Surviving Ironwood: Gisselle’s Story (2018)

Welcome to the Code Adam podcast, hosted by yours truly, Julia Quinones. As a survivor of the 'Troubled Teen' industry, I know firsthand the horrors that come with being taken from your own bed at 4 am by complete strangers and sent to a so-called "Therapeutic Boarding School" like Ironwood Maine. As a scared fourteen-year-old girl, I was stripped of my clothes and personal belongings, cut off from the outside world, and forced to sit outside in silence for five days straight. But it only got worse from there. I had to earn basic human necessities like a mattress, pillow, and even the privilege to speak or shower. And if I tried to leave, they'd call a Code Adam, stopping everything on-site to search for me until I was found. Unfortunately, my story is all too common. Many of us tried to run, some making it farther than others, but we all shared the same trauma. That's why this podcast exists – to give us a safe space to share our experiences and break the silence surrounding the 'Troubled Teen' industry. Our interview is with Giselle, a former resident of ironwood in 2017-2018. While the interviews may be funny, potentially therapeutic, or even triggering, they are always important. So join us as we continue to #breakcodesilence. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/codeadampodcast/support