Beyond Scared Straight: Experts Alarmed by New Show and Impact on Kids - Beyond Scared Straight (2011) Discussion

[–] MiiszKim 14 years ago

I wish more parents would send their kids into these type of programs! I have a lot of cousins who flow in & out of juvie like it's NO BIG DEAL(any one remember that show "Juvie" on MTV? It sorta looked like a summer camp if you ask me lol). If being in juvie & having a record doesn't scare them, than what will? That's why I think these programs are used as a last resort. They can't save everyone from making the wrong choices, but at least they can try.

"AIN'T NOBODY COMIN TO SEE YOU OTIS!!"--David Ruffin, The Temptations(best tv movie EVER)

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[–] Tracey73 14 years ago

I completely agree! Nowadays, too many people are worried about "traumatizing" out of control teens. What about the victims of teen crimes? Shouldn't the victims be considered?! And, I agree, regarding juvie ... If juvenile detention doesn't straighten them out, then what's the harm of giving them a small dose of prison life?

I'm an automatic steeple for depressed and lonely people ~ Blue October

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[–] solbi 13 years ago

I somewhat agree and disagree at the same time.
I've watched this show a couple of times now and some of these kids are seriously annoying and "need to be smacked"... but at the same time, some of them are as young as 13. Those are CHILDREN. And when these children are acting out by having sex, smoking weed, shoplifting, getting into violent fights, it means they have serious psychological and emotional issues. SOME kids might benefit from being scared out of jail, but from what I have seen, MOST of these kids need some family therapy and a good after school activity to channel their energy.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

solbi - while these kids might still be children, they are headed down the wrong path. I agree that it's possible that some of them need therapy, but the big majority of them need discipline, structure, and need to be shown that there are serious consequences with continuing that type of behavior.

I would rather my child be "traumatized" through a program such as that and go home with me instead of doing nothing and waiting till their 18 where they could do something to get them locked up for years.

These are not children needing to channel their energy somewhere else. These are teens who are doing violent, destructive things to their own bodies and to those around them. They are committing crimes. They need to be taught and shown that there are consequences to their actions.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] solbi 13 years ago

But where do you think they learned that behavior from? Themselves? They just made it up? No, they learned it from others, namely their parents who did not do a good job of parenting, did not raise them to be respectful, responsible, and safe. To traumatize them more is only going to make them either feel cocky that they could survive in jail if that were to ever happen, or resent their parents for making them go through that. To paraphrase what Marilyn Manson said in the Bowling for Columbine documentary, we don't need to be telling these kids anything more. What we need to do is listen because obviously we haven't been and that's why they are acting out in such destructive, attention-seeking ways.
So I don't think the behavior should be ignored for 18 years, I think the kids need better ways to act out their anger, either through sports or therapy or art or music or whatever.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

solbi - I can agree that it's possible some of these kids learned the behavior from family members and that some of these kids come from parents who have no clue how to parent. But there are kids who come from great parents who are rebellious just to be rebellious. It has nothing to do with the house they are raised in. And these are not just regular, run-of-the-mill rebellious teenagers. These are teens who are angry, self-destructive, violent and IMO possibly dangerous to others (one who busted some girl's eardrum in a fight, one who pulled a knife on his pregnant mom, etc.)

More than likely, the majority of these kids have horrible influences, including friends who act the same way. No doubt these kids need therapy (probably the entire family need group sessions), but they also need to be reminded there are serious consequences to their actions. By allowing them to interact with prisoners and see what it's like in a jail or prison for even half of a day they are reminded that their behavior will put them there if they continue acting like that.

I would rather "traumatize" my kid for one day than "traumatize" them for a lifetime by allowing them to continue the behavior until they are old enough to be charged as an adult and face life behind bars. Unfortunately, just sticking an angry, out of control, destructive teenager in sports or an art program is not going to work. Sports would probably be out of the question since many sports require patience and body contact. Art or music would be a great outlet if you could get them to quit their self-destructive behavior long enough to pay attention.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

Exactrly! and that type of anger could easily permanently injure or kill another person. Even just football or basketball, they could easily get too angry and really hurt someone.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

OMG I know! I was shocked the first few times I would pick my son up from middle school. I couldn't believe how some of those kids talked lol.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] solbi 13 years ago

All I'll say is that yes, there are some people who can be "cured" by being traumatized in this way. I'm not saying this doesn't work ever. The kids on this show are tough kids that come from tough backgrounds and have been through a lot of things. I remember watching the episode with the 2 girls Kailyn and someone else and the girl just stood there, not a tear in her eye while she talked back to the male prisoners. That is a child that has been through more than what most adults have been through. Maybe for a child like her, this sort of program will work.

