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Scared Straight!

Scared Straight!. A case study of the “panacea” phenomena. Original Scared Straight. Juvenile Awareness Project Help (JAPH) Rahway Prison, NJ (created in 1976) The Program Intimidate kids (delinquents?) and show them how bad prisons are Tour of prison, “rap session” with “lifers”…

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Scared Straight!

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  1. Scared Straight! A case study of the “panacea” phenomena

  2. Original Scared Straight • Juvenile Awareness Project Help (JAPH) • Rahway Prison, NJ (created in 1976) • The Program • Intimidate kids (delinquents?) and show them how bad prisons are • Tour of prison, “rap session” with “lifers”… • Scared Straight! Documentary • Claimed success rate of 94%, won Academy Award, immensely popular with public • Redone by MTV in 1999. Claimed 12/14 (86%) were “scared straight” • Beyond Scared Straight! airs in 2011 – According to A&E, this is one of the best delinquency prevention programs ever.

  3. Research on Scared Straight Type Programs (1968-1992) Failure Rates

  4. The Texas “Face to Face Juvenile Aversion Program” (1981) Randomly Assigned to Groups, 6 month follow-up, recidivism = court records

  5. Why Still Around? • Bad LOGIC • “If one child is diverted from the life of crime, it can not be marked as a failure…” • Blind Faith and/or Ideology • “I don’t care what your research says, I know that it helps at least some kids…” • Kept for non-recidivism reasons • Public likes it....its good for the inmates, etc. • Good film + life experience for many (program very popular in 1970s) • American belief in “silver bullet” solutions to complex problems

  6. Quotes from Shapiro Interview • Shapiro, Beyond Scared Straight’s producer, isn’t buying it.  He argues that trials such as the ones reviewed by the WSIPP and the Campbell Collaboration are no substitute for the direct observation that he has done. “Academic studies don’t work,” Shapiro says.  “It’s all about follow-up.  I’ve done more follow-up than anyone.  Scared Straight: 20 Years Later is the longest study ever done.” • “The kids in Beyond Scared Straight are chosen by youth counselors, teachers, family members.  If these people saw no results they would stop doing it,” Shapiro adds. 

  7. Hollywood “Knowing” versus Science “Knowing” • What was Shapiro’s “Follow Up?” • Interview with original SS group • On camera interview/admissions of crime • No control group—what else might explain quitting crime? • What counts as “straight” versus criminal? • Science • Control group + random assignment • Careful measurement • Prior to study, variables are defined (what “counts” as crime or recidivism). • Self-report crime is anonymous or confidential, and often supplemented with official measures

  8. How could it make juveniles “worse?” • Scared Straight Based on Deterrence • Increase perceptions of the “pain” of prison • Little empirical evidence that “harshness” matters What theory might predict the failure of Scared Straight!?

  9. What about the “counseling” component? • What qualifies inmates to council troubled youth? • Some “awareness programs” that were studied did have a “softer” approach, and were no more effective than the original approach.

  10. Should A&E be held responsible? • Clear that “Beyond Scared Straight” is every bit as popular (if not more) than the original versions. • Is there an ethical obligation to at least address the negative research? • From A&E web site: Scared Straight!, the Academy Award & multiple-Emmy®-winning documentary film by Arnold Shapiro, made a huge impact on audiences through its portrayal of an effective juvenile prevention program at a NJ prison. Over the years, both the prison program and the film have turned countless kids away from drugs, violence and crime, and kept them out of prison • Should government agencies that allowed SS programming be held accountable somehow?

  11. How will Scared Straight be “constructed” • Department of Justice officials have raised the alarm, as have academics • So far, the claims of the show’s producers seem to be given equal weight to those of “experts” in the field • Google Scared Straight or go to Wiki page and watch it evolve • Watch for • Bad logic (stupidity) • Ideology • Views of science versus other ways of “knowing things”

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