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{{short description|1978 film by Arnold Shapiro}}
'''''Scared Straight!''''' was a documentary directed by [[Arnold Shapiro]] and released in [[1978 in film|1978]].
{{About|the films and juvenile rehabilitation programs|other uses|Scared Straight (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2017}}


{{Infobox film
The subject of the documentary was a group of cocky teenaged [[juvenile delinquent]]s and the attempts to make them end their criminal ways by introducing them to actual convicts. Filmed at [[Rahway State Prison]], a group of inmates known as the "lifers" berate, scream at, and terrify the young hoodlums and attempt to "scare them straight" (hence the film's title) by showing an ugly, harsh presentation of the realities of [[prison]] life. At film's end, the teenagers decide that they don't want to end up in jail. The movie's narration was provided by [[Peter Falk]].
| name = Scared Straight!
| image = Scared Straight!.jpg


| caption = DVD Cover
The film was followed by ''Scared Straight! Another Story'' (1980), ''Scared Straight! 10 Years Later'' (1987), and (on [[MTV]] and [[UPN]]) ''Scared Straight! 20 Years Later'' (1999). The last sequel, hosted by [[Danny Glover]], showed that the majority of the teens in the original program were, in fact, "scared straight" and went on to lead happy, productive lives.
| director = [[Arnold Shapiro]]
| producer = Arnold Shapiro
| writer = Arnold Shapiro
| narrator = [[Peter Falk]]
| starring =
| music =
| cinematography = William Moffitt
| editing = Bob Niemack
| studio = [[Golden West Television]]
| distributor = Golden West Television
| released = {{Film date|1978|11|02}}
| runtime = 52 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
}}


'''''Scared Straight!''''' is a 1978 American documentary directed by [[Arnold Shapiro]]. Narrated by [[Peter Falk]], the subject of the documentary is a group of [[juvenile delinquent]]s and their three-hour session with actual convicts. Filmed at [[Rahway State Prison]], a group of inmates known as the "lifers" berate, scream at, and terrify the young offenders in an attempt to "scare them straight", so that those teenagers will avoid prison life.
The documentary was shown on television in the late 1970s. It was aired uncensored and marked the first time that the word "[[fuck]]" was broadcast on many networks.


The documentary aired on television in the late 1970s, uncensored; it marked the first time that the words "fuck" and "shit" were broadcast on many networks. Some broadcasters (an example being [[CFQC-DT|CFQC]], a [[CTV Network]] affiliate in Canada) added locally produced segments in which experts discussed both the content of the documentary and the rationale behind airing it uncensored.
The film won the [[Academy Award for Documentary Feature]] in [[1978]]. It also won [[Emmy Award]]s for Outstanding Individual Achievement–Informational Program and Outstanding Informational Program.


The documentary received several awards, including the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979|title=The 51st Academy Awards &#124; 1979|website=www.oscars.org|date=October 5, 2014 }}</ref> It found that most of the participants did not reoffend. However, studies that compared and evaluated the effects of various Scared Straight programs against a [[control group]] have concluded that they increase the likelihood of participants later committing crimes.
As a result of the film, many states introduced "scared straight" programs in an attempt to rehabilitate young delinquents. The effectiveness of such programs has been questioned, most significantly by a meta-analysis of seven such programs by Anthony Petrosino et al. (2002, updated 2003), which found that "scared straight" programs not only failed to deter crime, but actually led to more offending behavior.[http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/doc-pdf/ssrupdt.pdf] Of course, it must be remembered that the program was the brainchild of a film maker, not a psychiatrist specializing in the rehabilitation of felons; therefore, the focus was on whatever theatrical value could be obtained by filming a group of hulking inmates scaring relatively young teenagers.


