Beyond Scared Straight

“Beyond Scared Straight” profiles dramatic prison and jail deterrence programs aimed at keeping today's at-risk teens from becoming tomorrow's prisoners. The series is inspired by "Scared Straight!," the Academy Award and multiple Emmy-winning documentary film by Arnold Shapiro. Each one-hour episode focuses on a different existing “behind bars” program in the U.S. and follows four at-risk teens -- before they attend the program, throughout their day behind bars, immediately afterwards -- and then follows up with them one-month later to see the lasting impact of the experience on their lives. A combination of confrontation, information and communication, these youthful offender programs put boys and girls of all ethnicities, ages 11 to 18, into intensive one-day "incarceration" sessions that show them the consequences of bad choices and criminal behavior.