Facility profile California

VisionQuest

Closed Hesperia, California

VisionQuest was a program in Hesperia, California.

Timeline

From the records: who ran it and the deals that moved it, its names, and the deaths, incidents, inspection findings, lawsuits and news stories on file. Point at an event, or tap "More about this", for the details.

1980198419901994199819801998

  1. 1980

    1. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      Eric David Schibley, 17, died here

      Drowned

      Eric David Schibley, 17, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    2. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      Bernard Reefer, 19, died here

      Drowned

      Bernard Reefer, 19, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    3. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      James Lamb, 14, died here

      Drowned

      James Lamb, 14, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    4. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      Charles Lucas Martin, 16, died here

      Drowned

      Charles Lucas Martin, 16, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    5. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      Robert Zimmerman, 17, died here

      Drowned

      Robert Zimmerman, 17, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    6. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      Lyle Purnell Goodro, 18, died here

      Drowned

      Lyle Purnell Goodro, 18, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    7. DeathNovember 24, 1980

      Robert Doyle Erwin, 15, died here

      Drowned

      Robert Doyle Erwin, 15, died here November 24, 1980

      source

    8. IncidentNovember 1980

      Death

      In November 1980 eight teens and two staff disappeared sailing off Baja California; one teen and one staff member were found dead and the other eight were never found.

      Death November 1980

      source

    9. IncidentNovember 1980

      Investigation

      A Coast Guard investigation of the 1980 boating tragedy found five safety violations, two serious.

      Investigation November 1980

      source

  2. 1984

    1. IncidentSeptember 1984

      Death

      A 17-year-old reportedly drowned during an escape attempt in September 1984; the page notes speculation of a cover-up.

      Death September 1984

      source

  3. 1990

    1. IncidentMay 1990

      Death

      An 18-year-old drowned May 31, 1990 crossing a canal near Tracy, CA after allegedly being chased by staff in a pickup; his parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

      Death May 1990

      source

  4. 1994

    1. IncidentDecember 1994

      Death

      A 13-year-old died December 16, 1994, reportedly of injuries from an outdoor activity.

      Death December 1994

      source

  5. 1998

    1. Essential reportingJune 28, 1998

      Investigation Exposes Lack of Oversight and Pervasive Use of Physical Restraints in California's Out-of-State Youth Placements

      The Sacramento Bee: The Bee's 1998 series on California sending its young people to out-of-state camps with little oversight, begun after Nicholaus Contreraz died at Arizona Boys Ranch.

      Investigation Exposes Lack of Oversight and Pervasive Use of Physical Restraints in California's Out-of-State Youth Placements June 28, 1998

      An investigative report reveals that California relies heavily on out-of-state private juvenile programs with minimal state oversight or regulation. The investigation highlights widespread practices of physical restraint and forced exercise, and examines systemic issues surrounding juvenile placements following the...

      Read the article

Deaths on record

The memorial

Incidents on record

  1. November 1980 Death

    In November 1980 eight teens and two staff disappeared sailing off Baja California; one teen and one staff member were found dead and the other eight were never found.source

  2. November 1980 Investigation

    A Coast Guard investigation of the 1980 boating tragedy found five safety violations, two serious.source

  3. September 1984 Death

    A 17-year-old reportedly drowned during an escape attempt in September 1984; the page notes speculation of a cover-up.source

  4. May 1990 Death

    An 18-year-old drowned May 31, 1990 crossing a canal near Tracy, CA after allegedly being chased by staff in a pickup; his parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit.source

  5. December 1994 Death

    A 13-year-old died December 16, 1994, reportedly of injuries from an outdoor activity.source

News coverage

  • The Sacramento Bee Jun 28, 1998 Expose

    Investigation Exposes Lack of Oversight and Pervasive Use of Physical Restraints in California's Out-of-State Youth Placements

    Essential reporting

    The Bee's 1998 series on California sending its young people to out-of-state camps with little oversight, begun after Nicholaus Contreraz died at Arizona Boys Ranch.

    An investigative report reveals that California relies heavily on out-of-state private juvenile programs with minimal state oversight or regulation. The investigation highlights widespread practices of physical restraint and forced exercise, and examines systemic issues surrounding juvenile placements following the death of a sixteen-year-old at an out-of-state facility.

  • The Sacramento Bee Jul 2, 1998 Expose

    Who's Guarding the Kids? New blast at camps for youths; Probe sending offenders out of state

    In July 1998, U.S. Representative George Miller called for federal and state investigations into California's policy of placing troubled youth in out-of-state facilities, characterizing the practice as state-supported child abuse due to inadequate oversight and differing regulatory standards. The scrutiny followed media reports detailing safety concerns and the death of a 16-year-old youth at an Arizona facility, prompting state lawmakers to evaluate potential reforms to the youth placement system.

  • The Sacramento Bee Jun 30, 1998 Expose

    Who's Guarding the Kids? Some counties keep young offenders close to home: The catch -- all costs are borne locally

    The article reports on California counties that retain juvenile offenders in state-run or county-run facilities rather than sending them to out‑of‑state programs. It details the financial and policy decisions that enable local programs, the use of probation and day‑treatment services, and the controversies surrounding the transportation of youths to private facilities in other states. The piece highlights the death of a 16‑year‑old in an out‑of‑state program and the subsequent policy debates.

  • The Sacramento Bee Jun 29, 1998 Expose

    Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Rehabilitation Programs and Methods

    An investigative report examines the differing operational methods and philosophies of private youth facilities and juvenile delinquency programs housing California youth. The article highlights various approaches to rehabilitation, ranging from peer pressure and strict orientation phases to therapeutic models and independent living programs, while raising questions regarding oversight and effectiveness.

  • The Sacramento Bee Jun 29, 1998 Expose

    Oversight of youth-offender camps often falls short

    An investigative report by The Bee highlights systemic failures in the oversight and licensing of out-of-state youth-offender facilities utilized by California. The investigation details instances of staff misconduct, sexual abuse, physical restraint violations, and child deaths occurring in facilities with minimal cross-state regulatory monitoring.

  • Los Angeles Times Jun 14, 1998 Expose

    1998 Investigation Details Circumstances Surrounding Teen's Death at Arizona Boys Ranch

    A 16-year-old youth placed at the Arizona Boys Ranch died after contracting an undiagnosed, massive infection following weeks of physical punishment and alleged medical neglect by facility staff. State and county agencies subsequently launched investigations into the program's operations, its oversight, and the practice of shipping juvenile offenders to out-of-state facilities.

Staff

Notable staff

Connections on the network map

The companies, people and programs our research map ties to this program. Open it on the network map.

Documents

From the Unsilenced archive

468 documents about VisionQuest that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: VisionQuest.

Documents (468)

From SCIAD NET

2 documents about VisionQuest that Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. SCIAD NET keeps them on Google Drive, where they open.

Materials and links

Government records

From SCIAD NET.

Other links

Record updated . Generated from the Kids Over Profits facility database. Suggest a correction