== Overview ==
Teenagers in the 1978 and 1980 documentaries ranged from 13- to 19-year-old repeat offenders of crimes ranging from petty theft and public intoxication to gambling, counterfeiting and racketeering. It should be noted that none of the individuals in the original documentary were ever convicted of a felony. Most were from the tri-state ([[Connecticut]], [[New Jersey]] and [[New York]]) area and agreed to accept the experiment in lieu of jail time and/or probation/public service. The producers asked for a range of youth that came from poor inner-city neighborhoods to the affluent suburbs of New York City. The [[recidivism]] rate of the original two casts was less than 10%.
Teenagers in this documentary and the 1980 sequel, ''Scared Straight! Another Story'', ranged from 15- to 19-year-old repeat offenders of crimes ranging from [[petty theft]], drug addiction, and [[public intoxication]] to [[gambling]], [[counterfeit]]ing, and [[racketeering]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=July 12, 1982|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-scared-straight-another-story-vol-18-no-2/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Scared Straight! Another Story|magazine=People}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/1105/110501.html|title='Scared Straight!': How the media can exploit a social program|date=November 5, 1980|journal=Christian Science Monitor|access-date=March 3, 2020|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303153854/https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/1105/110501.html|url-status=live}}</ref> None of the "graduates" of the original documentary have since been convicted of a felony except for Angelo Speziale, who in 2010 was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the rape and murder of his neighbor in 1982 (four years after the film was made).<ref name=Speziale>{{cite web |url = http://www.northjersey.com/news/040110_Neighbor_sentenced_in_decades-old_Ridgefield_Park_murder.html |title = The Record (Hackensack, NJ): "Neighbor sentenced in decades-old Ridgefield Park murder", April 1, 2010. |website = northjersey.com |access-date = November 4, 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130912000940/http://www.northjersey.com/news/040110_Neighbor_sentenced_in_decades-old_Ridgefield_Park_murder.html |archive-date = September 12, 2013 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>


Most were from the [[Tri-state area#Tri-state areas by region|tri-state]] ([[Connecticut]], [[New Jersey]] and [[New York (state)|New York]]) area and agreed to accept the experiment in lieu of jail time and/or [[probation]]/public service. The producers asked for a range of youth that came from poor inner-city neighborhoods to the affluent suburbs of New York City.
The original cast included a drug dealer and counterfeit document manufacturer from [[Westchester County]] (Mikie C), a gang member from [[Jersey City]] (Jerome Watts), an arsonist and bomb builder from [[Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport]] (Jon Shipiro), the son of a Mafia informant (Carlo Gallo), and a 17-year-old chop shop parts dealer and car thief from the [[Bronx]] (Jesus Rodriguiez).


The "Lifers" featured in the film were primarily convicted of murder, while others were in for armed robbery, and some committed both.
==External links==
* {{imdb title|id=0078205|title=Scared Straight!}}


One of the actions seen in the film, commonly done at the prison, forces the juveniles to take off their shoes, either by themselves, or by the lifers, pulling them off the juveniles' feet and throwing them into a mixed pile, as a lesson about stealing from somebody.
{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Academy Award for Documentary Feature]]
| years=1978
| before=''[[Who Are the Debolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?|Who Are the Debolts?]]''
| after=''[[Best Boy (film)|Best Boy]]''}}
{{end}}


At film's end, the teenagers say that they have decided that they do not want to end up in jail. The film ends with a "roll call" of the teens, revealing that most were "scared straight", though a few were said to have reoffended.
[[Category:Criminology publications]]

[[Category:Documentary films]]
== Awards ==
[[Category:Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners]]
The film won the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |title = Scared Straight! (1978) |url = https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/43074/Scared-Straight-/details |access-date = May 27, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121014084620/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/43074/Scared-Straight-/details |archive-date = October 14, 2012 |department = Movies & TV Dept. |work = [[The New York Times]] |df = mdy-all }}</ref> It also won [[Emmy Award]]s for Outstanding Individual Achievement–Informational Program and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special|Outstanding Informational Program]]. ''Scared Straight!'' won the 1978 [[George Polk Awards]] for Film Documentary.

== Preservation ==
The [[Academy Film Archive]] preserved ''Scared Straight!'' in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title = Preserved Projects |url = http://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=Scared+Straight%21&filmmaker=&category=All&collection=All |website = Academy Film Archive |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160813140013/http://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=Scared+Straight%21&filmmaker=&category=All&collection=All |archive-date = August 13, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

