Sent Away | Podcast on Podbay

Sent Away

APM Reports, KUER and The Salt Lake Tribune

It didn't seem to matter what happened at the teen treatment center. The state of Utah always gave it another chance. Death. Allegations of abuse. Criminal charges. Bizarre punishments. Whistleblowers coming forward. Each time, the place got a pass. A team of reporters from three news organizations has spent the last year digging into the untold stories of Utah's massive teen treatment industry. Some 20,000 teenagers facing depression, delinquency and other problems have been sent there from every state in the country over the last six years. Sent Away investigates how the government failed to keep all those kids safe — through the voices and stories of the teens who lived it.

The power of speaking out — and of celebrity. Paris Hilton goes public with allegations against Provo Canyon School. And she sparks a movement. Others share their stories. And a lawmaker hears them.Read more: More citations and new concerns follow Utah's increased oversightThis kind of investigative journalism takes a lot of time and money. Our news organizations are all nonprofits and we depend on support from people like you to do this important work.Donate: APM Reports | KUER | The Salt Lake Tribune

Apr 12, 2022

34 min

6: This Is the Place

How did Utah become the epicenter of the teen treatment industry? It's a story of culture. And connections.Read: The answer is a complex combination of history, culture and weak regulationsSupport investigative journalism: Donate now

Apr 5, 2022

30 min

5: Under New Management

Even after the police raid Integrity House, the state still doesn’t shut it down. A new owner vows to turn the place around. But when his staff are caught practicing a bizarre form of “therapeutic discipline” the state once again gives him a pass.Read more: Here's why Utah will soon make it easier to search a teen treatment program's violation historySupport investigative journalism: Donate now

Mar 29, 2022

25 min

4: The Police Are Here

A knock at the door. A police raid. An outpouring of allegations. But the case crumbles when the cops learn something they never knew about Daniel Taylor.Read more: Shutting down a teen treatment facility in Utah is no easy task, even after serious allegationsSupport investigative journalism: Donate now

Mar 22, 2022

34 min

3: Blurred Lines

From Integrity House to Daniel's house. The lines between the Taylors' business and the Taylor family all but disappear. Plus: what happens when a mother reports one of their employees to the police.Read more: How 'inappropriate boundaries' for staff can lead to sexual abuseSupport investigative journalism: Donate now

Mar 15, 2022

30 min

2: What They Saved

With the state off its back, Integrity House is free to grow. We learn what it was like to live there day after day — what the people who worked there saw, and what the state did when one of them blew the whistle.Read more: 'Blindfolds, hoods and handcuffs': How some teenagers get to Utah's youth treatment programsSupport investigative journalism: Donate now

Mar 8, 2022

36 min

1: Second Chances

A dark cave. A tragic accident. A new treatment center. The state of Utah tries to hold it accountable. But that turns out to be harder than you’d think.Read more: 'Blindfolds, hoods and handcuffs': How some teenagers get to Utah's youth treatment programsSupport investigative journalism: Donate now

Mar 8, 2022

31 min

Trailer: Sent Away

Sent Away is a seven-episode series beginning March 8. New episodes every Tuesday.Learn more: sentaway.orgSupport investigative journalism: Donate now.

Mar 1, 2022

1 min