The rules in KIDS of El Paso laid the foundation for the structure of the program. It was said time and again in KIDS that each rule was created because of a specific occurrence that at one time or another caused a teenager to return to drug use.
Though reading was prohibited on lower phases, newcomers were provided with a copy of the KIDS of El Paso rules and were required to know them by memory. The indoctrination of all rules was reinforced daily in Rules Rap which was a specific rap where teens motivated to be called on by staff to recite one of the many rules employed by the program. Rules Rap always started with staff posing the question to group "What is the first and most important rule?" Group always responded with fast and furious motivation in order to recite the single word rule, "Honesty."
There were consequences for breaking the rules in the program. Consequences were dynamic and often included harsh verbal confrontation, physical restraint, a trip to the "Quiet Room" loss of responsibility and privilege, setbacks to lower phases of the program, and start overs where a person was placed on day 1, back to first phase. Teens were also denied the opportunity to speak to their family in open meeting for not complying with the rules and "working their program."