== Follow-ups ==
The original ''Scared Straight!'' was followed by a dramatized film ''Scared Straight! Another Story'' (1980),<ref name="auto"/> ''Scared Straight! 10 Years Later'' (1987),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/15/arts/scared-straight-on-9-followed-by-a-sequal.html|title='Scared Straight!' on 9, Followed by a Sequal|first=John|last=Corry|work=The New York Times |date=June 15, 1987|via=NYTimes.com|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-date=November 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105180040/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/15/arts/scared-straight-on-9-followed-by-a-sequal.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1987/07/19/scared-straight-the-times-are-scarier/56d378d5-ec25-47e9-805c-c77e446982c2/|title="SCARED STRAIGHT THE TIMES ARE SCARIER"|first=Michael E.|last=Hill|date=July 19, 1987|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> and (on [[MTV]] and [[UPN]]) ''Scared Straight! 20 Years Later'' (1999).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/fff9165490327394dac447f42baa073a|title=Time To Get 'Scared Straight' Again|website=AP NEWS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/scared-straight-20-years-later-1200457295/|title=Scared Straight! 20 Years Later|first1=Laura|last1=Fries|date=April 14, 1999|access-date=March 2, 2020|archive-date=March 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302114801/https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/scared-straight-20-years-later-1200457295/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1999-04-15-9904140623-story.html|title=STREET TOUGHS STRAIGHT AFTER PRISON SCARE|first=Tom|last=Jicha |website=Sun-Sentinel|date=April 15, 1999 }}</ref>

On January 13, 2011, [[A&E Network|A&E]] introduced the new series ''[[Beyond Scared Straight]]'', executive produced by [[Arnold Shapiro]] and [[Paul Coyne]]. According to the A&E website profile for the series: "Each one-hour episode focuses on a different inmate-run program in the U.S., and follows four or five at-risk teens before they attend the program, throughout their day inside the prison, immediately afterwards, and then follows up with them one month later to see the lasting impact of the experience on their lives. ''Beyond Scared Straight'' is about transforming the lives of young people through intervention and second chances." In addition, each episode ends with updates of the teen participants since the taping of the program, citing both successes and some failures in their post-prison behavior, and unfortunate news of passings or incarcerations that happen if teens end up down this path.

On February 1, 2011, the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange reported that one of the graduates of the original ''Scared Straight!'' program at Rahway, Angelo Speziale, later became a convicted felon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/nyregion/23solve.html|title=DNA Match Leads to Arrest in 25-Year-Old Murder Case|first1=John|last1=Holl|first2=Nate|last2=Schweber|work=The New York Times |date=March 23, 2007|via=NYTimes.com|access-date=March 3, 2020|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303161848/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/nyregion/23solve.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, Speziale was convicted of the 1982 [[rape]] and [[murder]] of Michele Mika, a teenage girl who lived next door to him, and is currently serving a sentence of 25 years to life in Rahway.<ref name=Speziale />

In ''Scared Straight: 20 Years Later'', Speziale claimed that the ''Scared Straight!'' experience changed him,<ref name=JJIE>{{cite web |url = http://jjie.org/scared-straight-graduate-plays-starring-role/9285 |title = Scared Straight! Graduate Plays Starring Role in Cold Case Crime |date = 2011-02-02|website = jjie.org |access-date = November 4, 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160322060211/http://jjie.org/scared-straight-graduate-plays-starring-role/9285/ |archive-date = March 22, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> although he admitted in the film that he had failed to lead a straight life. "I broke the law three times after I visited Rahway. Twice right after, still at the age of 17 and 18, and then about five years ago, I did fifteen days in the county jail for disorderly conduct." He was later arrested for [[shoplifting]] in 2005 and a [[DNA]] sample linked him to the 1982 [[cold case (criminology)|cold case]] rape/murder that led to his imprisonment.<ref name=Speziale /> A New Jersey law enforcement source has confirmed that Speziale is the same person who appeared in both documentaries.<ref name=JJIE />

On August 18, 2011, A&E premiered the second season of ''Beyond Scared Straight'', once again in the midst of controversy. Joe Vignati, director of Justice Programs at the Governor's Office for Children and Families in Georgia, writes at the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: "After becoming the highest rated program in the history of the Disney-owned A&E network, a new season of this 'reality' show returns to titillate the curious and misinformed."<ref>Vignati, Joe. [http://jjie.org/oped-joe-vignati-on-beyond-scared-straight-irresponsibility-of-ae-network/20182 "Joe Vignati On Beyond Scared Straight and the Irresponsibility of the A&E Network"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001090444/http://jjie.org/oped-joe-vignati-on-beyond-scared-straight-irresponsibility-of-ae-network/20182 |date=October 1, 2011 }}. Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, accessed August 19, 2011</ref> Also, in light of the Speziale case, the Campaign for Youth Justice has petitioned A&E to cancel ''Beyond Scared Straight'' because they claim that the show promotes "the spread of a noxious program" and may be in violation of federal law and standards set forth by the [[Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention]] (OJJDP).<ref name=JJIE />

