362 replies to this topic

[dreamy]

Anyone else remember the original Scared Straight?

I’m not sure that this new one can match the original for sheer impact, but I’m imagining a mash-up of Locked Up from MSNBC and any number of teen shows on MTV. Worth a look. Premieres on January 13th on A&E.

Beyond Scared Straight

Scared Straight!, the Academy Award & multiple-Emmy®-winning documentary film by Arnold Shapiro, made a huge impact on audiences through its portrayal of an effective juvenile prevention/intervention program at a NJ prison. Over the years, both the prison program and the film have turned countless kids away from drugs, violence and crime, and kept them out of prison.

BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT™ produced by Arnold Shapiro, profiles the new approach to keeping today’s teens from becoming tomorrow’s prisoners. The power of the original Scared Straight! program has inspired dozens of inmate-run intervention programs in men’s and women’s prisons across the country. In many dramatic ways, these 21st Century programs are very different, because today’s youth need a different approach – a combination of confrontation, information and communication to try to reach these at-risk kids. These youthful offender programs put boys and girls of all ethnicities and backgrounds, ranging in age from 11-18, into intensive one-day in-prison sessions that show them the realities of life behind bars.

Each one-hour episode will focus on a different inmate-run program in the U.S., and follows four or five at-risk teens before they attend the program, throughout their day inside the prison, immediately afterwards, and then following up with them one-month later to see the lasting impact of the experience on their lives. Beyond Scared Straight is about transforming the lives of young people through intervention and second chances.

[Cuppiediva]

I thought all the screaming by the inmates was a bit too much..if I were one of those kids, I may have started to tune them out. But I was glad to see that they took some quiet one on one time with each of the girls. Don't think I"ll watch this show again, though. There is enough misery in the world, I don't think I want to go looking for it for entertainment purposes..I'll take T&T, Hoarders, and the occasional Intervention, but this show is just too over the top. On the other hand, I hope it serves its purpose.

[LIamsmom617]

Hell, I'll watch. I love this kind of stuff and was so excited to see it's a series (thought the whole time I was watching tonight that it was a one-time special).
That Diabla was terrifying. Slight hormonal imbalance there, I'd say...too much testosterone or something.

Edited by LIamsmom617, Jan 13, 2011 @ 11:51 PM.

[wyndham]

I think that's a terrific program for those wannabe hoodlums to go thru. The inmates were scaring me - safe in my living room - especially that woman in the "secure section" that said "remember my face - you'll be my bitch when you come in here"!

The "in your face" screaming is a very effective technique - its the only form of intimidation that the prisoners can use against the girls and you know some of those girls were doing it before they came for the prison visit. As much as some of the prisoners really really wanted to smack the girls, they couldn't. They did balance it out with calmer conversations once they had broken them down some.

I was pleased to see that only one of the girls didn't turn herself around - I had my doubts about her when she was at the prison. She didn't seem to show her true feelings like some of the other girls. I hope that some of the girls stay in contact with the prison inmates if only thru writing to them - I think it would be a good support system for them.

[Quilt Fairy]

At first I was disappointed that the first episode was with girls because I thought it would be more low-key, but I was quickly won over. Some of those female inmates were terrifying. My biggest surprise was how young these girls were. I expected 15-16-17 yos, and instead we had 12-13 yo girls already considered incorrigible. That's frightening, too.

[mentalpretzel]

I'll be watching this again. I was safe in my room, all set with my dinner but I got so caught up I forgot about the plate on my desk. Diabla and Green Eyes scared the creeping crap out of me, and I learned that I wouldn't last 10 minutes in prison. I thought I already knew that from watching Lockup, but this was hardcore (but hell, those girls needed it.) It was hard to watch that little girl see her mom begging not to go there, and it honestly made me cry. I hope they keep doing right, because they wouldn't last any longer than I would.

The inmates were scaring me - safe in my living room - especially that woman in the "secure section" that said "remember my face - you'll be my bitch when you come in here"!

Nightmare, anyone?

[Malibu65]

I saw part of it earlier and I will definitely tune in again. I remember the original Scared Straight.

