John Volken Academy, Surrey, BC

I think there are good intentions however no one is really educated in addiction and it at times can be more harmful that helpful. I was there for 10 months. Atmosphere is very fear based. There is no therapy. Days are very structured and based on elderly man's opinions about how to cure an addict: teach them a work ethic and manners. Wake up early, read 'the manual' which is a rule book at breakfast, go to work, do chores, have a group called encounter where you bring up people breaking one of the million rules and these tend to be pretty harsh and the environment is fear based, repeat. It is student run so a lot of times it turns into how to get the blame off of me, screw the truth. If you get in trouble there are SEVERE consequences. One is that you have to work from 6AM-11PM, we are talking scrubbing floors with toothbrushes, digging holes and filling them up, etc., you can be on this for up to 21 days and they do not tell you when it will end. Very unhealthy, forces you to conform to ways other people think, such as a girl woke up 5-10 minutes late a couple days in a row and she was yelled at in encounter and told she was lazy and useless. She didn't agree and they put her on this indefinite work. She had to start saying she was lazy and useless to get off this punishment. Do not really work on core issues. The people that could really use this strict enviornment tend to adjust quickly and figure out ways to manipulate the system and make tings harder for the rest. The people involved do have good intentions but was a very miserable and psychologically damaging place to many. Also they do not really advertise that a lot of it is very, very influenced by Mormon faith, community, and beliefs. As a non-Mormon I found this extremely hard. Also no contact with anyone outside of the program for months then very strictly monitored letters, after about a year you can visit with monitors. Hard to escape, if you go and 'give it a try' it is almost impossible to leave if you don't really know the streets of Canada... won't give you a phone call, will tell your parents whatever they need to hear to make you stay as they truly believe making you stay will save your life.

I attended the volley academy for over 6 months. The only positives I'll give it is that it's not a hostile environment nor gang-related. Well be prepared to work tirelessly for 6 days a week over 48 hrs of work. It's student run. So the students in leadership are usually the most corrupt and steal your s*** when you go through intake. If you want to leave before two years is up. They pack your bags in trash bags give you one phone call minutes before going to the airport. You're going to be exploited and a packet sent to your parents essentially saying to ignore any complaints(that's if you'll get a letter out!) one program director is super cool and nice. However the British fellow is a real douchebag who looks miserable and pissed off all the time. Don't be fooled by the 2 years. Graduates relapse arguable more than those that left after a year. You'll eat expired food that will mess with your digestion. You can't make any education or classes until your there for over a year. No they don't pay for it. You are expendable cog in the machine for the foundation that literally has several persons embezzling money from the foundation. They work you to death. True motto is the cynical and familiar: ARBEIT MACHT FREI. You get what you pay for here. Where societies undesirables gives a free workforce to an old man who has so much Botox injections who could've died years ago. Keep looking. This place does the whole bait and switch. Trust me. These are the master manipulators.