The Valley State Prison for Women.
Five teens learn the harsh realities of prison life at the Maryland Correctional Institution at Jessup, where dozens of menacing inmates, including convicted murderers, surround the kids and taunt them. The teens include Steve, 17, who likes the "outlaw" life; Brandon, 17, who's been arrested five times; Dion, who admits to selling drugs; and Sahn, 13, who steals polo shirts because he's got a "passion for fashion.
Hardened criminals at the California prison that is home to Charles Manson give teens a taste of life on the yard, where any prisoner can approach the kids and give them a feel for the dangers of prison life. The teens include Stephen, 16, a violent youth who threatens his teachers; Josh and Armando, 16, twin brothers and gang members; Elijha, 15, a car thief; and Abraham, 16, who thinks that going to jail is no big deal.
Six at-risk teens experience Lieber Correctional Facility in Ridgeville, SC, to get a first-hand look and feel at life on the inside. The inmate-run "Operation Behind Bars" program locks up the teens in tiny cells, gives them a taste prison food and offers a glimpse into "Lock-Up," a prison within the prison for the worst of the inmate population. Shaming the teens with a stern tone, the program coordinator, civilian Nell Westbury, adds a unique voice to the inmate's onslaught.
Four at-risk teens are brought to one of the nation's most infamous prisons to participate in the S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. program? the oldest inmate-run youth diversion program in the nation. The program, short for San Quentin's Utilization of Inmate Resources, Experiences & Studies, shows these kids the realities of prison life. They see the state's only male Death Row, are paraded past the heckles of the prisoners in the overcrowded cells and discuss how the constant fear of violence and physical harm is around every corner.
Maryland inmates give a group of five at-risk teens a taste of prison when they are forced to eat "Lock-up Loaf," a brick of baked mush served to unruly prisoners. The teens include, Shane, 17, a redneck who is surprised he hasn't killed anyone, Garrett, 13, who HAS been kicked out of eight schools already, Brandy, 16, who skips school to smoke pot, her brother Shawn, 15, who protects Brandy at any cost and Richard, 18, a towering jock who drinks, blacks out and awakens bloodied from brawling.
Four shoplifting friends are exposed to a degrading prison entry process.
In Charlotte, NC, teen troublemaker Jose goes head-to-head with terrifying inmates and Sgt. Garrett, one of the toughest female jail deputies Beyond Scared Straight has come across. When Jose refuses to follow an order, Sgt. Garrett makes it her mission to break him down.
Oakland County, Michigan is a stone's throw from Detroit's infamous 8-Mile and the streets here are just as tough - but the deputies and inmates who run Oakland County Jail's "Turn-Around" program are even tougher.
The at-risk teens of Portsmouth County, Virginia aren't afraid to fight back when confronted with a loud cellblock at Portsmouth County Jail. For one teen, a day is not enough and he is shocked when deputies show up at his home and return him to the
Teens in Oklahoma are being pulled into the gang lifestyle.
In the second-season finale, San Bernardino County Jail in California is visited by four teens who are also taken to the morgue to witness the consequences of gang violence.
South Carolina law-enforcement officials hope a long night in jail will knock some sense into teenage troublemakers.
A prison in St. Clair, Ill., is visited by teens who are threatened by screaming inmates
Teen girls visit a prison in San Bernardino County, Cal., where one of the teens gets into a confrontation that turns physical.
Siblings visit the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Virginia.
At the Queen Anne's County Jail "Reset" program in Maryland, six at-risk teens endure a four-day intervention program depicting the terrors of jail, a drunk driving fatality in a hospital trauma center and a glimpse of their own funeral. Eighteen year-old partiers Daria and Christopher, who are girlfriend and boyfriend, will find their relationship tested when they are forced to testify against each other in court.
Female troublemakers known as the Three Musketeer learn some hard lessons behind bars.
In the third-season finale, a teenage pyromaniac visits Virginia's Hampton Roads Regional Jail, where his mom works as a deputy.
Four troublesome teenage girls, including a street brawler and a thief, are thrown into a female jail to experience a taste of their possible future.
In Jacksonville, Florida, four at-risk teens attend a three-part "scared straight" tour. Towering over nearly everyone, KeShawn, 15, is intimidated by no one. But when KeShawn witnesses his pint-sized little brother, Kevon, suffering the terrifying consequences of trying to imitate his big bro, KeShawn breaks down, and gets a glimpse of what the future holds for both of them. Also, Johnny, a white, self-proclaimed racist, endures the wrath of the black inmate population.
The Return of "Ice Mike" Troubled teens that attend the St. Clair County Jail diversion program take a lie detector test that reveals some shocking secrets. Inmates "Ice Mike" and "Hustle Man" return (from last season) to confront a BMX-riding stoner, a fearless gangster, a terrorizing bully, and Summer--a promiscuous under age girl who just doesn t say no to older boys--and her paralyzed mom can't stop her. Summer experiences the humiliation of jailhouse make-up and the surprising reaction Ice Mike has to her shameful behavior. Summer freaks out when she sees an inmate strapped into a restraint chair, and going wild. Pot-smoking Austin, 15, discovers an inmate who dipped his hands into boiling oil while high on drugs. Jeremy, 17, is tormented by inmates when they learn he assaulted his grandmother. An entire cell block descends on the four teens--and they have nowhere to hide.
