hole unofficial nickname facility operated compound near town california dozens senior executives reportedly confined building months years consists set double wide trailers compound joined form suite offices church international management team according members media reports church leader sent dozens senior executives hole described january article place confinement humiliation management culture demanding grew extreme inside leadership went brutal tongue hands intimidated crawling knees standing trash cans things hadn lived conditions eating sleeping cramped spaces designed office use executives confined hole reported numbered senior figures management including president individuals said spent months years managed escape hole gave accounts experiences media courts fbi leading widespread publicity harsh conditions allegedly endured denied accounts says hole exist states held acknowledges members subjected religious discipline program ethics correction entered voluntarily religious described members comparable north korean death camp background facility known hole located gold base built site resort called hot springs california town base covers acres public highway springs road secretly acquired alias scottish highland club church established secret base staffed members inner core said number seven thousand people bases compound gold houses church house film studio church international headquarters practice site usually called members subject rigid code discipline known ethics enforced encouraged look fellow members violating ethics submit knowledge reports violations spot ethics violated trial lead administered body called months years typically consist regime physical labor lengthy daily confessions evil purposes assignments received performing work poorly showing negative personality doubts hostility etc causing trouble individuals assigned way kept isolated prohibited having contact members public according left church residents base permitted leave permission supervisor work hours day past midnight shorter hours sundays little time communications outside world effectively cut internet access generally banned mail censored kept locked filing cabinet perimeter base closely guarded clock high fences topped spikes razor wire monitored inward facing motion sensors detect trying climb compound reported dozens workers tried escape base repeatedly caught returned pursuit teams said subjected isolation interrogation punishment return compound origin hole church leader began publicly kick punch executives base angered estate manager veteran member said repeatedly subordinates work constantly pointing lack results blaming inability right hand saying got right high level meetings tense affairs punctuated according said come personal assistant responsible passing messages leader routinely subordinates terms meaning meaning suck hollywood boulevard practice called reintroduced method enforcing discipline base devised 1960s founder living aboard cattle ferry sic later apollo mediterranean head small fleet ships members response perceived violations thrown ship bound tossed overboard describe practice ritual akin traditions religious orders ecclesiastical justice churches adopted land based version making staff members stand wall threw water practice largely abandoned 1970s according author reintroduced 2000s ordered dozens senior executives doors middle night assemble base swimming pool muddy lake jump pushed water freezing conditions fully clothed watching church acknowledges took place ecclesiastical justice system dealing poor performance according late fall called senior church executives pair double wide trailers normally international management team offices ordered play game musical chairs management conference room failed chair music stopped base sent away children remote unpleasant locations empire queen greatest_hits played competition seats increasingly fierce time number people throwing walls seats hands wrestling floor end contest ordered executives stay conference room sleep tables notice stayed days occasional deliveries food released church chief spokesman acknowledged musical chairs incident occurred says intended demonstrate wholesale changes organization dismisses accounts threats violence later according purge carried staff base hundreds sent dozens expelled huge bills presented church services received years dozens senior executives accused persons said confined management team offices ordered carry steps set intended demonstrate crimes reformed particular confess identify incompetence management offices referred trailer known room hole ultimately simply hole life hole years number people confined hole increased slept sleeping bags available floor space men sleep conference table women slept small offices main conference room crowded barely room according present sleeping inches getting middle night allowed leave attend church events taken shower nearby maintenance garage taken time guard food brought golf mess hall executives allowed eat rest staff given minutes eat according executives food like bits meat kind thrown pot cooked barely edible building said infested ants occasions electricity turned causing temperature inside reach lack air conditioning commented visited hole occasionally smell people live people sleep saw executives marched base showers impression looked like marched looked purpose hang dog shoulders sad inward looking creatures said allowed certain times day likely time run property march old house shower come shower facilities inside hole later got upgraded let garage executives allowed short time attend church events ended spending months years hole individuals later named media held hole represented management included head president executive director international church management official inspector general director commanding officer captain ship apollo commanding officer commodore executives eventually escaped hole said occupants forced practice group confessions confess supposed bad thoughts disclose sexual fantasies spent seven weeks hole said time activities hole sins bad things getting people confess theirs commented bizarre personal dynamics hole friends people traveled hole trust anybody told carried happened people people people standing screaming ultimately sort physical violence torture confessions people according confessions dictated usually inmates hole force confess people screaming telling got confess don admit stole money affairs people literally dream start screaming mob goes crazy yeah hole recalled everybody damned room people wild control punched somebody everybody punched screaming got like hell going involvement grounds self defense don attack going attacked survival instinct weird situation pressure evidently worked wrote apology announcement june told recognise clearly subsequently commented written confessions read like north korean way