Ashleigh Place

Pros

• The owner and her husband had the right intentions.

Cons

• They felt that most of the staff showed favoritism and the point system sucked.
• They felt constantly drugged by the meds there.
• They experienced phone calls being taken away and punishment for speaking out of turn.
• They believed the owner and her husband had good intentions but the staff were there for money and to take out their anger on the girls.
• They thought the placement was worse than the DJ in Ridgeville and would have preferred the DJ.
• They were served the same food five days a week, and if they didn't eat it all they got a suicide watch in all whites.
• They describe the place as having a 10-foot barbed wire fence around what was supposed to resemble a home.
• They were subjected to taking away clothes and had only a seven-minute bathing period with tight timing.
• They had to walk by active wards and bee/wasp nests, which felt unsafe.
• In all whites, they weren't allowed to talk to anyone except staff and felt ignored.
• They were told there was nowhere to go if they ran away.
• All whites were presented as a protected measure to prevent being shot at by distant residents, which they found frightening.
• They would never recommend this place to anybody.

Review

What emerges from these two voices is a stark portrait of a place that promised care but delivered control, fear, and a steady diet of restraint. Each account centers on a feeling of favoritism among staff, a sense that rules were applied unevenly, and an atmosphere that felt more punitive than protective. One writer recalls a three-month stay that remains the "worst" period of life, arguing that the staff's favoritism wasn't just unfair - it was tied to a system designed to quiet and discipline rather than rehabilitate. The other person, who lived there for a longer stretch, emphasizes the same pattern: a group of workers who could be judgmental and biased, with a daily routine and environment that felt more like surveillance than solace.

A common thread across the testimonials is the sense that the facility existed to manage and punish, not to nurture. The first account points to a "point system" and medication as tools that were wielded in ways that drained autonomy and energy. Pillows of normal life - like making phone calls or speaking up when spoken to - could be stripped away, and the implication is that silence was rewarded while speaking up could trigger penalties. The writer even suggests that some staff were there for money or anger rather than for the welfare of the residents, a charge that casts the entire operation in a distrustful light and leaves the impression that care was contingent on how well a resident tolerated the system rather than on genuine well-being.

Food and routines also appear as instruments of control. The first account notes a limited, repetitive food schedule - "the same food 5 out of 7 days" - and the extraordinary consequence of not finishing meals: a suicide-watch designation that forced the individual into a highly restrictive state, "in whites." The choice of meals, the fear of not eating, and the punitive consequence all feed into a broader narrative where basic needs become leverage in a discipline-oriented environment. The author's comparison to another placement - "i woulda rather have been in djj" - underscores a belief that the alternative was less oppressive and more humane, a striking indictment of the current setting.

The second narrative deepens the sense of confinement and the gap between what was promised and what was experienced. The reviewer insists the place was marketed as a home, yet the perimeter and protections surrounding it tell a different story: "a 10 foot barbed wire fence around it" that starkly contradicts any notion of a safe, domestic atmosphere. The account describes a regime where personal belongings - including clothes - could be taken away "when you got into trouble," a stark power dynamic that erodes trust and personal dignity. The bathing routine is described with almost ritual precision - "7 minute bathing period," "1 minute to get undressed," "5 minutes to bathe," "1 minute to get dressed" - a schedule that reduces privacy and reduces the ability to maintain basic dignity.

A particularly jarring image in the second account is the physical danger that accompanies daily life for residents. The writer notes the fear of bees and wasps and the forced exposure to active wards and nests as they walked from the front door to the back yard. The arrival policy and the enforcement of a stringent dress code intensify feelings of surveillance and isolation. The "all whites" policy becomes a focal point of fear and restriction, with the resident recounting that you were not allowed to speak to anyone other than staff when dressed in whites, often being ignored even by those staff members. The policy is explained as a safety measure, including the blunt assertion that being in whites was a way to prevent harm from people who might attack those miles away; the emotional logic is difficult to parse, but its effect is clear: it intensified isolation and the sense of being cut off from any real support or community inside the facility.

Taken together, these accounts present a grim picture of care that prioritizes control and punishment over individualized support. The authors describe a home-like pretense that clashes with barbed wire, rigid schedules, and the removal of personal autonomy. The repeated references to favoritism and judgmental attitudes among staff suggest a tense, hierarchical environment where outcomes depended as much on which caregiver was supervising as on the specific needs of the residents. The overall tone is not just of dissatisfaction but of deep concern for safety and well-being, with both writers explicitly stating they would not recommend the place to others and emphasizing the long-term harm of traumatic experiences.

Despite the differing emphases - one focusing on medication, phone calls, and a perceived profit motive among some staff, the other on confinement, physical barriers, and the "all whites" regime - the two accounts converge on a single conclusion: the environment felt more punitive than therapeutic, more about containment than care. The owners are acknowledged as having posited good intentions, yet both writers point to a disconnection between those intentions and the day-to-day reality experienced by residents. The critiques push back against the idea that this setting functions as a healing home, instead painting a picture of a place where trauma could be amplified rather than alleviated.

In the end, what stands out is the emotional cost of living under such conditions. The writers describe environments that can feel alienating, fear-inducing, and emotionally exhausting, especially for young people whose histories already include trauma. The frustration with fairness and dignity - not to mention the abrupt, sometimes punitive consequences of routine rules - leaves a lasting impression of disappointment and distrust. Whether the focus is on budgetary motives, staffing practices, or the precise implementation of rules, the impact is consistently framed as damaging to mental health and personal autonomy, with long shadows cast over the possibility of feeling truly cared for or truly safe within the walls of Ashleigh Place.

Places of Worship

• Southern Baptist Convention (1 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (3.6 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (3.8 miles)
• New Jerusalem Baptist Church (4.1 miles)
• Washington (4.2 miles)
• Power House Church Ministry (4.2 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (4.4 miles)

Physicians

• Barnwell Pediatrics PA (3.9 miles)
• Healthwise Family Medicine (4.4 miles)
• Barnwell Family Medicine (4.4 miles)
• Family Medical Center of Blackville (4.4 miles)
• Williston Family Practice (9.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Subway (4.3 miles)
• Miller's Bread Basket (4.3 miles)
• Southern Smoke BBQ (4.5 miles)
• Anthony's Restaurant and Lounge (4.6 miles)
• Lucy Lu's (4.7 miles)
• Mr B's (5.1 miles)
• The Hide Away Bar & Grill (5.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Barnwell County Hospital (4.3 miles)
• PruittHealth (4.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Daniels Pharmacy of Barnwell (4.4 miles)
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy (4.4 miles)
• Daniels'pharmacy Medical Equipment (4.4 miles)
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy (4.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (5.1 miles)
• Berley's Pharmacy (5.1 miles)
• Walgreens (9 miles)

Parks

• Veteran's Memorial Park (4.8 miles)
• Collins Park (4.8 miles)

Transportation

• Barnwell County Airport (BNL) (4.9 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (5.1 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (6.8 miles)
• Csx (10.1 miles)