![]() ![]() ![]() In fact, these statements are not limited to this particular episode, it’s a visible theme found in almost every Beyond Scared Straight episode. They got girlfriends in here.”Īll in all, while the visit pinpointed the gravity of the at-risk teens’ reality, it proved to be a dangerous way to represent LGBTQ individuals. When you can’t holler and get no help, who ‘gone be in there? Your cellmate, who MIGHT be your girlfriend. “I’m gonna make you my girlfriend,” she bragged with a booming hiss, “ gonna take your virginity.” Teeth exposed, she blew a kiss.Īnother inmate gave words of wisdom to a visibly shaken 15-year-old. Likewise, a female teen experienced similar fears when a female inmate growled at the young girl. You ain’t no gangsta and you don’t go hard.” Then they turned me into this little punk and that’s what they’re going to turn you into. I was hard like you when I first came in here. “Nuh-uh, I wasn’t gay when I first came in here. “Are you gay?” asked the female correctional officer, watching the 14-year-old grow even smaller as the inmate bobbed his head confidently. The young boy grimaced and pursed his lips, bemused as the gay inmate sashayed and rolled his neck. “This is what you see when you’re in the jail. He hurried backwards and dodged the inmate’s glance. “Hell nah, man,” barked the boy, a peevish, uncomfortable grin stained his face. “Hey, you’re going to meet me and sleep with me every day,” the inmate said. One by one, inmates trickled out from their cells as ants would a hill and readily offered their take on prison life.Ī female correctional officer motioned for a male inmate to talk to a 14-year-old boy on his transformation from the streets to prison. Neither tray-slamming convicted murderers nor tattooed Herculean-like inmates seemed to place the same level of fear and anxiety in the teens than these inmates’ open expression of their identity. Each story moved my heart to silence and curiosity, especially an episode featuring six teens from Hampton Roads, VA.Īll went awry when teens were introduced to openly gay and transgender inmates. ![]() I opened my journal and scribbled terse yet accurate notes about the barriers adolescents faced: no father, violence at home, bullying, drug addiction, incarcerated guardian. Nonetheless, despite my reservations to watch a show that sensationalizes teen trauma under the guise of reality television, I trudged on and watched several episodes. These uncensored stories give teens a chance to take responsibility for their actions and choose life over vice. Inmates emotionally and verbally brutalize teens, puncturing their ostensibly unconquerable egos, and leaving many deflated. County-based youth outreach and prevention programs send unruly teens to an overnight or full-day prison visit, showcasing the reality of falling victim to the monstrous claws of an ominous, unforgiving criminal justice system. Beyond Scared Straight targets troubled and at-risk teens who have criminal records, lag behind academically, and come from “shattered” homes. According to my mentor, this exercise would help me understand external factors that contribute to how students form negative associations towards education. ![]() As an aspiring educator, it was recommended that I watch a few episodes of A&E TV’s reality series, Beyond Scared Straight. ![]()
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