I certainly don't condone kidnapping either, but to be fair most of the people who were deprogrammed were not kidnapped.  That was a minority.  Mostly, they were visiting their parents or something and the deprogrammer just showed up and started talking to them.  And mostly, it was successful, from the parents' perspective.

I remember Ted Patrick wrote a book and he said that premies were about the easiest to deprogram.  Remember, he was called "Black Lightning?"  Or something like that.

I think he did go to jail.  Kidnapping is illegal and wrong under any circumstances.