[Nightmare Logic]

As a person who usually hates most kinds of reality tv, I think I find a particular nitch I do like. TWOP calls it Candid reality TV. Hoarders, Intervention and now Beyond Scared Straight.

I thought this was incredibly well done. Loved some of the inmates and some of the kids were well....I wanted to hit the 13 year old (the one who the guards made change her pants)

Some of the inmates stories were actually kinda sad and Diabla...scary as expected.

I think I want to stay out of prison, but I do want to watch this show.

[dreamy]

Ah, my DVR didn't pick it up! Thank God for replays.

[Merree]

If Law and Order episodes are ripped from the headlines, then this series seems to have been "ripped" from The Maury Show. Maury has certainly presented the topic with regularity in the past. I do have to confess that before I read of it here, I had never heard of Scared Straight.

IMO, TPTB at Chowchilla should be at least as worried about contraband Steroids in their facility as anything else.

I didn't have high hopes for this show but watched mainly because it followed The First 48. I was pleasantly surprised. There was ample presentation of the backstories of the participants. The backstories are what compel me to watch reality TV in the first place.

I'll continue to watch this show as long as it doesn't become overly formulaic and predictable. Or overtly reaching to shock the viewer ever further, as it seems Hoarders has done.

JMO, but I thought the mother of the 17-year old should have investigated anger management classes for her daughter. She seemed awfully quick to turn her daughter over to the authorities because of a broken window handle in her car, based upon the information that we were given.

I thought the "bad assedness" of Green Eyes and some of the other inmates was watered down significantly simply by the fact that their behavior has apparently earned them a spot in a "scared straight" type of program to begin with. It made me wonder what some of the other inmates are like...

[nubbs]

I never saw the original Scared Straight, but now I will have to find it. I've been told it is pretty terrifying.

That 13 year old makes me want to never have kids just in case. How does anyone get to be that much of an asshole at 13?

Delighted to know she is already sexually active with 'a boy she barely knew'. 16 and Pregnant's casting people will be calling!

[KangAndKodos]

IMO, TPTB at Chowchilla should be at least as worried about contraband Steroids in their facility as anything else.

Word! I couldn't believe that some of those prisoners were women! Diabla, Green Eyes and esp. the aptly named Pretty Boy were as masculine as I've ever seen a biological woman be. There has got to be some downlow testosterone shots being smuggled into Chowchilla. My jaw dropped when Diabla said that she had a child. Not to be rude, but I can't imagine a man alive who would want to get up on that. Or that she would posses an operative uterus.

There was also a black lady with an almost shaved head who had the deepest voice I have ever heard in my life on a woman. I don't remember her name but she had a one-on-one session with one of the little girls. Definitely sounded roided up to me.

What was the deal with Diabla's face tattoos? They looked distinctly like Samoan tribal markings, esp. the one on her chin. Did she look Samoan to ya'll? I was watching on a smaller tv and couldn't tell.

Good show. I hope those little pre-criminals learn their lesson.

[kbdid]

These women scared the piss out of me, and that even as I knew that they must have been pretty good inmates to earn a spot in the program (Diabla and Green Eyes) and knew they'd be screaming them down/shocking them before talking to them. I guess when they did their pick they went for the most visually intimidating

I only lasted until they were threatening to keep them there another 72 hours - which girl wasn't "scared straight"?

[Ahoskie59]

I thought this show, like the original was brilliant, especially when they spoke one on one with the girls. Most people really don't know what prison is really like, it's nothing like the movies or TV either. I know people who've taken 12 step meetings in prison, men and women's prisons and from what I've heard the women's prisons are WAY tougher (I've only spoken in men's prisons and juvie lockups).

I especially liked the one "party girl" who shared her story because SO many ladies in prison are like her, in jail because they fell in with the wrong crowd, the wrong guy.

And many of the ladies there are "gay for the stay."

Edited by Ahoskie59, Jan 14, 2011 @ 1:28 PM.

[Merree]

did anyone notice the tiny little boy who looked to be about 9 or 10?

I did. He looked about 9 to me. I can't imagine letting a 9-year old child visit an adult correctional facility for any reason. I'll definitely watch that episode to find out what a kid that age has done to need to be scared straight.

