Paris Hilton Makes Plea to Montana Senate on Twitter

Last weekend I heard Paris Hilton tweeted about a Montana law— I was so confused. Why would she of all people care about anything happening here legislatively. When I actually got the chance to actually read the tweet, I was shocked. Read it below:

#TTI refers to the troubled-teen industry, which is a term to describe boarding schools and other establishments that are marketed as a method of teaching discipline to young adults. -TRIGGER WARNING - This tweet by a reporter for the Daily Montanan includes Paris' testimony on behalf of Montana's HB-218, and her description of a facility that operated in Montana called Ascent Wilderness, which is no longer active. Below is a portion of Paris' description of her stay at Ascent Wilderness and again, - TRIGGER WARNING - the quote below is extremely disturbing.

Ascent was run like a military camp. We lived in teepees in freezing cold weather with a thin sleeping bag and no pillow... Everything was timed - from folding your sleeping bag, to eating, to even taking a shower. In addition to being timed, we were watched by male staff as as we bathed in a tin bucket outside with cold water, a cup and a bar of soup. I was constantly berated with sexual remarks about my body and I was only 16.

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If passed, Montana's HB-218 would increase regulations for businesses operating in the troubled-teen industry. I understand why parents could be tempted by those who promise to turn their kids lives around, but there are risks to these kinds of programs, particularly without proper oversight.