Is The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping based on real stories? Explained

The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping is a new documentary series that was released on March 5, 2024, on Netflix. The series is directed by Katherine Kubler. It explores the dark and troubling world of the teen industry. The series is set at the academy at Ivy Ridge in Ogdensburg, New York.

It is rated TV-MA, implying that the series is strictly for the audience that is 18+ of age, and seemingly inappropriate for children.

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Is The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping real?

The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping is a documentary series based on the real events that occurred at the academy at Ivy Ridge, a boarding school that used to run for troubled teens. It is located in upstate New York and is now closed. The school was founded by Robert Lichfield.

It was supposed to be a disciplinary school to set the youth on the correct path, aimed to help the students with issues like substance abuse, defiance, academic struggles, and behavioural problems.

The schedule of the students included therapy sessions along with the academic classes, and physical activities and chores. However, beneath the surface, it operated using different and inappropriate methods.

The series is directed and narrated by Katherine Kubler, who herself had been a former student at the academy herself. She had experienced physical and psychological abuse, and severe punishments and had to struggle with the trauma that resulted due to such experiences.

At the academy, the students were forced to stay enrolled, even if they begged to return home, and the parents were supposed to pay a lot of tuition fees. The show has attempted to shed light on the foul practices followed in some educational institutions such as some shocking crimes and exploitation of teenage students.

After the discovery of incidents like cons, cult-like practices and kidnapping were discovered, the school was shut down in 2009.

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When and where to watch The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping?

The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping premiered on Netflix on March 5, 2024. The series includes real footage of children being tackled, choked and thrown around by the adults. Some DVDs also provide evidence of such abusive practices at the school.

In the short duration since the series was released, it has already attracted many audiences and doing well on Netflix.

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Who is in the cast of The Program: cons, cult and kidnapping?

The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping features real people who have been part of the dark incidents that occurred at the academy at Ivy Ridge. They share their first-hand experiences of what happened at the school.

Katherine Kubler, who was sixteen years old when she was sent away to the academy and spent 15 years in the program at Ivy Ridge, is the narrator in the series.

She is the one who investigated the abuse and corruption within the system. Phil Elberg appears on the show. He is the attorney who played an important role during the investigation.

He sued the program for malpractice. He talks about the fear instilled in the children due to the abuses they had to endure.

Janja Lalich is a sociologist who joins the cast of the series. She talks about how the children were forcefully taken away from their families. Alexa Brand appears in the series and talks about a horrible incident where she was subjected to a strip search.

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The Program: cons, cults and Kidnapping is available to stream on Netflix.