For others, like middle class children with foul mouths and dimebag of adderall in their pockets thinking they're hot sh!t, being sent to a prison and yelled at for 2 days is not going to make them "better." I guess that's why you don't see many upper middle class kids on this show.

So I guess I was addressing the wrong audience, or with the wrong types of people in mind.

As for my comment with Marilyn Manson, I don't care if you think he's a good role model or not- what he said was right. Basic human psychology is what I believe in, and most people will benefit in life from learning a little bit about it.

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[–] kiboshz 13 years ago

Actually, it's the middle class kids who live in suburbia who need the dose of reality more than the tough kids. Kids who think they're tough because they listen to uban music and dress like a rapper NEED that dose of reality. They really don't realise how life is outside those gated communities.

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[–] solbi 13 years ago

Hahaha well THAT is a totally different problem, I think. Certainly, if it was some middle class boy who thinks hanging out with the basketball players at his state championship high school makes him "ghetto" or whatever, he could take a dose of Scared Straight to get his grades up and stop "dealing" mid- grade pot. Unfortunately for entertainment sake, I don't think there is a lot of that on the show.

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

solbi - I can agree with what you just posted. Nothing is ever 100%. Each kid is different and will react differently to different programs.

Also, I hope you were replying to the other person regarding Marilyn Manson. I never said anything about him being a role model? In fact I watched a bio of him awhile back and agreed completely when he said that parents need to listen to their teens.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] solbi 13 years ago

The Marilyn comment I was responding to ricksweetrick's post where he dismissed that portion of my argument... I think that's the most important part of every teenage delinquent story. Parents and other associated adults (older siblings, teachers, counselors, etc) need to pay attention to what their kids are saying instead of just trying to lecture or pushing everything aside as teen angst.

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

I thought that was who you were replying to, but I wanted to make sure lol.

I absolutely agree that parents (including myself), counselors, etc. need to remember that all teens (not just delinquents) have feelings and should be able to voice those feelings (as long as it's done in a respectful way).

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] Pianohero4 13 years ago

1) no, not "anything that can deter a life of crime" is "worth it". By that faulty logic, it is justified to incarcerate every human upon being born as it would reduce the chances of future crime (or at least keep the crimes within the confines of the prison, which is more of an accurate portrayal regarding prisons and crime reduction)
2) Just because teens are doing things like tagging or stealing, doesn't mean they will have a life of crime. Many of these acts are specifically related to them being teens (ie, the VAST majority of people that graffiti at age 14 are not still doing it at age 38 etc)
3) A far more ethical, and more effective, method of reducing the probability of future adult crime to take place is with implementing something called good parenting. It's tried and true. Psychological trauma is no replacement for adequate parenting.
4) Some of the kids haven't even committed anything that would be a crime, let alone warrant prison in their adult life. Some of them are there for "high school dropout" or "smoking" etc
5) even if the kids were committing actual crimes like "assault" or "armed robbery" it would still be unethical to threaten them with implied bodily harm (which is essentially what they do by insinuating that they will get beat up, killed, raped etc in prison).

Although the idea is well meaning, it is poorly executed

LOST SPOILERS , IN THE ENDINGit was about the characters and purgatory

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

no, not "anything that can deter a life of crime" is "worth it". By that faulty logic, it is justified to incarcerate every human upon being born as it would reduce the chances of future crime (or at least keep the crimes within the confines of the prison, which is more of an accurate portrayal regarding prisons and crime reduction)

I have to disagree. These are not just innocent kids being shown what prison is like. These are kids who regularly skip school, have behavioral problems, and commit crimes, some very serious crimes that could result in death.