==Reception and legacy==
As a result of the film, many states introduced "scared straight" programs in an attempt to rehabilitate young delinquents.<ref>{{cite web |title = Scared Straight! |url = https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/7575/scared-straight/ |work = DVD Talk |access-date = May 27, 2012 |author = Gil Jawetz |date = September 12, 2003 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121105075745/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/7575/scared-straight/ |archive-date = November 5, 2012 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

In April 1978, James Finckenauer, a professor of the [[Rutgers University|Rutgers]] School of Criminal Justice, began a test of the Scared Straight program, using a [[Treatment and control groups|control group]], something that had not been done previously.<ref>{{Cite book |title = Black Box Thinking |last = Syed |first = Mathew |publisher = Penguin Random House |year = 2015 |isbn = 978-1-59184-822-6 |pages = 162 }}</ref> His study concluded that children who attended Rahway were more likely to commit crimes than those who did not.<ref>{{Cite journal |title = 'Scared Straight' and the Panacea phenomenon: discussion |journal = Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume = 347 |issue = 1 |pages = 213–217 |date = June 1980 |doi = 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1980.tb21271.x |pmid = 6930902 |language = en |first = James O. |last = Finckenauer |bibcode = 1980NYASA.347..213F |s2cid = 42074941 }}</ref>

A [[meta-analysis]] of the results of a number of Scared Straight and similar programs found that they actively increased crime rates and lead to higher re-offense rates compared to control groups that did not receive the intervention. The cause of the increase in crime is not clear.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Petrosino|first1=Anthony|last2=Turpin-Petrosino|first2=Carolyn|last3=Hollis-Peel|first3=Meghan E.|last4=Lavenberg|first4=Julia G.|date=2013-04-30|title='Scared Straight' and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|issue=4|pages=CD002796|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD002796.pub2|issn=1469-493X|pmid=23862186|url=https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=crim_fac|access-date=September 24, 2019|archive-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428163712/https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=crim_fac|url-status=live}}</ref> The UK [[College of Policing]] agrees that there is "very strong quality" evidence that Scared Straight programs cause an increase in crime.<ref name="ukcop">{{cite web|url=http://whatworks.college.police.uk/toolkit/Pages/Intervention.aspx?InterventionID=2|title=College of Policing: What Works Crime Reduction Toolkit - 'Scared Straight' Programs|date=2015-02-19|access-date=2018-07-05|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705151225/http://whatworks.college.police.uk/toolkit/Pages/Intervention.aspx?InterventionID=2|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, two [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] officials wrote an [[op-ed]] piece in ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' describing scared straight programs as "ineffective" and "potentially harmful". The officials, OJJDP Acting Administrator Jeff Slowikowski and Laurie O. Robinson wrote that "when it comes to our children," [[policymakers]] and parents should "follow evidence, not anecdote".<ref>Laurie O. Robinson and Jeff Slowikowski. [https://www.baltimoresun.com/2011/01/31/scary-and-ineffective/ "Scary -- and ineffective"] . ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''. January 31, 2011</ref>

In 2004, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy estimated that each dollar spent on Scared Straight programs incurred costs of $203.51.<ref>{{Cite report |first1 = Steve |last1 = Aos |first2 = Roxanne |last2 = Lieb |first3 = Jim |last3 = Mayfield |first4 = Marna |last4 = Miller |first5 = Annie |last5 = Pennucci |date = September 7, 2014 |title = Benefits and Costs of Prevention and Early Intervention Programs for Youth |url = http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/881/Wsipp_Benefits-and-Costs-of-Prevention-and-Early-Intervention-Programs-for-Youth_Summary-Report.pdf |publisher = [[Washington State Institute for Public Policy]] |location = Olympia, WA |access-date = July 28, 2014 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140802015319/http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/881/Wsipp_Benefits-and-Costs-of-Prevention-and-Early-Intervention-Programs-for-Youth_Summary-Report.pdf |archive-date = August 2, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

=== Cultural references ===
Television series ''[[Hardcastle and McCormick]]'' had an end of first-season episode called "Scared Stiff" in which teenage boys were taken to a [[state prison]] to scare them out of further crimes.

