From The Appeal:
In 1978, the Oscar-winning documentary “Scared Straight!” popularized the idea
that the best way to prevent young people from incarceration is to scare them. The film focuses on a group of “juvenile delinquents” who get screamed at by hardened prisoners about rape and violence inside adult prisons. The documentary spawned sequels and spinoffs. It remains a cultural touchstone—during Saturday Night Live’s recent 50th Anniversary celebration, stars including Kenan Thompson, Will Ferrell, and Eddie Murphy parodied the concept.
But, in real life, there is no evidence that this approach actually reduces crime. If anything, the program has the opposite effect: At least three different academic studies between 2003 and 2013 warned that people who go through Scared Straight programs after an arrest are more likely to return to prison. In 2011, activists petitioned A&E to cancel its “Beyond Scared Straight” series, accusing the program of violating a federal law banning kids from entering adult jails.
There are far better ways to deter at-risk youth from crime. In recent years, community leaders in Washington state have worked with incarcerated individuals who understand how social rejection, poverty, and unaddressed trauma set up so many young people to fail. Continue reading >>>
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