[BlacqueMomba]

And many of the ladies there are "gay for the stay."

This is exactly the feeling I got. If I knew I was going to prison I would definitely start looking the part.

I am glad that one of the inmates finally got that Pricilla was more than likely smiling as a nervous reaction but after what she did I'm glad she got the tough treatment. It was also interesting to see how the opinion changed in a matter of minutes. I wanted to yell at Cecilia through my TV but she got her wake up call and I don't think it was edited.

The inmates were scaring me - safe in my living room

Me as well. I mentioned more than once that I was scared and I was just watching on TV. I will keep watching though and did I see the preview that said they were going to San Quentin? It's no Pelican Bay but I want to see what kind of antics get kids sent there. I'm expecting it to be pretty bad. I was also not expecting to see such young offenders. That makes me sad.

Edited by BlacqueMomba, Jan 14, 2011 @ 1:40 PM.

[sweatnmac]

I grew up around Chowchilla and have relatives that still live in the area. My uncle even works at the prison as a teacher. I'm curious to know where those girls are from. I was sort of expecting to see that it was a child of someone I went to school with.

[kbdid]

yeah, these ladies were tough - I used to work with male teenaged offenders and male adult excons, and they wouldn't have lasted in there the way it was portrayed.

The two women who were assigned to talk to the girls at the end of the day/tour who both wouldn't claim responsibility for their actions (I was in the wrong crowd; I didn't do what they said I did, but because I was there I ended up in here) pissed me off.

Not a lot of hope for "rehabilitation" in this prison, from what I saw. Of course, we were supposed to see the worst and I suppose all the inmates were told to be on the worst behaviour (hey, the badder the louder the more likely to end up on camera - speaking of women in the yard).

[Ahoskie59]

The two women who were assigned to talk to the girls at the end of the day/tour who both wouldn't claim responsibility for their actions (I was in the wrong crowd; I didn't do what they said I did, but because I was there I ended up in here) pissed me off.

I think that both of those women were there for a purpose. Many women are in prison because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. They never think that someone's going to get hurt because they're just "having a good time." What they were trying to say was that girls who just like to "party" but don't do anything violent themselves can end up in jail. They were trying to show the party girls that they too could end up in a hard core prison.

[aninnocent]

Agreed their purpose was to show that even a cheerleader who makes the wrong choices could end up in prison, but the young woman who explained that she only lured the guy there to rob him and couldn't stop the beatdown needed to admit that she wasn't exactly just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can't exactly feel bad for her when she only meant to rob him.

[raiderred]

Daaaaamn it they scared me straight! I was watching from under my covers in bed with my two weiner dogs gaurding me! =) I thought it was so funny when they asked the one "homey" to switch places with the other "homey" for 72 hours and she did NOT hesitate to say, "NO WAY, I'M OUTTA HERE!"
I couldn't believe that the oldest girl didn't get it, wow, if that doesn't work as a deterent then I guess nothing will...See ya in prison sister. Ewwww.
My husband is a former police officer and he says that there is just a very eery feeling when you enter a prison. He says that he has the utmost respect for those guards and what they have to deal with, he said he would never do it and he dealt with some horrendous stuff as a "beat" officer in S.E. Dallas, deep nights.

[Ahoskie59]

Your husband is right about feeling eerie feeling when you enter a prison, something about when the doors slam shut and you hear that BANG. Oh man.

Agreed their purpose was to show that even a cheerleader who makes the wrong choices could end up in prison, but the young woman who explained that she only lured the guy there to rob him and couldn't stop the beatdown needed to admit that she wasn't exactly just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can't exactly feel bad for her when she only meant to rob him.

You're right. But here's how it happens. You're hanging out with these guys and they say, "hey that dude has money, why don't you get him in here and we'll take it." And you're half in the bag and think, "okay" and you really don't think these guys are going to kick the shit out of him. You are correct that you're responsible for luring the guy in the room, but her point was that you can serve time for murder even if you didn't do the beating; some people don't know that. That was the point of her saying how some "stud chick" kicked her and how she didn't even know how to fight and could die in that prison.

