Scared Straight

I first watched this documentary about 1989, which was moderated by Peter Falk and which won an Oscar at the the time.

Hard-hitting and extremely unnerving, it featured a programme, where hard-core convicts serving terms from 25 years to double life for serious crimes ranging from Armed Robbery to Double murder spoke to a group of Juvenile offenders in a bid to give them the true picture of prison life and the consequences of a life of crime. This in my view is one of the most compelling pieces of sociological programming I ever watched and which in all honesty ought to be aired in the UK today.

The opening lines of the first speakers "presentation" simply went thus "We ain't no social workers or penal officers, we are convicts, we don give a sh-t whether you help yourself or not, we are here for life talking to you ain't going to help us". Stark takes on the reality of life in prison from Homosexual gang rape to random violence and the futility of the choices of prison were conveyed in clear hard language. I say boldly that no amount of gentle Home Office Infomercial content can rival the style or content of this and if anyone has ever watched a more effective documentary, I really would be interested in seeing it.

I am going to place three parts of this documentary and would ask that anyone who has a difficult teenager needing Counselling, really should get them to watch this. I wasn't a teenager but it certainly had an effect on me 19 years ago and even today. Please watch this and if possible circulate it as much as you can. Classic stuff.