In 1984, the syndicated animated series ''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids#Revamps and renames|The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]'' used the ''Scared Straight!'' formula in the episode "Busted". There, after the main protagonists are arrested for being accessories to grand theft auto—they had accepted a ride from their new friend, Larry, who admits only after initiating a police pursuit that he had just stolen the car—the police sergeant and court agree to drop the charges against the Cosby Kids ... but only after giving them a tour of a maximum-security prison, where the kids are frightened by the inmates and their behavior. In the end, the Cosby Kids vow to stay out of trouble and promptly disassociate with Larry.

The 1992 ''[[Married... with Children]]'' sixth season, episode "Rites of Passage", has [[Al Bundy]], on Bud's 18th birthday, lamenting how the Department of Juvenile Corrections bused some juvenile offenders over to his shoe store, making them spend over three hours watching him work at his dead-end job, to show them how important it is to stay in school-and out of trouble, "until even the most hardened punk was crying like a baby".

Between 2008 and 2012, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' satirized ''Scared Straight!''-type programs in [[Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 2007–2008#Scared Straight|a series of eight sketches]].

In the third-season episode of ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'' entitled "Notapusy," a former prison inmate mistakes a [[gay conversion therapy]] seminar entitled "Startled Straight" for a ''Scared Straight!''-type program and lectures the group of men about the horrors of incarceration, especially the prevalence of homosexual [[prison sex]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Noel |title=Arrested Development: "Forget Me Now"/"Notapusy" |url=https://www.avclub.com/arrested-development-forget-me-now-notapusy-1798175047 |access-date=4 June 2018 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=November 20, 2012}}</ref>

"A Date with the Booty Warrior," a third-season episode of ''[[The Boondocks (TV series)|The Boondocks]]'', features a group of children participating in a program called "Scared Stiff". However, the program is subverted when the children and prisoners collaborate to organize a [[prison strike]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pierce |first1=Leonard |title=The Boondocks: "A Date With The Booty Warrior" |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-boondocks-a-date-with-the-booty-warrior-1798165330 |access-date=4 June 2018 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=June 27, 2010 |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831000225/http://tv.avclub.com/the-boondocks-a-date-with-the-booty-warrior-1798165330 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Rap artist [[GZA]] utilised samples of Peter Falk's narration for the song "Path of Destruction" from the album ''[[Pro Tools (album)|Pro Tools]]''.

Comedian Tom Segura referenced the Scared Straight episode of 1999 that he claims "aired once" in his Netflix comedy special ''Mostly Stories''.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Tom Segura |date=2016 |title=Tom Segura: Mostly Stories |medium=Online |language=en |url=https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/2017/04/19/tom-segura-mostly-stories-2016-full-transcript/ |access-date=December 6, 2018 |format=Streaming |time=42 minutes |publisher=Netflix}}</ref>

In the ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' episode "Scared Straight", Beavis and Butt-Head are sent to prison for a day as part of a Scared Straight program. They end up befriending some inmates who share their passion for [[heavy metal music]], and decide to sneak back in to stay longer.

In the ''[[Drake & Josh]]'' episode "Steered Straight", Drake Parker and Josh Nichols are sent to jail as part of a program that's similar to Scared Straight. However, on the way to the jail, the police car they were riding in is hijacked by an actual criminal, who mistakes the brothers for a criminal duo.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-straight/ A&E TV Series "Beyond Scared Straight"]
* [http://jjie.org/blast/joe-vignatibeyond-scared-straight-beyond-common-sense/ JJS Op-Ed]
* [http://jjie.org/scared Juvenile Justice Information Exchange]
* [http://www.northjersey.com/news/040110_Neighbor_sentenced_in_decades-old_Ridgefield_Park_murder.html Neighbor sentenced in decades-old Ridgefield Park murder]
* {{IMDb title|0078205}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|scared_straight}}
* [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YpSt0yyQypE The film's Best Documentary Feature win at Oscars' official YouTube channel]
* [http://www.whentheshipcomesin.com/scared-straight-1978 Scared Straight! review]
* [http://jjie.org/prevention/scared-straight-graduate-plays-starring-role "The Real Legacy of Scared Straight"]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Scared Straight!''
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Documentary Feature}}
{{EmmyAward Informational Series or Special}}
}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:1978 documentary films]]
[[Category:1978 films]]
[[Category:1978 films]]
[[Category:American documentary films]]
[[Category:Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Documentary films about crime in the United States]]
[[Category:Documentary films about incarceration in the United States]]
[[Category:Films directed by Arnold Shapiro]]
[[Category:Prison-related organizations]]
[[Category:Prisons in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award–winning broadcasts]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s American films]]
[[Category:English-language documentary films]]

