When Ted was about 13 years old and first starting to get in trouble, I ordered a DVD of Scared Straight from eBay for him. Scared Straight was a documentary released in 1978 and narrated by Peter Falk.The documentary follows a group of cocky juvenile delinquents as they are introduced to actual convicts at Rahway State Prison in an attempt to end their criminal ways. The “lifers” scream at and terrify the teenagers in an attempt to “scare them straight”.
While a DVD can convey the message to some extent, I’m sure the actual experience made a much greater impression. I wish Florida sponsored a similar program for delinquent youngsters to participate in - before they possibly end up like Ted ... in prison.
Scared Straight is still available on eBay. Here is a clip from the documentary:
