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[...] Alice was assigned to the demeaning status of RPF-er. Her fiancé was sent to the RPF in another continent. Alice had some trouble with this and she decided to leave. Unfortunately, one is not allowed to simply leave Scientology. One must ‘route out’ a process of extensive and intrusive vetting, "confessions" – read interrogation – and sign of a number of non-disclosure bonds, all while under house arrest or other kinds of physical restraint. [...]

One afternoon, I had just driven back the Crowborough camp; I saw an ambulance and people in a tizzy and running around. I was told by a white-faced college that Alice had ran out of the RPF indoctrination room, gone to the workshop, found a tin of paint thinner, swallowed it then climbed up on top of the gym roof, a fifteen-foot high structure surrounded by concrete. She jumped. [...]

HANA ELTRINGHAM:

"This was his period which I called the pouting, the crying, the mad period where he would cry and throw things against the wall, the bulkheads and pout and scream. Right towards the tail end of that he created the RPF, the 'Rehabilitation Project Force'."

The RPF was yet another correctional regime. Its orders were fearsome. As ship's captain it was Hana Eltringham's job to implement them.

HANA ELTRINGHAM:

"I was absolutely horrified when I read them, because they talked about the creation of this - pretty much like a slave labour camp. Those weren't the words used but that was the impression given. Where the unwanteds, those found wanting, seriously wanting were sent, and they were to be kept in this with no rights, no freedoms, no privileges of any kind. Pretty much the only rights they were allowed were a little bit of sleep each day, food leftovers. The harshest treatment, they were not allowed to speak to any of the crew. It was very, very, very bad that this was going on [...]

Hubbard put to sea with his closest followers in 1967. Aboard ship, anyone who displeased him was confined to the chain locker. Here the victim would crouch in bilge water and excrement in total darkness, surrounded by rats, sometimes for as much as two weeks without respite. Even children were put into the chain locker on Hubbard's order. In 1968, the chain locker punishment was -supplemented by "overboarding", where people, even non swimmers, were hurled from the decks into the sea.

In 1973, Hubbard replaced these cruel and unusual practices with a new and profoundly effective form of humiliation-the Rehabilitation Project Force, or RPF. The RPF is still in use in Scientology organizations throughout the world. Those who fail to comply with orders, make mistakes or simply fall short of their production quotas are put onto the RPF. RPFers can only speak when spoken to, they are meant to eat table scraps, sleep even shorter hours than other staff, and comply immediately and unquestioningly with any order. They work a full day, doing physical labour, and are then expected to spend five hours confessing and hearing the confession of their RPF partner.

In considerable detail the RPF document laid out the framework of forcible confinement, physical and social maltreatment, intensive reindoctrination, and forced confessions that were (and are) central to the program's operation. Certain passages, for example, outlined the basic rules about forcible confinement. Inmates could not leave the facility, and could travel between buildings only when they were accompanied by security guards (Boards of Directors of the Churches of Scientology, 1977: 10). Physical maltreatment occurred within the confines of sometimes demanding and dangerous work to which they were assigned. Specifically inmates had to carry out eleven maintenance functions--interior and exterior building cleaning; bathroom cleaning; general painting; internal building renovations; storage, passageway, and stairway cleaning; other "large scale" projects outside of sleeping, kitchen, or eating areas; "garage cleaning"; "elevator and elevator shaft cleaning"; engine room and boiler room cleaning; furniture set-ups for events; and "garbage disposal."

In November, 1973, Hubbard came up with an idea to handle troublemakers, backsliders or anyone else aboard who happened to displease him. He created the Rehabilitation Project Force (the "RPF"), the Sea Org's version of a prison camp. RPFers were to do hard physical labor all day and in the evenings were to audit one another to get off their overts and withholds and deal with their evil intentions. RPFers were not allowed to speak to a crew member in good standing, unless spoken to and had to wear black boiler suits. They were allowed to eat only after everyone else on the ship had finished and were not allowed to leave the ship. Hubbard considered RPFers to be psychotic criminals that should be grateful that he was giving them a chance to be rehabilitated.

The first part of the book is the true story of an escape from one the gulags of the most dangerous cults and certainly the most pettifogging cult in the world. dInternational Slavesister Bg Eminem Don't Approach Me Slave Sister Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)f k d d Slave Sister hInternational Slavesister Bg Eminem Don't Approach Me Slave Sister Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)t y Slave o o Slave Sister