Latest revision as of 05:26, 22 December 2024

This article is about the films and juvenile rehabilitation programs. For other uses, see Scared Straight (disambiguation).

Scared Straight!
DVD Cover
Directed byArnold Shapiro
Written byArnold Shapiro
Produced byArnold Shapiro
Narrated byPeter Falk
CinematographyWilliam Moffitt
Edited byBob Niemack
Production
company
Distributed byGolden West Television
Release date
  • November 2, 1978 (1978-11-02)
Running time
52 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Scared Straight! is a 1978 American documentary directed by Arnold Shapiro. Narrated by Peter Falk, the subject of the documentary is a group of juvenile delinquents and their three-hour session with actual convicts. Filmed at Rahway State Prison, a group of inmates known as the "lifers" berate, scream at, and terrify the young offenders in an attempt to "scare them straight", so that those teenagers will avoid prison life.

The documentary aired on television in the late 1970s, uncensored; it marked the first time that the words "fuck" and "shit" were broadcast on many networks. Some broadcasters (an example being CFQC, a CTV Network affiliate in Canada) added locally produced segments in which experts discussed both the content of the documentary and the rationale behind airing it uncensored.

The documentary received several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[1] It found that most of the participants did not reoffend. However, studies that compared and evaluated the effects of various Scared Straight programs against a control group have concluded that they increase the likelihood of participants later committing crimes.

Overview

[edit]

Teenagers in this documentary and the 1980 sequel, Scared Straight! Another Story, ranged from 15- to 19-year-old repeat offenders of crimes ranging from petty theft, drug addiction, and public intoxication to gambling, counterfeiting, and racketeering.[2][3] None of the "graduates" of the original documentary have since been convicted of a felony except for Angelo Speziale, who in 2010 was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the rape and murder of his neighbor in 1982 (four years after the film was made).[4]

Most were from the tri-state (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York) area and agreed to accept the experiment in lieu of jail time and/or probation/public service. The producers asked for a range of youth that came from poor inner-city neighborhoods to the affluent suburbs of New York City.

The "Lifers" featured in the film were primarily convicted of murder, while others were in for armed robbery, and some committed both.

One of the actions seen in the film, commonly done at the prison, forces the juveniles to take off their shoes, either by themselves, or by the lifers, pulling them off the juveniles' feet and throwing them into a mixed pile, as a lesson about stealing from somebody.

At film's end, the teenagers say that they have decided that they do not want to end up in jail. The film ends with a "roll call" of the teens, revealing that most were "scared straight", though a few were said to have reoffended.

Awards

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The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1978.[5] It also won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement–Informational Program and Outstanding Informational Program. Scared Straight! won the 1978 George Polk Awards for Film Documentary.

Preservation

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The Academy Film Archive preserved Scared Straight! in 2007.[6]

Follow-ups

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The original Scared Straight! was followed by a dramatized film Scared Straight! Another Story (1980),[3] Scared Straight! 10 Years Later (1987),[7][8] and (on MTV and UPN) Scared Straight! 20 Years Later (1999).[9][10][11]

On January 13, 2011, A&E introduced the new series Beyond Scared Straight, executive produced by Arnold Shapiro and Paul Coyne. According to the A&E website profile for the series: "Each one-hour episode focuses on a different inmate-run program in the U.S., and follows four or five at-risk teens before they attend the program, throughout their day inside the prison, immediately afterwards, and then follows up with them one month later to see the lasting impact of the experience on their lives. Beyond Scared Straight is about transforming the lives of young people through intervention and second chances." In addition, each episode ends with updates of the teen participants since the taping of the program, citing both successes and some failures in their post-prison behavior, and unfortunate news of passings or incarcerations that happen if teens end up down this path.

