Scared Straight!/Nightmare Fuel

Scared Straight! (1978)

 * The sheer amount of Adult Fear this documentary for parental viewers. These are 17 kids, who have been arrested for petty crimes, going to a real prison facility as part of their last chance to redeem themselves and among most things are in an auditorium with inmates that have been sentenced to life in prison for worse crimes compared to them. Many of them including the well known Ali, are unpredictable in their behavior, have insulted, threatened and have come close to even physically harming the kids to prove their point. Granted it's all to scare them out of future crimes, but since no one has seen a program like this before, it comes as a shock and a surprise. Especially to parents who are equally worried about their own kids potential for juvenile delinquency.
 * During their tour of the prison, the kids are first met with shouting and cheers from prisoners locked up in their own cells. All of them shouting threats and lewd comments at them. Threatening to rape them in prison.  Whether they were part of the program or not is unknown, but it establishes the danger prison life can be for those kids. The tour ends with the kids separated into groups and placed in prison cells. Unlike modern prison systems, the one's in the 70s looked more like a grungy dungeon than a prison.  With rust and mold all over the walls and even in the toilet.  Giving these kids a clear view of what their next years will be if they aren't careful.


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