Just because teens are doing things like tagging or stealing, doesn't mean they will have a life of crime. Many of these acts are specifically related to them being teens (ie, the VAST majority of people that graffiti at age 14 are not still doing it at age 38 etc)

Tagging and stealing are crimes. I completely agree that not every teen who participates in these types of activities will lead a life of crime, but some of them will continue when they become adults, esp. if they see that they can keep getting away with illegal activity. IMO it's better to nip that behavior in the bud (as they say) than to allow it to get worse.

A far more ethical, and more effective, method of reducing the probability of future adult crime to take place is with implementing something called good parenting. It's tried and true. Psychological trauma is no replacement for adequate parenting.

I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, many of the kids come from homes that do not implement good parenting. What about teens who do come from homes with good parenting?

Some of the kids haven't even committed anything that would be a crime, let alone warrant prison in their adult life. Some of them are there for "high school dropout" or "smoking" etc

Truancy and underage smoking are against the law. The majority of these kids shown on this program have problems with authority. They do not think the rules apply to them. That's a very dangerous path to keep going down when you're a few years away from becoming an adult. It's better to show them what can happen in their future if they don't start abiding by the rules than for them to find out that hard way.

even if the kids were committing actual crimes like "assault" or "armed robbery" it would still be unethical to threaten them with implied bodily harm (which is essentially what they do by insinuating that they will get beat up, killed, raped etc in prison).

Would you rather they be warned that rape, assault, and murder can take place in prisons ... or allow them to find that out on their own if or when they do break the law and are tried as an adult. And I'm sorry, but committing crimes such as assault or armed robbery are very serious crimes that can result in permanently damaging themselves or another human or death.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] Pianohero4 13 years ago

1) no, not "anything that can deter a life of crime" is "worth it". By that faulty logic, it is justified to incarcerate every human upon being born as it would reduce the chances of future crime (or at least keep the crimes within the confines of the prison, which is more of an accurate portrayal regarding prisons and crime reduction)

1b)I have to disagree. These are not just innocent kids being shown what prison is like. These are kids who regularly skip school, have behavioral problems, and commit crimes, some very serious crimes that could result in death.
Just because teens are doing things like tagging or stealing, doesn't mean they will have a life of crime. Many of these acts are specifically related to them being teens (ie, the VAST majority of people that graffiti at age 14 are not still doing it at age 38 etc)

2) Tagging and stealing are crimes. I completely agree that not every teen who participates in these types of activities will lead a life of crime, but some of them will continue when they become adults, esp. if they see that they can keep getting away with illegal activity. IMO it's better to nip that behavior in the bud (as they say) than to allow it to get worse.
A far more ethical, and more effective, method of reducing the probability of future adult crime to take place is with implementing something called good parenting. It's tried and true. Psychological trauma is no replacement for adequate parenting.

2b)I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, many of the kids come from homes that do not implement good parenting. What about teens who do come from homes with good parenting?

3)Some of the kids haven't even committed anything that would be a crime, let alone warrant prison in their adult life. Some of them are there for "high school dropout" or "smoking" etc

3b) Truancy and underage smoking are against the law. The majority of these kids shown on this program have problems with authority. They do not think the rules apply to them. That's a very dangerous path to keep going down when you're a few years away from becoming an adult. It's better to show them what can happen in their future if they don't start abiding by the rules than for them to find out that hard way.

4)even if the kids were committing actual crimes like "assault" or "armed robbery" it would still be unethical to threaten them with implied bodily harm (which is essentially what they do by insinuating that they will get beat up, killed, raped etc in prison).

4b)Would you rather they be warned that rape, assault, and murder can take place in prisons ... or allow them to find that out on their own if or when they do break the law and are tried as an adult. And I'm sorry, but committing crimes such as assault or armed robbery are very serious crimes that can result in permanently damaging themselves or another human or death.

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1) so you disagree with my claim that not everything isn't justifiable simply because it may Reduce future crime? Because that was what I said.

2) Good parenting does not equal "wealthy parents" etc. That is the misconception. Many times people see someone as having had "good parents" if they were brought up in a middle class home where the parents didn't divorce, where the kids weren't abused, etc, but good parenting is beyond that.Also, the point would be moot since the cases they use on this show involve kids brought up in broken homes or where the parents had a criminal past themselves. No kids with actual good parenting would be committing crimes, because a) they would have no need or desire to, and b) they would not be able to (monitoring/involvement etc)

3) again, it seems you didn't read or misunderstood my post. I mentioned that these things are not things that would be crimes if they were adults (in their adult life)

4) yes, those crimes listed are serious, that's why I mentioned that even in cases where serious crimes are committed, it is still unethical, if not outright illegal, to prescribe rape and other bodily harm as a consequence/punishment for crime. It would be deemed cruel and unusual punishment. The idea is that the reports of rape and stabbing in prison are grossly exaggerated by tv/film, as knowingly sending someone to such a place where these things are nearly guaranteed to happen (as tv/film imply) would be cruel and unusual punishment. These things may happen, but they cannot be acknowledged as part of the "prison package" as these activities are illegal even in prison.

Essentially, the experts are the one's saying that it's wrong and that it might even be making things worse. I'm not an expert but their arguments make sense to me.

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

1) so you disagree with my claim that not everything isn't justifiable simply because it may Reduce future crime? Because that was what I said.

Again, the teens in these programs already have behavioral problems, mainly problems with authority and/or rules/laws. They're not choosing innocent teens who do well in school, abide by the rules and laws, get along with others, etc. to take part in these programs. These are teens who frequently skip school, disobey their parents and authority, do drugs or drink, commit vandalism, fight and/or commit assault. Again, they choose teens who are already headed down the wrong path. These programs are used as a last resort for the teens chosen.

2) Good parenting does not equal "wealthy parents" etc. That is the misconception. Many times people see someone as having had "good parents" if they were brought up in a middle class home where the parents didn't divorce, where the kids weren't abused, etc, but good parenting is beyond that.Also, the point would be moot since the cases they use on this show involve kids brought up in broken homes or where the parents had a criminal past themselves. No kids with actual good parenting would be committing crimes, because a) they would have no need or desire to, and b) they would not be able to (monitoring/involvement etc)

I don't think I ever said or even implied that wealthy parents equal good parenting. There are many well-behaved teens that come from broken homes or poor parents. There are also many poorly-behaved teens that come from middle class or wealthy parents. I don't know why you assume that no one who comes from a home with good parenting cannot rebel on a regular basis and/or frequently disobey authority or have behavioral problems.

3) again, it seems you didn't read or misunderstood my post. I mentioned that these things are not things that would be crimes if they were adults (in their adult life)

I said some of them would not continue this behavior in their adult life, but some would. There are adults of all ages who commit vandalism, assault, robbery, use drugs or drink regularly. Our jails and prison system are filled with adults who began their illegal activities when they were teens.

4) yes, those crimes listed are serious, that's why I mentioned that even in cases where serious crimes are committed, it is still unethical, if not outright illegal, to prescribe rape and other bodily harm as a consequence/punishment for crime. It would be deemed cruel and unusual punishment. The idea is that the reports of rape and stabbing in prison are grossly exaggerated by tv/film, as knowingly sending someone to such a place where these things are nearly guaranteed to happen (as tv/film imply) would be cruel and unusual punishment. These things may happen, but they cannot be acknowledged as part of the "prison package" as these activities are illegal even in prison.

They're not "prescribing" rape or assault as part of the punishment for their crimes. They're telling them that the threat of rape and/or assault is a huge possibility in prison. I highly doubt that rape and/or assaults, stabbings, or murder are grossly exaggerated. There are no clear statistics on rape or assault because many inmates are too scared of reporting the crimes. Again, I would rather my out-of-control teen son (hypothetical) see what prison life can be like for a day instead of allowing the behavior to continue until he commits a crime serious enough to be tried as an adult and experience it for 25 years.

Essentially, the experts are the one's saying that it's wrong and that it might even be making things worse. I'm not an expert but their arguments make sense to me.