On February 1, 2011, the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange reported that one of the graduates of the original Scared Straight! program at Rahway, Angelo Speziale, later became a convicted felon.[12] In 2010, Speziale was convicted of the 1982 rape and murder of Michele Mika, a teenage girl who lived next door to him, and is currently serving a sentence of 25 years to life in Rahway.[4]

In Scared Straight: 20 Years Later, Speziale claimed that the Scared Straight! experience changed him,[13] although he admitted in the film that he had failed to lead a straight life. "I broke the law three times after I visited Rahway. Twice right after, still at the age of 17 and 18, and then about five years ago, I did fifteen days in the county jail for disorderly conduct." He was later arrested for shoplifting in 2005 and a DNA sample linked him to the 1982 cold case rape/murder that led to his imprisonment.[4] A New Jersey law enforcement source has confirmed that Speziale is the same person who appeared in both documentaries.[13]

On August 18, 2011, A&E premiered the second season of Beyond Scared Straight, once again in the midst of controversy. Joe Vignati, director of Justice Programs at the Governor's Office for Children and Families in Georgia, writes at the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: "After becoming the highest rated program in the history of the Disney-owned A&E network, a new season of this 'reality' show returns to titillate the curious and misinformed."[14] Also, in light of the Speziale case, the Campaign for Youth Justice has petitioned A&E to cancel Beyond Scared Straight because they claim that the show promotes "the spread of a noxious program" and may be in violation of federal law and standards set forth by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).[13]

Reception and legacy

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As a result of the film, many states introduced "scared straight" programs in an attempt to rehabilitate young delinquents.[15]

In April 1978, James Finckenauer, a professor of the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, began a test of the Scared Straight program, using a control group, something that had not been done previously.[16] His study concluded that children who attended Rahway were more likely to commit crimes than those who did not.[17]

A meta-analysis of the results of a number of Scared Straight and similar programs found that they actively increased crime rates and lead to higher re-offense rates compared to control groups that did not receive the intervention. The cause of the increase in crime is not clear.[18] The UK College of Policing agrees that there is "very strong quality" evidence that Scared Straight programs cause an increase in crime.[19]

In 2011, two Justice Department officials wrote an op-ed piece in The Baltimore Sun describing scared straight programs as "ineffective" and "potentially harmful". The officials, OJJDP Acting Administrator Jeff Slowikowski and Laurie O. Robinson wrote that "when it comes to our children," policymakers and parents should "follow evidence, not anecdote".[20]

In 2004, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy estimated that each dollar spent on Scared Straight programs incurred costs of $203.51.[21]

Cultural references

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Television series Hardcastle and McCormick had an end of first-season episode called "Scared Stiff" in which teenage boys were taken to a state prison to scare them out of further crimes.

In 1984, the syndicated animated series The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids used the Scared Straight! formula in the episode "Busted". There, after the main protagonists are arrested for being accessories to grand theft auto—they had accepted a ride from their new friend, Larry, who admits only after initiating a police pursuit that he had just stolen the car—the police sergeant and court agree to drop the charges against the Cosby Kids ... but only after giving them a tour of a maximum-security prison, where the kids are frightened by the inmates and their behavior. In the end, the Cosby Kids vow to stay out of trouble and promptly disassociate with Larry.

The 1992 Married... with Children sixth season, episode "Rites of Passage", has Al Bundy, on Bud's 18th birthday, lamenting how the Department of Juvenile Corrections bused some juvenile offenders over to his shoe store, making them spend over three hours watching him work at his dead-end job, to show them how important it is to stay in school-and out of trouble, "until even the most hardened punk was crying like a baby".

Between 2008 and 2012, Saturday Night Live satirized Scared Straight!-type programs in a series of eight sketches.

