The Sunshine Place

In the 60s and 70s, Synanon emerged as an experimental residential program dedicated to helping drug addicts into recovery. But its founder, Chuck Dederich, reclassified the organization as a church, manipulating followers with fear and intimidation. Synanon would soon be caught up in crime and  abuse, with Dederich espousing violence to maintain control. “The Sunshine Place” from C13Originals is hosted by Sari Crawford, the daughter of a former Synanon leader. While some credit the program for their sobriety, others say its messianic leader destroyed their lives.