins. If a fire is going, the detainees has the option of heating their oats, although only a few did so. Detainees are required to eat at least 2 cups of oats, and one quart of water, both checked off.

• After this, the detainees need to clean their cup, which involved taking making mud and scrubbing the inside of the cup with it and rinsing it out until it was spotless. If everyone do not have their food eaten and cups cleaned by time limit, then spices would not be available for later meals. All food that is prepared is required to be eaten, regardless if the detainees feel full or the food doesn't taste good. Some detainees vomited because of this (On the Brat Camp show, Nick vomited in episode one).

• After this follows some sort of planned activity, gathering firewood, some sort of group therapy, day-hiking (food and water only, no packs).

• Lunch is usually very light, just some granola and another quart of water. Very easy to make time limit, if there was one (sometimes we would stop hiking and sit and snack then continue). This meal isn't required, but is only taken away if the group is misbehaving (never taken away if the detainees are hiking or going to hike).

• Afternoon activities are performed, sometimes with "homework", coursework that focused on goals, aspirations, management skills, etc. or more firewood collecting, therapy, etc.

• Dinner is usually at sunset or so (preceded by hygiene again). Dinner is rice and lentils, dehydrated refried beans and tortillas, burritos, or Macaroni night. Since Rice and Lentils take at least 20 minutes to cook on the fire, time limit can be either 40 minutes or 60 minutes depending on behavior (longer time limit for better behavior).

• While food is cooking, the detainees are required to write a page in their journals. The detainees also have a moment of silence.

• After dinner is also the time when most of the group therapy occur. The counselors encouraged the detainees to express grievances, whether it be with Sagewalk, the counselors themselves, other detainees, or just problems in general. Usually, this either allowed for compromise and conflict resolution, or sometimes flared tempers.

• Food is then eaten, then cups cleaned, food bags put away and the detainees are dismissed to bed.

• Boots is taken from the detainees before sleep in order to prevent runways.

In the news

In 2005 the program hosted the TV-series Brat Camp, where 9 adolescents were held captive in order to entertain the viewers [5]. The show received varying reactions. [6] [7]

Another graduate reflects on his outcome [8].