“The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping”—the new TV mini-series directed by Katherine Kubler and produced by Diane Becker, Rachel Libert, Melanie Miller, Brain Knappenberger, Ann Rogers, and Brooke Workneh through Fishbowl Films—has recently captured the attention of audiences.
The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping will premiere on Netflix on March 5, and the three-episode TV series will follow The Academy at Ivy Ridge pupils as they tell the true narrative of the school's horrible happenings.
As viewers immerse themselves in the suspenseful narrative, a common question arises: Is this gripping series based on a true story?
In this article, we'll delve into the origins of “The Program” and explore whether its plot is rooted in real-life events.
Is The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping Based on a True Story?
The Netflix television series Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping is based on the true story of the students of The Academy at Ivy Ridge in Ogdensburg, New York. It was a therapeutic boarding school that operated from 2001 until 2009.
The institution accepted disturbed teenagers and provided a disciplined atmosphere aimed at addressing behavioral, emotional, and intellectual concerns.
Despite its intentions to assist disturbed adolescents, The Academy at Ivy Ridge was fraught with controversy. Reports have appeared alleging student abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. Concerns were raised about the harsh disciplinary tactics used by staff members, including isolation, physical restrictions, and verbal abuse.
Poor living circumstances, unauthorized medical operations, psychological torture, sexual assault, and physical abuse were among the inappropriate methods used at the facility. The true narrative behind these controversies will be told in the Netflix miniseries Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping.
The concerns surrounding the institution prompted state inquiries and media criticism. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services closed The Academy at Ivy Ridge in 2009 after receiving several complaints and legal actions. The shutdown came after a string of events, including lawsuits, allegations of misbehavior, and growing pressure from parents and advocacy groups.
The school closed in 2009, with approximately 60 pupils enrolled. All of the pupils were returned home or moved to comparable residential schools. The campus was later bought by a Delaware business.
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The company's representative confirmed that the school would not reopen. In 2005, Ivy Ridge was ordered to pay civil fines totaling USD 250,000 (about INR 2,07 crore) and issue partial refunds to past students.
The school was also urged to stop awarding unauthorized high school diplomas and to refrain from representing itself as an approved institution because it is only a behavior management program. The genuine account of how school life affected the pupils will also be featured on the Netflix television show Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping.
