One afternoon, Josh Prinzo was escorted onto a bus and taken to a wilderness camp with no prospect of returning home for seven months. The BU senior became one of hundreds of teenagers forced into a behavioral facility for rebellious teenagers.

Growing up, my family spent many summer weekends in Ventnor City, New Jersey, one of many towns that South Jerseyans affectionately refer to as “the shore.” Each weekend started the same way: my...