The Last Stop

Élan was hailed by many to have been a last resort saving grace for incorrigible delinquent teens in crisis. Supporters of the program ranged from thousands of former students and parents to hundreds of psychologists, social workers, educational officials and national associations, many of whom have praised its tough love tactics. However, for every riveting success story that credits Élan with saving their life, there is a broken adult unable to recover from the harrowing trauma they faced there as a youth. Today, thousands of programs like Élan still exist throughout the United States and around the world with no government oversight, no regulation, and little to no advocacy.