James plays on Major Neely's mercy by pretending he's gone blind and can't do what's required of him - a technique similar to what he's used on his mother before. Neely sees right through him and the strict discipline is back almost before James can utter "Yes Sir."

It's difficult for Tracy to see her son exposed to this harsh boot camp approach. She puts her trust in the staff and leaves her son to an experience unlike any he's had before.

History is repeating itself. At 14, Tracy was court-ordered to a year on the wagon train after failing in Colorado's juvenile justice system.

It was there that she met Bob Burton in 1979. Founder of VisionQuest, Burton explained to Tracy and the other kids in the program why VisionQuest was unlike any other program they had been in. He told them what he expected of them.

"We're giving you the right and the responsibility to enter your adulthood without anybody in control of you but yourselves.

"We're going to confront your weaknesses. We're going to promote your strengths. We're going to ask you to win."