And some experts would disagree with them. This program works for some and doesn't work for others. It's used as a last resort after all other methods have failed. The same could be said with couseling, therapy, medication, boot camps, juvenile detention centers, etc. One method might work for a few, while another method might work for another. It doesn't make any of the programs wrong IMO.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] Pianohero4 13 years ago

You did not address any of my rebuttals. Nobody with good parenting will willfully commit crimes in early life. The only way that good parenting will not overrule every other factor (all of which are insignificant when compared to the Level of influence parenting has versus these other factors), including factors like genetic predispositions, friends, etc, would be if the child had some brain tumor. Good parenting accounts for 99.9999999999 percent of a child's influences, and renders every other factor moot. Also, you stated that the things some of them do "ARE crimes" (dropping out, smoking etc) and did not address my rebuttal that these are things that are not crimes for adults, and thus no kid should be "warned" of illegal bodily harm for these things (or ANY things for that matter). Telling kids "were going to put you in a box with people that stab and rape" is cruel and unusual punishment. The reports are exaggerated to psych people out, but even then, it is still cruel and unusual punishment to inflict that psychological trauma of making them live under constant fear of rape and getting stabbed etc. Prison should be presented as what it is, a last resort measure to physically incapacitate a persons from committing further harm. Lastly, I can't think of any experts that agreed with this failed program. The only people listed as supporting it were laymen. Also, even if it worked 1000% it would still be unjustified, just as it would be unjustified to imprison the entire population as a means to prevent further crime.

LOST SPOILERS , IN THE ENDINGit was about the characters and purgatory

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

Nobody with good parenting will willfully commit crimes in early life.

That is simply not true. Good parenting does not always equal well behaved kids. Yes, there is more of a chance of raising a well behaved kid if you practice good parenting techniques, but it does not 100% ensure those results. Ask any person who has been a teenager and came from a home with wonderful parents. I'm sure out of all of them, many of them were rebellious in one way or another. (And, yes, I'm old enough to have seen well behaved kids come from a bad home life and poorly behaved kids come from good parents.)

Good parenting accounts for 99.9999999999 percent of a child's influences, and renders every other factor moot.

I agree, but only until that child reaches a certain age. When kids become teens, sometimes they become friends with another who is a bad influence. That's why they've coined the term "peer pressure." The majority of teens will feel pressured into doing something wrong or illegal and will have to make a choice between right and wrong. Sometimes a teen from a wonderful set of parents will choose wrong.

Also, you stated that the things some of them do "ARE crimes" (dropping out, smoking etc) and did not address my rebuttal that these are things that are not crimes for adults, and thus no kid should be "warned" of illegal bodily harm for these things (or ANY things for that matter).

Again, these are kids who are not just skipping school, dropping out, smoking. They also show a strong resistance to authority and rules. If you'll notice, almost every one of these kids "like to fight" and show complete resistance to any type of authority, including their parents. This is dangerous behavior. Again, something this show does not state is that the Scared Straight programs are only used as a last resort. The teens chosen for this program have resisted just about any other type of treatment or punishment. Parents are not the only ones who nominate a teen for this program - peer counselors, school counselors, juvenile detention offices, etc also nominate them.

Telling kids "were going to put you in a box with people that stab and rape" is cruel and unusual punishment.

Okay, so you would rather them find out the hard way ...

The reports are exaggerated to psych people out, but even then, it is still cruel and unusual punishment to inflict that psychological trauma of making them live under constant fear of rape and getting stabbed etc.

First, we do not have clear statistics as to how much rape and assault goes on in prisons because many prisoners are too scared to report these crimes. Ask anyone who has been to prison - I can guarantee the large majority of them felt threatened with the possibility of getting raped or assaulted. Second of all, this program is not making any teen "live under constant fear of rape" and assault. They're exposing them to prison or jail life for one day while keeping them safe from all that might happen. They are telling (and showing) them that this is a possibility if you continue resisting authority. Cruel and unusual punishment (at least to me) is allowing your kid to continue their behavior until they are of age to be tried as an adult. Sometimes loving your kid involves tough love tactics.

Prison should be presented as what it is, a last resort measure to physically incapacitate a persons from committing further harm.

This program is used as a last resort to teens who have already failed other treatments and punishments. Again, you'd rather them sugar-coat prison life?

Lastly, I can't think of any experts that agreed with this failed program. The only people listed as supporting it were laymen.

Here's the problem with the statistics they gather from the studies of teens who have went through a Scared Straight program. This program is used and has always been used as a last resort for out of control teens. In other words the teens subjected to this program have been treated and/or punished with every other method available. Those methods did not work. So, logically, many of these teens will go on to lead a life of crime. Again, one method will work for on kid, but will not always work for another.

