Picking back up where we left off in the last recording, I sat down with a law enforcement officer out of Ohio to hear his perspective on The Amish Restoration Team.

You’ll hear his real-time reactions to the answers the RT has been giving Amish women within their communities—and what that actually looks like from the outside looking in.

Law enforcement often gets a bad reputation in these conversations, accused of not doing enough to address abuse. But the question we have to ask is… how much can they do if the barriers put in place by the church prevent them from even knowing what’s happening?

If you want to follow along with this work, access additional research, and support these stories being told, you can find more on Substack at The Plain People’s Project, and follow along on Instagram at The Plain People’s Podcast.

Last year, over 300 abuse cases were documented by what is known as the “Restoration Team” in Holmes and Wayne County, Ohio.

Fewer than 10 of those cases ever made it to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

So what’s happening in between?

In this episode, Jasper brings you into the beginning of her investigation into the Restoration Team—an Amish-led intervention group presented to churches as a safe haven for handling abuse within the community.

What unfolds is not a simple system, but a layered and complex structure involving steering committees, church authority, and internal processes that shape how—and if—abuse cases move forward.

These recordings capture conversations with Amish women in real time, as they describe the barriers they face when trying to report abuse, seek help, and pursue justice.

This episode is intentionally left as it was originally recorded, allowing listeners to follow the learning process as it happened—before later developments and deeper understanding came to light.

In the next episode, we expand on this conversation with insight from Ohio law enforcement and revisit a case referenced here, including new developments.

This is where the conversation begins.

Links & Resources:
Substack: The Plain People’s Project
Website: theplainpeoplespodcast.com
Instagram: The Plain People’s Podcast

In this episode of The Plain People’s Podcast, we continue our look into Amish and Mennonite mental health systems—specifically, what are known as “the facilities,” or residential treatment centers for those struggling within plain communities.

This episode focuses on Hoffnung Heim, a facility widely known among the Amish as a trusted place for women to receive help.

But what is the reality inside these treatment centers?

Our guest shares her firsthand experience at Hoffnung Heim after growing up in a violent and abusive Amish home. Through her story, we explore the structure of Amish support systems, including church-appointed support groups—a system designed to guide individuals in crisis, but one that often requires full transparency, compliance, and submission to authority.

Many survivors are now asking:
Are these systems truly helping—or are they protecting the church?

This episode also introduces a unique recording approach. A portable recording device was left in Ohio, allowing Amish women to share their stories privately, in their own homes. While the audio quality may vary, the goal remains the same: to document real experiences directly from Amish women.

These are Amish voices, speaking about abuse, mental health, religious control, and the barriers to seeking help.

This is part of an ongoing series uncovering:

• Amish mental health treatment centers
• Religious trauma in Amish and Mennonite communities
• Abuse and systemic barriers within plain communities
• Survivor stories and lived experiences

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These are Amish women speaking.

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For more research, resources, and ongoing work:

Substack: The Plain People’s Project
Website: www.theplainpeoplespodcast.com
Instagram: The Plain People’s Podcast