In the third-season episode of Arrested Development entitled "Notapusy," a former prison inmate mistakes a gay conversion therapy seminar entitled "Startled Straight" for a Scared Straight!-type program and lectures the group of men about the horrors of incarceration, especially the prevalence of homosexual prison sex.[22]

"A Date with the Booty Warrior," a third-season episode of The Boondocks, features a group of children participating in a program called "Scared Stiff". However, the program is subverted when the children and prisoners collaborate to organize a prison strike.[23]

Rap artist GZA utilised samples of Peter Falk's narration for the song "Path of Destruction" from the album Pro Tools.

Comedian Tom Segura referenced the Scared Straight episode of 1999 that he claims "aired once" in his Netflix comedy special Mostly Stories.[24]

In the Beavis and Butt-Head episode "Scared Straight", Beavis and Butt-Head are sent to prison for a day as part of a Scared Straight program. They end up befriending some inmates who share their passion for heavy metal music, and decide to sneak back in to stay longer.

In the Drake & Josh episode "Steered Straight", Drake Parker and Josh Nichols are sent to jail as part of a program that's similar to Scared Straight. However, on the way to the jail, the police car they were riding in is hijacked by an actual criminal, who mistakes the brothers for a criminal duo.

References

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  1. ^ "The 51st Academy Awards | 1979". www.oscars.org. October 5, 2014.
  2. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Scared Straight! Another Story". People. July 12, 1982.
  3. ^ a b "'Scared Straight!': How the media can exploit a social program". Christian Science Monitor. November 5, 1980. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "The Record (Hackensack, NJ): "Neighbor sentenced in decades-old Ridgefield Park murder", April 1, 2010". northjersey.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  5. ^ "Scared Straight! (1978)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  6. ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016.
  7. ^ Corry, John (June 15, 1987). "'Scared Straight!' on 9, Followed by a Sequal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2020 – via NYTimes.com.
  8. ^ Hill, Michael E. (July 19, 1987). ""SCARED STRAIGHT THE TIMES ARE SCARIER"". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ "Time To Get 'Scared Straight' Again". AP NEWS.
  10. ^ Fries, Laura (April 14, 1999). "Scared Straight! 20 Years Later". Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  11. ^ Jicha, Tom (April 15, 1999). "STREET TOUGHS STRAIGHT AFTER PRISON SCARE". Sun-Sentinel.
  12. ^ Holl, John; Schweber, Nate (March 23, 2007). "DNA Match Leads to Arrest in 25-Year-Old Murder Case". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020 – via NYTimes.com.
  13. ^ a b c "Scared Straight! Graduate Plays Starring Role in Cold Case Crime". jjie.org. February 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  14. ^ Vignati, Joe. "Joe Vignati On Beyond Scared Straight and the Irresponsibility of the A&E Network" Archived October 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, accessed August 19, 2011
  15. ^ Gil Jawetz (September 12, 2003). "Scared Straight!". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  16. ^ Syed, Mathew (2015). Black Box Thinking. Penguin Random House. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-59184-822-6.
  17. ^ Finckenauer, James O. (June 1980). "'Scared Straight' and the Panacea phenomenon: discussion". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 347 (1): 213–217. Bibcode:1980NYASA.347..213F. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1980.tb21271.x. PMID 6930902. S2CID 42074941.
  18. ^ Petrosino, Anthony; Turpin-Petrosino, Carolyn; Hollis-Peel, Meghan E.; Lavenberg, Julia G. (April 30, 2013). "'Scared Straight' and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4): CD002796. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002796.pub2. ISSN 1469-493X. PMID 23862186. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  19. ^ "College of Policing: What Works Crime Reduction Toolkit - 'Scared Straight' Programs". February 19, 2015. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  20. ^ Laurie O. Robinson and Jeff Slowikowski. "Scary -- and ineffective" . The Baltimore Sun. January 31, 2011
  21. ^ Aos, Steve; Lieb, Roxanne; Mayfield, Jim; Miller, Marna; Pennucci, Annie (September 7, 2014). Benefits and Costs of Prevention and Early Intervention Programs for Youth (PDF) (Report). Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 2, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  22. ^ Murray, Noel (November 20, 2012). "Arrested Development: "Forget Me Now"/"Notapusy"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  23. ^ Pierce, Leonard (June 27, 2010). "The Boondocks: "A Date With The Booty Warrior"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  24. ^ Tom Segura (2016). Tom Segura: Mostly Stories (Streaming) (Online). Netflix. Event occurs at 42 minutes. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
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