Pink Prison

One of the more chilling chapters in the book "Spiritual Perversion" is the "Pink Prison" chapter. In it, Steve Sanchez describes an experience where he was watched at all times (night, day, in personal time and time with the cult) by a female member of the cult.

While as an employee of the church's "business", named "Liberty Construction", Steve made some deals that were probably somewhat on the shady side. He was driven to that kind of behavior by the low wages, high demands on his time by the church and even higher demands on his finances by the church.

According to what I recall of the events, Steve would present a bid to a construction customer as an employee of "Liberty Construction". After that bid was presented, he offered to do the work as an individual for a lower price. The customers would pay Steve (handing a check made out to him). Apparently, he used some of the Liberty workers to conduct the construction project.

SRF found out about it. That the workers may have been on Steve's payroll, not Liberty's, and that materials may have been purchased with his funds was besides the point. SRF's leadership were "managers" of Liberty Construction and were paid salaries and given a share of company revenues even though they did absolutely no work for the company. The idea that Steve cut into their cut must have been nurturing to their inner mobster.


Goodfellas Flashback:
That's the way it is with a wiseguy partner. He gets his money no matter what. You got no business? Fuck you, pay me. You had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. The place got hit by lightning and World War Three started in the lounge? Fuck you, pay me.

My addition: you took a cut to feed your family and get a decent salary to climb out of your ghetto apartment? Fuck you, you are going straight to Pink Prison.


A woman was assigned to watch him during the day as he conducted business for Liberty Construction. This woman was constantly on the phone to SRF headquarters receiving instructions on what Steve was to do and when he was to do it. No deviation from the script was allowed. Any situation that required a minor modification to the script (construction work can take more or less time than estimated) caused Steve's "prison guard" a lot of consternation that frequently resulted in shouting matches.

As he worked, his normal salary was confiscated by SRF to restore the leadership's cut of the pie. He was threatened with jail and was constantly berated as a "Judas" and was said to have a "problem with his brain stem". He was shunned and constantly subjected to humiliation in front of all the church members. People cursed him. The founders and directors of SRF went out of their way to ensure he was portrayed as a demon and that we must not associate with him.

The president conjured up "evidence" about his misdeeds through a trance state. I'm sure that is credible evidence for the District Attorney. At least credible enough to have them looking for guys in white coats. In this trance, she decided Steve would have to pay SRF $50K.

Steve was not afforded due process before his conviction and sentence.  This cult has no legal authority to administer punishment or to do anything more than complain about wrongdoing within the proper channels.  Restriction of church privileges would have been in order, but confiscation of a man's earnings by a private entity without due process of law is clearly not allowable.

So on no more than the hallucination of a Spiritual Rights Foundation trained Psychotic, Steve was convicted of a "crime" and sentenced to punishment in "Pink Prison" beign forced to relinquish everything he had and having his every move supervised, monitored, recorded and evaluated for signs of spiritual goodness or badness.

The SRF Kangaroo Kourt worked efficiently.  With a wave of Angela Silva's gnarled hand, Steve was summarily dispatched into the SRF version of hell, administered by loyal woman minions reaching for the approval of the head psychotics.

Here he was, being watched every moment of the day (I wonder how they handled him taking a crap? - did they at least have the decency to hand him a roll?) working for nothing, having his assets seized by the church (without due process) including his vehicle, bank accounts and retirement savings.

In an incredible event, a church member actually tried to forcibly take Steve's last $40 from his pockets. Sounds more like robbery by force than an attempt to collect on a debt.

His wife and daughter were being supported by SRF, effectively keeping them bound to the church. If Steve needed money to, say, eat or buy a pair of socks he would need to ask his wife (who generally turned him down). His daughter would constantly berate Steve saying he did no know what love is and for not knowing God. This kind of treatment had a great effect on Steve's mental state. Steve's daughter was under the spell of the church leadership and was actually taken aside and told all the things she later said to her father. Steve was devastated in a way words can't describe.

The pressure on him was unrelenting. Steve could not make a single move. He was reduced to making phone calls secretly to line up construction work for himself, just to make enough money to survive.

It was at that point Steve had to make the decision to leave and leave quickly.

Steve describes other situations where the leadership of SRF subjected him to severe psychological abuse, constant insults and one incident where other members of SRF surrounded him, chanted The Lord's Prayer (at the direction of SRF leadership) repeatedly to break his spirit.

One of SRF's tenants is to reject the "false morals and ethics" that we have all been taught since our childhood. Clearly, the leadership of SRF exhibited no sense of morality and disregarded any sense of humanity in their conduct. How's that for a peaceful and humanitarian organization like SRF?

Since they don't have rules there regarding their conduct and there is no moral code or ethics to guide and restrain their behavior, the leadership did pretty much as they pleased. And if you displeased them in any way, you will be subjected to humiliation in front of the entire congregation, berated and shunned from anyone whom you may seek support. Of course, any contact with outside sources for help is strictly forbidden (you have to agree to that in a written contract). The control is total and retribution for any insults to the church (which can be as simple as forgetting an appointment or making a statement not in line with SRF tenets) can be harsh.

Some years ago, a minister said to me she was "de-frocked", shunned and isolated because she was unable to meet the leader when summoned. She was made to accept "punishment" and was removed from teaching classes and other activities. She did have to keep paying for classes, though. Her minister status was restored after an appropriate period.

There is no wonder why Steve had to escape to save his life.

Now how many churches would place someone in a church-directed prison?

And what happens when someone with that much power over another is allowed to do as they please?


A Stanford University professor, Phillip Zimbardo, set up an experiment where students were isolated in a simulated prison. The student "guards" had full control over the student "prisoners". The prisoners were under the supervision of the guards at all times. Prisoners would have to ask permission to do even the most simple of things, like go to the bathroom. No contact with the outside world was allowed during the experiment. Unlike a real prison, there were almost no rules to temper the guards' behavior.

Zimbardo discovered that the guards conducted humiliating, sadistic and tortuous abuse of the prisoners. Not physically, but psychologically. Constant verbal abuse, insults and total control of their lives were practiced by all of the guards. Prisoners were made to wear hoods on their heads for long periods and were subjected to isolation, humiliation in front of other prisoners and were constantly lied to in order to mistrust and turn them against each other.

The prisoners first responded with rebellion, then passively accepted their fates. Even after the prisoners accepted the conditions, the guards continued their abusive behavior. Without the moral guidance of society and without the restraint of law and oversight, the guards dehumanized the prisoners and began to believe that they should abuse prisoners because they could. Even Zimbardo found himself going to extremes to continue the guards' inhuman behavior.

The experiment was ended about half-way through because a graduate student researcher saw it was becoming too dangerous and the abuse far too extreme.

Many participants suffered psychological issues after the experiment.

Fortunately, Steve maintained his sense of self and was able to run like hell from SRF before acceptance and severe psychological damage could be done. Unfortunately, others who suffered at SRF's hands were not so lucky. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is fairly common among ex-cult members.

Now, knowing all that, how does Pink Prison sound to you? Maybe a little like a prison in Iraq called Abu Ghraib?

But these sadists weren't wearing military uniforms. They wore the robes of ordained ministers.

I guess whether you carry a cross or a rifle, when you lose your morality, you lose your humanity.