The Last Stop documentary deemed shocking and controversial.

For those who didn't know, director Todd Nilssen filmed and directed a shocking and controversial documentary called The Last Stop which was released in 2017. The Last Stop was a documentary which exposed Elan School. A former infamous controversial private coeducational behavior modification program located in Poland Springs, Maine.

Many seriously emotionally disturbed youth (primarily adolescents) who were students of the infamous controversial private coeducational behavior modification program called “Elan School” were shown throughout the documentary. These students were sent to this behavior modification program because they were using drugs or becoming criminals. They were headed to prison or their deathbeds. Elan School was used as a last resort for behavior modification.


Some of you might remember a therapeutic circle where children were being yelled. That was what was called a “haircut”. If you break one of the rules or your attitude isn’t right, you get yelled at in a circle with the other “residents”/“students”. If you want to act like a baby, you get screamed at. If you want to act like a mature adolescent, you get talked to.

Incidents of physical and verbal abuse in the guise of "treatment" were made public in 1975 and 2001 in the Hartford Courant. Elan School was approved by the State of Maine Department of Educational and Cultural Services on an annual basis. This means that once a year the State of Maine has the right to grant or deny approval for Elan School. Many of these facilities have had complaints filed against them it is the nature of the business. Elan School is no exception.

Elan School accepted adolescents who have exhibited repetitive uncontrollable behaviors. These behaviors may include vagrancy, trespassing, substance abuse, family conflicts, truancy, and sexual promiscuity.

These students place blame on others for things that are their own responsibility. They also fill their lives with dishonesty.


Psychotropic drugs were not used to control their behavior as these children and sound adults who were students did not benefit from psychotropic drugs. Ironic enough since a minority of them were already using drugs. They are teenagers who have victimized themselves and others.

The documentary explored the lack of mental health care in the United States of America for juvenile psychiatry and adult psychiatry. Many seriously emotionally disturbed youth were shown throughout the documentary. Parents would send their children to Elan School and spend than $20,000 a year to send them there for treatment.


Elan School was no stranger to controversy and did not shy away from controversy. The school made headlines in newspapers throughout the Northeastern United States.

Elan School was blamed of the murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley. Prosecutors believed Elan School founder and chairman Joseph Ricci overheard Michael Skakel admit involvement in the murder of Martha Moxley while Michael Skakel was a resident of Elan from 1978 to 1980. However Judge Maureen Dennis ruled that there was enough sufficient evidence to prosecute Michael Skakel, but had yet to rule on whether the case should be transferred from juvenile court to adult court.

Several years ago in 1980, there was a conspiracy against Joseph Ricci by Depositors Trust and state officials.  Ricci sued Depositors Trust (now Key Bank) for $41 million because the bank had revoked his $1 million line of credit based on unfounded rumors from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that he had links with organized crime.