Netflix recently released a documentary titled Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare, which showcased the inhumane treatment several children received in the Challenger Foundation. The Challenger Foundation was the brainchild of Air Force Sergeant Steve Cartisano. Established in 1988, the organization aimed to discipline troubled teens and turn their lives around.
Located in Southern Utah, children of the camp were put through grueling physical and mental drills. However, there were many instances where the teenagers were treated too harshly. A Dexerto report stated that the staff abused the system and manipulated the participants. Furthermore, they were accused of dragging the children and even tying them to trees.
The Challenger Foundation began living on borrowed time after the death of one of its participants, 16-year-old Kristen Chase. This led to an investigation that forced the organization to shut down. Furthermore, Steve Cartisano faced legal consequences.
According to IMDb, the synopsis of Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare reads, “Out-of-control teens across America were sent to a therapy camp in the harsh Utah desert. The conditions were brutal, but the staff were even worse.”
Liza Williams directed Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare.
Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare: What happened at the Challenger Foundation?
According to Tudum by Netflix, the duration of this camp was 63 days. Furthermore, the staff forced the teenagers to hike 500 miles, sleep on the ground, pull handcarts through rocky terrain, and skin and cook animals. The staff did not provide them with bathrooms or privacy. Furthermore, they were severely punished if they complained.
Moreover, in the Netflix documentary, a man who witnessed the camp’s condition said, “They were emaciated, they were dirty. You couldn’t even tell that they were kids.”
Even though Steve Cartisano faced child abuse and negligent homicide charges, the court acquitted him. He died in 2019, at the age of 63.