Also, even if it worked 1000% it would still be unjustified, just as it would be unjustified to imprison the entire population as a means to prevent further crime.

They are not imprisoning these teens. They are subjecting them to prison life for a day under supervision by guards and officers. These are teens who frequently reject authority and rules. They have already been subjected to every other treatment and/or punishment available. Again, until one is a parent, they cannot fully understand the love a parent has for their child. They also cannot fully appreciate the worry that goes into raising a teenager (esp in today's times).

If my teenage son started going down the wrong path, I would want to do everything within my power to get him on the right path, including having him see what his bad behavior can lead to. It would kill my soul to see him be subjected to prison life for a day, but at least I could say that I did everything I possibly could.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] Pianohero4 13 years ago

You completely misunderstood my arguments again. Here's an example " they are not imprisoning the kids", that's neither what I said nor a response to what I said, nor a response to the point.also, even your argument supported my claims that the rape and stabbing aspect in prison is largely exaggerated as a means to submit the prisoners to psychological torment. When you stated that "ask people that have been in prison, many of them were worried about etc" you admit that these individuals are not actually mentioning getting raped, but rather that they were worried about it. Notice the statement wasn't " ask people that have been in prison, most of them say they were raped or stabbed" etc. The truth is that the vast majority of people in prison will never get raped nor stabbed. You also mentioned that " we don't know how much stabbing/rape actually occurs bevause etc", then why do you claim that they do occur in significant number? Absence of evidence is evidence of absence. Lastly, for the times that rape and stabbing DO occur, measures should be taken to prevent these crimes from occurring again, rather than attempting to use these crimes as deterrence.

LOST SPOILERS , IN THE ENDINGit was about the characters and purgatory

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[–] Tracey73 13 years ago

We'll just have to agree to disagree. But I do agree with your last sentence that measures should be taken to prevent rapes and/or assaults in prison from occurring because no one deserves that.

Some hurt, some love, some shout. I fought the world and I lost that bout. ~ Blue October

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[–] hodie 11 years ago

Interesting article. But it just keeps asserting that these programs will make kids more likely to end up in jail, without explaining why. Correlation is not causation.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

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[–] avnrulz 11 years ago

However, while there have been several seasons of this show, there have only been two 'graduates' of the program that have been in the prison upon further programs.

Of the 'participants' that have been through the show that have been total miscreants, that they wound up doing hard time is of no surprise.

BOHICA America!

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[–] Criticman12 11 years ago

If these programs aren't working then why are these programs still going on?

Heck, I heard that one of the kids from the original Scared Straight movie claimed that the program changed his life and started to become a good person. A couple years ago, he was sent to prison due to shoplifting and both killing and raping his next-door neighbor.

Something like that happened again except with one of the kids from the show going to prison, different crime, and re-appearing in one of the episodes of Beyond Scared Straight.

If parents and the law want to help the kids then they need to do two things to them:

1.) Give them love.

2.) Educate them.

Why should they do these things? Simple: It will keep them out of trouble and if these kids are loved and educated then they won't end up in prison getting beaten up, sodomized or killed.

I also think it's time for A&E and Arnold Shapiro to wake up and realize that these programs and the show aren't keeping kids out of trouble.

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[–] TwentytoOneDevotchka 11 years ago

Your opinion is right on mark...my boyfriend at 19 got a 50 year sentence for a "month long crime spree" that ended up with an officer being shot in the arm....and prison for a 19 year old first time offender is VERY traumatizing.I know most people believe he deserves it but whether or not they believe that, the ideal situation would have been to prevent it from happening with some very harsh doses of reality.These kids need to be taught at a fairly young age that the life of crime doesn't pay.

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[–] Squirrel71 10 years ago

I'm cynical. I don't think this program helps very many of these kids long term. I'm of the belief that some kids are just born without the capacity to feel compassion or empathy. This behavior is often very evident even early on, and it doesn't help that the parents aren't much better than the kids.

I guess is it helps one kid then it has some value. I enjoy watching more to see the kids get screamed at honestly. Anyone who has to deal with teenagers will enjoy that part of the show,lol.

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