Hey everyone,

Just circling back with a clearer picture as the petition continues to grow.

I know many of us have compartmentalized these experiences or are still working through denial and desensitization. Sometimes we need the reminder anyway.

For those who went through the John Volken Academy (JVA) in Surrey, Langley, or its U.S. locations, here’s the reality we lived:

My name is CJ.  In 2016, I entered JVA looking for support with mental health and prescription medication recovery.  Instead of compassionate care, I encountered a coercive, highly punitive environment that many survivors describe as psychologically abusive and degrading.

Key practices that stood out:

✔️Toothbrush-scrubbing building exteriors at 4 a.m. in freezing rain for minor infractions.
✔️Spending full days isolated in parking lots picking up pebbles with tweezers.
✔️Wearing headlamps and being kept in prolonged darkness or isolation as “consequences." for leaving a light on
✔️16-day work stretches with no breaks, often until 1 a.m., for breaking any rule in the extensive manual.
✔️Forced silence for weeks or months, wearing shirts publicly detailing one’s “violations,” and extreme communication restrictions (family calls monitored in locked rooms with staff present).
✔️An 18-hour “exit interrogation” (locked in a room and pressured to stay)  simply for attempting to leave.
✔️Confiscation of personal belongings (including family photos and medical items) that were never returned.
✔️Dangerous and exploitative labor, including roof-thatching and farm work where participants faced real physical risks.  

Beyond these, multiple accounts from survivors describe inappropriate sexual relationships that developed within the program. Staff or senior participants in counselor-like roles often engaged in sexual relationships with clients... relationships that resulted in pregnancies in several documented cases. These dynamics were rooted in clear power imbalances and directly contradicted any reasonable standard of ethical care in a rehabilitation setting.

The program had already lost its accreditation years earlier (prior to 2014) yet continued operating while misrepresenting its status.

Reports of non-consensual filming in private situations, religious favoritism, and restricted access to outside support further compounded the harm.

Participants were required to perform intensive unpaid labor in a myriad of settings including with livestock. In recent years, one individual was seriously gored by a water buffalo during these regimens in Surrey.

Additionally, reports continue to surface ( including as recently as January 2026 )of livestock (water buffalo) being stolen from the farm by the Academy from a local farming partner resulting in years of wasted litigation efforts and eventual expiration of statute of  limitations; a known deterrence strategy.   Survivors and former staff express  deep frustration over the lack of meaningful legal accountability or restitution; of being stonewalled and essentially silenced.   

Many of us left with lasting PTSD, panic attacks, trust issues, and years of recovery.

I personally had to walk miles to a library with nothing, then travel from Canada back to Virginia while experiencing breakdowns.

 

I’m far from the only one.

With recent government actions toward faux-closure and ongoing concerns from the affiliated “farm” program, the time for accountability is now.

What we’re asking for:

✔️Public acknowledgment from JVA leadership of the harm caused
✔️Refunds of mandatory deposits for those who left early due to mistreatment
✔️An independent investigation into the Academy’s practices
✔️Support for a collective human rights complaint in British Columbia, and exploration of criminal avenues where appropriate (including forced confinement)

A safe space for other survivors to come forward...even anonymously...would be healing.   Many of us want to talk about it but lack the resources to do so effectively.   Many in the survivor community hold the belief that these repeated issues go unaddressed due to the program’s suspected strong ties to local governance and policing institutions.

This is about truth, healing, preventing future harm, and holding programs that promise safety to basic ethical standards.

If you attended JVA at any time or location (or know someone who did) please share your story.

Comment below, sign the petition (anonymously if you prefer), or reach out privately: ultra.elevens0i@icloud.com.

Your voice matters. Let’s keep pushing for accountability together...one person speaking up changes nothing.  

 

 

Thank you for your continued support,
CJ

 

 

 

#RehabAccountability #TraumaRecovery #DisabilityJustice #StopRehabAbuse