User:TheBelow/sandbox

= The Prudent Owl (Facility) = The Prudent Owl was a youth mental health rehabilitation facility, based in Manchester, Connecticut. During its three and a half year run (1991-1994), it faced many accusations- and dealt with several controversies regarding its practices. The facility never had the opportunity to be forcibly closed (as many locals assumed would happen), because it burned down in a somewhat suspicious electrical fire in 1994.

Suspicious Practices
Youth, of ages six too eighteen would be sent to the Prudent Owl facility after experiencing some sort of major trauma, or after being diagnosed with a major psychological disorder or learning disability. Treatment ranged from placing youth in a low stimulus environments under care of professionals- or to more extreme "correction" methods (such as electro-shock therapy, intense restraint, attempted "brainwashing", and other now out of date practices). Many youth who had since aged out of the facility's programs reported enduring significant psychological abuse. Unfortunately, little can be confirmed about The Prudent Owl's practices- as minimal records were kept.

1994 Fire
On June twelfth, 1994- despite efforts from members of the fire department, the Prudent Owl facility was burned nearly to the ground. Most, if not all, remnants of the facility were destroyed- so it has proven difficult to determine the true inner workings of the facility. Despite what many youth and guardians who had been involved with the Prudent Owl have said, it's sponsoring organization, "The Below", swears to this day that the facility's practices were entirely ethical.

Theories
While there is very little to back it up, other than the suspicious history of the facility, many locals to Manchester believe that the fire was not in fact an accidental electrical fire, but instead a deliberate ploy to destroy all evidence of the Prudent Owl. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.