A&E NEW DOCU DRAMA BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT

Last night A&E aired a new reality documentary “Beyond Scared Straight” the show exposes at risk teen girls to a women prison.  I must say it was deeply intense. The women inmates at Valley State Prison” aggressively escorted the girls around revealing the harsh realities of prison life.  There was a part in the documentary where one of the girls saw her mother on the yard.  The mother was begging her daughter to change, so she would not end up in a cell next to her.  The two were highly emotional. It had been long  while since she saw her mother. There were also touching moments when the girls received a one-on-one with inmates, expressing their regrets and encouraging the girls to stay positive and make better choices.  I thought it was incredibly effective. “I was watching at home and I was scared”.  I can’t imagine living in those conditions, no one should have to live that way, nevertheless making bad choices, rebelling against your parents, stealing, doing drugs, will create a space for you in someone’s state prison system. Four out of the five girls decided to get on the right path; they reported the time experienced in prison change their lives.   Can’t argue the odds!