User Reviews

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.

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 see a lot of people complaining about how it's horrible to the kids, the kids are horrible anyway, some even after they go in. I know they're young but some of the stuff they do is terrible.

I absolutely loved this show, it was nice to watch a couple of episodes whilst laying in bed falling asleep and finishing what I missed in the morning.

I'm only up to season 4 but I'll watch the rest eventually.

The criminals stories are interesting too, how it started out so small but turned into something life changing.

Hopefully this goes on for a LONG TIME!

The program itself is Awesome, I only wish it was for a full month, to truly knock some sence into these delinquent children. These parents also need some sort of guidance on how to handle and deal with these "out of control" children. I for one would at the first sign of disobedience, lock their bedroom windows and doors, remove any mobile phone and computer. Unfortunately, these parents are not stepping up to plate in discipline... and while it's great to send these children for "in jail" experience and I hope they do change their life around. The parents should also be coached in some sort of Parenting Class, to learn HOW TO BETTER TEACH THEIR CHILDREN. All behavior stems from what the parent allows or does not allow... Teach the parents... children will follow what is taught.

Absolutely great show that helps kids realize what can happen to them. This show should be a mandatory school program for all schools. Just so that we nip them it in the bud. People who think this is too much are made of cheese and don't understand what this show is all about. But there is a way to make them see they just need to go through the same program

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.

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.

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?

This is nothing short of abuse. You think you can deter children from crime by treating them the same way that their environment has, with abuse, by screaming at them, by tearing them down, by scaring them, bullying them, etc, etc, which is the reason they believe in the first place that either you're the bully or you're the victim. They're not being shown there's another reality where you can thrive, feel loved, validated, understood, where you can have experiences of success and achievement. This is just more of "you're fundamentally bad, even so bad you're not even welcome in jail". I can't believe it's legal, but then again, it IS the United States.. This would not be acceptable in Scandinavia. Poor fricking kids. They'll get older, get better at being the "top dog" and they'll end up in jail, becoming the ones who scream at kids.

In scared straight, you will see a compilation of insulting, volgure, and quite frankly embarrassing behavior from "respectable officers", showing just how corrupt the police system is. If a normal person behaved this way to 10-16 year olds they would be locked away for years for disorderly conduct, verbal assault to a child, and assault to a minor. This shows real name should be "above the law, and can't be tamed." They use homosexual prisoners to tell the children how they should get in there cells and in addition threaten them sexually and the officers threaten to put them in calling them "fresh meat" and how they "like little boys". They give children who are in need of phsychiatric help a chance to be racist, homophobic, and have ptsd and an extreme fear of officers. They yell at there mom or act aggressive to anyone and they get to get scarred for life but yet people say it's not hard enough, let's just start beating them too. It's a viscouse cycle of aggression and fear with the people/children and police officers and government officials. This show will show you just how above the law you are if you're a cop.

This has to be the worst show I've ever seen. The main premise is innocuous: to try to keep kids from stealing and being in gangs by giving them a reality check. The way they ended up doing this was beyond offensive (which should be the real title of the show.) Instead of making the kids have heart to heart talks with prisoners about why they should change their behavior, they took them to the "alternative sexuality" ward and used gay and trans inmates as a boogeymen to scare kids out of going to prison. The guards often threatened the kids by telling them they would be raped (which is NEVER okay), and made derogatory comments about transgender inmates ("do you want to be in here with a man who wants to be a women?") I can't imagine how harmful this was to the teens in their program who happen to be gay, bi, and trans themselves (a percentage of them certainly are.) I was supposed to watch this show wanting the kids to turn their lives around and change their acts. Instead, I wanted to join the kids in punching out the oppressive prison guards and start a riot. If anyone needs to be taught a lesson, it is not the teens, it is the guards.

Wow the support for this show is ridiculous like people would say "oh yeah my kid would definitely go there if he was like this" really now? Most of these kids that are "reformed" are traumatized I'm 100% sure because nobody should even have to experience that. some of those kids were in there for fighting and some were in middle school. I'm glad the U.S department of justice shut this down

It's televised child abuse, and police aiding IN the child abuse. Needless to say, it's horrendous. If you have even an ounce of sympathy for children, this show isn't for you. Remember, you were a child once, and think about how you would have felt to have people yelling at you, and threatening to hurt you. Ask yourself if that would teach you that you were wrong, or teach you how to avoid being caught. This is a systemized recipe for PTSD. Disgusting.