Beyond Scared Straight

I love watching these rotten kids get verbally abused by some prisoners. If you like dark comedy this is the best reality show for you. All the kids come in here like " I ain't scared, I ain't gonna cry" and then get there stuff rocked by some crazy prisoner in there for tax fraud.

I'll start by saying anyone who have it a low score for abusing children obviously doesn't understand the premise of the show. It's to teach kids what their possible future is of wanting to be a bad***. Some say the yelling, violence, are overboard and not realistic. True, maybe not every single person in jail is like that. But a good majority are.

And if you pretend your a tough guy and end up in jail, some of the actual tough guys will do what they want with you. Stealing your shoes, clothes, beating you, even raping you.... this is jail life. Most of the kids that broke down are the exact type of person an inmate will target if they actually end up in jail. That's not a guess, its fact.

As for corrupt cops in the show. No, it's called a show. The parents sign a waiver that says their child will be exposed to frightening things. Obviously only to a certain degree. Again, its to instill a fear of jail so they straighten up. Plenty of times the cops have boundaries with what the inmates can do. Most programs the kids go into a jail is about 1-2 hours real world time. The interaction with inmates is just a part of it.

If only one child per episode changes, then the program did its job. If you feel offended by the show then you missed the whole point. Now I will say that I think there are better options of course to change a teens behavior. But this would be more of a last resort option. And many parents have said it was indeed the only option left.

Beyond Scared Straight is an outstanding show in which troubled teens are sent to jails around the country to see what its going to be like should they find themselves on the inside. Scare tactics are often used, but the effectiveness, while positive on most, falls far short for others. Frankly, I would love to see this program extended in such a manner that these kids REALLY get a taste of jail life. I think by picking these kids up in front of their friends by the local Sheriff's Departments upon exit from school on a Friday afternoon and dropping them back off to school on the following Monday morning just before the start of classes would be far more effective then giving them a half day experience going from one section of the jail to another. Today's kids are some of the most disrespectful ever, and with parents working longer and longer hours while trying to make a living like never before, many of these at risk kids are failing to receive the attention they need during the riskiest time of their lives. Today's kids roll their eyes, look the other way, bad mouth their parents and teachers like never before. They truly need a rude awakening. I think this can only be done in the most severe cases by letting them spend a full weekend in jail, where they should be treated as close to an inmate as possible while protecting them from injury.

First of all, I've known MANY people who have been in and out of prison. Like, big prison with murders and the like. This TV show portrays angry criminals being VERY inappropriate to minors. Threatening to rape them and beat them up. But wait, isn't threatening illegal? Yes it is but the officers allow it to happen because of the "scare factor". If they kids re-offend they are going to regardless. It's very ineffective. However, it's entertaining to watch when bored.

This show is a blatant excuse for a prison documentary. Of course, I get the idea that people have done things so awfully wrong, but going to jail for it is just crossing several lines.

People have become depressed, just because of this show. I'm one of the lucky few. It makes people more insecure about what they're doing and they're always going to say that they're going to get beaten and called names when they do the littlest thing wrong.

Policemen always see children and teenagers as adults in this show. Homosexuality and abuse is the result of it. It just makes me want to have a loaded gun next to the active television, and just shoot an officer.

Is there anything more I need to say about this aggravating and introverted show?