[Malibu65]

but her point was that you can serve time for murder even if you didn't do the beating;

I agree, that is how I understood it. She may not have conveyed it perfectly, but the underlying message she was trying to send is you can be just a bystander when a felony is committed and if the victim of that felony crime happens to die during the course of that crime, you are responsible for their murder even though you did nothing to inflict any fatal injury. At least here in California that is the law.

The message for party girl and any party girl was if you are out there with a bad crowd and they decide to commit a felony and someone dies, even if all you did was sit in the backseat of a car smoking pot, you are going down too.

[sereion]

I had low expectations, but I must say was impressed after watching it. It was very raw and even distrubing. I've never seen the orginial, either, but I plan on renting the DVD or catch it on YouTube.

That chick, Diabla scared me straight. I'm sure her bunkmate sleeps with one eye opened.

Did anyone catch Cecilia said that she'd have fun going to prison with her BFF???!!!! Thank goodness she had a reality check after seeing her mom. If THAT didn't get through to her, she would've been a lost cause.

I'm not surprised the message didn't sink in with Emily; she was the oldest, and thought she was grown anyway. IMO, I would think this program will be more effective with a younger offender. That said, I'm glad most of the girls are doing well and staying out of trouble.

I'm looking foward to see the episode with the little boy. I would love to hear his story and how he turned out.

Edited by sereion, Jan 14, 2011 @ 9:54 PM.

[QAF Rocks]

I like this show! I was a big fan of the original Scared Straight and Scared Straight: 20 Years Later. I also enjoyed Scared Straight '99, which aired on MTV. Would be nice to get an update on those kids.

I couldn't believe that some of those prisoners were women! Diabla, Green Eyes and esp. the aptly named Pretty Boy were as masculine as I've ever seen a biological woman be. There has got to be some downlow testosterone shots being smuggled into Chowchilla.

Actually, there are lots of biological women who are naturally as butch as the women on this program. I personally grew up knowing several women who were, as they say, "stone butch" without ever taking a testosterone shot. Of course, we should also consider the possibility that some of these women do identify as transgender. If they have not had a legal sex change, the state considers them female and puts them into a women's facility.

My jaw dropped when Diabla said that she had a child. Not to be rude, but I can't imagine a man alive who would want to get up on that. Or that she would posses an operative uterus.

Butch women have babies, too, and their uteruses are just as likely to be operative as those of stereotypically feminine women. We don't know the circumstances of Diabla's pregnancy, and there are so many possibilities that I think it's difficult to speculate. However, there are men who like all types of women, and it's certainly not inconceivable that someone would have had a relationship with Diabla.

[FatFuzz]

This kind of reminds me of Maury's Bootcamp for the wild teen girls on his show.

[YoureSoUrban]

I had been looking forward to seeing this for a while (Thanks A&E, between this, Heavy & Storage Wars I have your logo burned into my psyche for eternity) and it did not disappoint. It was a crafty move on the network's part to air the women's prison first. I bet in general people don't think women's prisons will be as physically threatening or hygienically repugnant as men's prisons. Another myth busted.

I wanted to slap the ish out of most of those little brats (especially that Juliette Lewis lookalike Leanna) but the inmates showed what I thought was a good balance between disdain and empathy. Just when I would get a little bored/distracted at parts they would re-up the suspense, like after the feelgood one on one, Desirey was still deemed insincere and denied the oppty to go home immediately.

Of the group I felt for Cecilia (those tears were definitely for real) and Desirey, who brought a tear to my eyes with the thank you note she sent to Shanece and Diabla. I gotta imagine even badass Diabla gave a little smile when she heard it.

And as for the young boy(s) to be shown next week, no sympathy here. I want them to see the Big House, before they rob my house, not afterward.

Edited by YoureSoUrban, Jan 15, 2011 @ 3:23 PM.

[dreamy]

Oh, I never saw Scared Straight 20 Years Later. I'd love to see the first one and that - I wonder if A&E could get rights to it.

Based on all these comments, I can't wait until the replay tonight. I'll make sure to leave my lights on as I watch, though!

[Quilt Fairy]

I'll make sure to leave my lights on as I watch, though!

And don't go into the shower alone! ;-)