korean war detained north_korea forced renounce mindset explained people simply walk hole leave going lose contact family friends time reason leaves group like bad force leave noted people invested great deal members commitment single lifetime prevailing attitude lived lots experiences far worse stand happening hole took place view staff members clear good thing sent according entire base paralyzed anxiety thrown hole people desperately trying police thoughts difficult secrets staff members constantly security checked meters wright reports statements executives hole repeatedly read loud church members said conditions hole worsened executives escaped security prevent confined executives blowing says ordered steel bars doors building windows modified opened inches staff member objected pointing outsider bars removed weeks building guarded clock prevent escapes denies bars installed saying allegation bars installed hold people false denied according executives undergoing group confessions stand big trash cans middle floor signs statements written described relatively routine people punched kicked pushed thrown wall order confess told people continuously crawl conference room table legs rolled getting kicked stopped resulted suffering severely knees days treatment level confessions demanded dramatic order acceptable described executive sit air vent cooling system turned high cold water poured head hour shaking lips completely blue incapable talking executive question denied incident happened testified san_antonio court phone office window seized conveying hole said subsequently trash cold water poured according hole time hours stand large garbage face people screaming demanding confession homosexual tendencies going water poured head signs neck marked magic marker torture proceeded repeatedly face women room interrogation break cook told court executive sent hole objected seen visit according cook executive given hour beating ordered bathroom floor minutes testified senior executives pressured state homosexual affair beaten confessed according executive pushed ground told black executive way thinks black people doesn want help blacks kick ground kicking executive denied account leaving hole spent days hole says left seeing old friend physically beaten according night incarcerated executives ordered building yards away office prison broke away hid bushes group disappeared sight retrieved motorcycle hid brush drove gold base gates opened let car subsequently rented car spent month touring south settling southern texas left allegedly attacked according told wife aide fight happened subsequently declared person announced intention leave compound guard refused open gate climbed fence walked miles away later sent bill church spent years hole leaving occasionally deal public relations matters dealing bbc journalist documentary says furious way handled ordered sussex dig ditches church property defected instead eventually settling denver left hole spending seven weeks sent florida organize major public event involving according cook driven downtown staff member husband eat church dining hall couple took opportunity escape staff member went inside breakfast cook jumped driver seat drove husband nearest car rental outlet hired car drive father house north_carolina got intercepted church officials ordered return spent weeks guard point writing letter mother released steps necessary like finally signing agreement later said point signed stabbed babies loved sent hole saw decide leave years church struck dozens people hole alive looked wouldn originate purpose like sheep way people evil persons ethical way known friends hole decades bear seeing stop stop supporting left left note room colleagues find noticed gone couldn stand sea friends won support anymore goodbye media exposure legal inquiries church executives began speak hole media fbi wrote new_york_daily_news july decided speak killed hole june published series articles internal workings titled truth detailing accounts episodes violence executives times followed january detailed account hole supplemented interviews village_voice sought list executives said incarcerated reported account hole according bad publicity led reforms hole inmates allowed sleep proper beds quarters compound describes new seven days week routine starting got went dining hall minutes breakfast walked hole sat clue work worked marched dining hall minutes lunch marched hole minute dinner taken study hall stayed half hours went hole wrap day midnight marched restrictions contacting people outside hole said eased church staff encouraged avoid contact inmates didn talk looked way leave area saw like black plague commented stayed away people considered worst worst attempts law enforcement investigate conditions gold base blocked legal difficulties base talk police according wrote account hole book going clear hollywood prison belief sheriff office received complaint base treatment despite accounts wright attributes fear bringing shame forced break contact families friends fbi opened investigation potential human trafficking offences accounts published reported fbi aerial surveillance property showed columns executives escorted hole action taken church investigation ground halt ruling judge case concerning complaints church treatment gold base sued church federal victims trafficking violence protection act response church lawyers argued amendment prohibited courts considering forced labor claim social psychological factors concern beliefs religious upbringing religious training religious practices religious lifestyle restraints religious order church acknowledged rules lived included ban having children censored mail monitored phone calls needing permission internet access disciplined manual labor noted ruling given july clean human hand pond compound protective equipment banned dining hall months lost pounds result protein bars water addition having comply children policy experienced physical violence executives saw treated violently court found church enjoyed protection free exercise religion clause amendment use ministerial employment law litigation treatment members judge ruled amendment courts examining church operations rooted religious scripture bringing church account disciplined members precisely type religion clauses prohibit suggest types claims withstand review assault battery number theories better fit evidence ruling effectively meant impossible bring charges church based claims trafficking persons attorney court saying albeit civil situation improper type conduct ill motive church federal prosecutor says ruling doesn leave room hope success criminal prosecution fbi investigation dropped time january brought lawsuit sent mail church members criticizing fund raising methods lawsuit quickly settled payment april cook permitted testify hours description conditions hole
The Hole (Scientology)