NCJ Number
95680
Journal
Deviant Behavior Volume: 5 Issue: 1-4 Dated: (1984) Pages: 375-386
Date Published
1984
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper focuses on the Oscar winning television documentary 'Scared Straight.'
Abstract
This documentary describes the Juvenile Awareness Project (JAP) at Rahway State Prison in New Jersey, which attempts to deter juvenile delinquency by briefly exposing young offenders to the harsh realities of prison life. The paper analyzes the possible reasons for the popularity of this show and the JAP. It is suggested that factors such as the public perception of increasing crime rates, declining support for rehabilitation, and a dramatic promise of a new, synthetic solution for delinquency were among the major reasons for the success of the television documentary. (Publisher abstract)