Redemption or Remission? The Debate about "Beyond Scared Straight"

TVWATCH

WEEK ONE

     A&E's newest hit drama documentary "Beyond Scared Straight" doesn't fall far from the tree. After all, it airs on A&E, the channel behind the disturbing "Intervention" and the bizarre yet entrancing "Dog the Bounty Hunter". However, "Beyond Scared Straight" has attracted the ire of TV watchdogs and children's rights groups like no other program, for one reason: it features juvenile delinquents.

     In the most recent episode, which featured female juveniles in the Jessup Correctional Facility, the teenage miscreants arrived as you would expect them to- flippant, arrogant, and contemptuous. But their resistance quickly began to dissolve when they met the inmates. It was very fulfilling to watch these irritating girls (sans fighter/shoplifter Brandi, whom I identified with) have tearful meltdowns in front of intimidating women who gleefully informed them of their horrifically violent criminal backgrounds. "Green Eyes", an intimindating murderer with a life sentence took particular issue with the disrespectful youth, dragging at least 3 inmates off-camera and doing who-knows-what to them (they didn't have attitude problems after that, so I suppose it worked.)

As the California budget crisis increased, the stringent requirements for youth counselors became looser, and looser, and looser, until Green Eyes happened.

     The inmates' fear and intimidation tactics, such as locking poor Brandi in a solitary confinement cell and forcing her to sit on the toilet, introducing the juvenile delinquents to various insane prisoners who had lost it over the years, and forcing the inmates to walk through the graves of prisoners who had been murdered during their incarceration, were disturbing. I was beginning to think this show was just a shock-and-awe program with no real value.

See: programs with no real value.*

     I was wrong. After the juveniles left the prison, they went through what seems to me like an impossible metamorphosis. Brandi hasn't assaulted anyone since the prison visit. Kassandra quit selling marijuana and cut down on her truancy. Megan wrote a heartbreaking letter of apology to the owner of the store she shoplifted (full of spelling mistakes, but I digress). It was incredible to see just how far they'd come from their criminal backgrounds. It was truly inspirational, not to mention entertaining, and it is one of the finest television programs I have had the privilege to see. Overall, I give it:

     Don't forget to catch TVWatch next week- my review won't be quite as complimentary, but it'll still be enjoyable! Brought to you by Buy The Best PC, an extremely helpful website which allows you to compare and contrast computers and computer parts.

-Ishaan

     *I kid, I kid.