The Return of "Tiny"
Authorities hope a tour of prison will knock some much-needed sense into some troublesome teens from Southern California's San Bernardino County.
Swampland troublemakers who receive an attitude adjustment include a 17-year-old who uses her looks to her advantage and a young thug who meets a family member behind bars.
A young drug dealer, a child model and twin bullies enter a Georgia jail for a personal experience of the criminal-justice system.
A visiting teenage drug dealer fearlessly takes on the taunting residents of a Virginia jail; inmate Nasty Nard greets the newcomers with aggression.
A Texas mother sends her three troublesome daughters to an overnight jail program in Richland County, South Carolina.
A teen visitor to the Oneida County Correctional Facility in central New York takes a seat in a restraint chair, while another young hoodlum gets handcuffed before he even enters the joint.
Hardened criminals in the Oklahoma County Detention Center teach a spoiled drama queen a valuable lesson.
A man suffering from cancer hopes that a stint in Georgia's Floyd County Jail will teach his angry teenage son an important lesson.
Inmates at the Portsmouth County Jail lay some hard truths on a would-be rap star; pugnacious siblings are confronted with difficult choices; officers threaten to extend a disrespectful teen's visit.
A promiscuous teenage troublemaker shares a cell with a relative in Virginia's Western Tidewater Regional Jail, only to learn that family bonds aren't strengthened behind bars.
New visitors to the clink include a light-fingered football prodigy, a pot-smoking teen from the suburbs, and an aspiring rap star who thinks that hard time will improve his rhymes.
Teens featured in earlier episodes of the series are revisited to see if their jailhouse experiences had any meaningful impact on their lives.
Four troubled girls get a true taste of prison life during a stay at the Oneida County Correctional Facility.
A colorful deputy attempts to change the lives of four teenage troublemakers spending time at his Georgia jail.
A 14-year-old street brawler's defiant attitude surprises the deputies at a Virginia jail.
A 12-year-old girl is reduced to tears during a frightening stay in Florida's Lake County Detention Center.
A large 14-year-old who attacks his adoptive parents meets the hardened inmates and officers of a Michigan jail.
Ferocious killer Hustle Man attacks an at-risk teen who refuses to comb another prison inmate's chest hair.
Two defiant teenage sisters foolishly believe they can survive in jail; a car-stealing bully discovers jail is full of bigger, tougher individuals than himself.
Four troubled youngsters with bad attitudes take a trip to jail, only to learn their street reputations make them targets on the inside.
During a physically exhausting all-night jail stay in Richland County, SC, Aaron, 12, a habitual liar, confounds deputies by excelling at every exercise--despite having a broken arm.
A stoner gets violent when inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque, N.M., sully his girlfriend's honor; a 14-year-old "chick magnet" draws unwanted comparisons to a teen idol.
A once-violent, now submissive inmate hopes to make a difference in the lives of the new young offenders in his facility.
A young Oklahoma offender tries to escape during a jail visit; preteen toughs are forced to display their loyalty to their respective rival gangs; a teen arsonist gets burned by his actions.
A jail inmate tosses chairs at a young troublemaker; a 16-year-old boozer has a sobering experience at a funeral home; a surprise witness in the courtroom threatens a teen's freedom.
Small crimes threaten the light bond between two brothers; the teens visit an "alternative lifestyle" ward.
A teenage football star's drug use and violent ways threaten his dreams of a career in law enforcement; a police officer's son believes that he is above the law; a hulking teen troublemaker meets his match.
Young brothers are separated soon after entering the St. Clair County Jail in Illinois; a stoner learns the pursuit of weed could land him among hardened criminals; a tough teen meets a meaner gang member behind bars.
A cocky thief, a pint-sized stoner, a violent ne'er-do-well and a serial shoplifter are placed in Georgia's Dougherty County Jail to experience the reality of life behind bars.
A teen trying to head down a better path meets a heartbreaking fate on the streets, inspiring family members left behind to live better lives.
Aggressive sisters Quaja and Quona are joined by their cousin Tay-Tay for an evening in a Virginia jail.
A 15-year-old's world shatters when he sees his tough older brother wearing prison garb; a stoner takes a second tour of jail; deputies put the pressure on a baby-faced bully and a 19-year-old thief.
A 19-year-old high-school sophomore breaks into home and hustles on the street; two teenage drug users join the residents of the St. Clair County Jail in Illinois.
A 14-year-old girl and her younger half-sister act out violently in the slammer; two teenage brothers make different choices during their stint in a Virginia jail.
Two brothers and a sister on a rampage of crime and violence are separated after being admitted to an Oklahoma jail.
A 12-year-old genius learns he isn't as smart as he imagines after he enters Georgia's Dougherty County Jail.
A remorseless 17-year-old car thief finds his world crashing down when he learns his stepfather is in a Georgia jail.
A stint in jail tests the loyalty of two close-knit sisters; a teenage thief follows in the footsteps of his younger brother.
A larcenous teen uses a Taser on her enemies; cameras capture a young brawler's humiliating defeat; a loudmouth threatens to kill her teacher; a spoiled brat shoplifts and plays hooky.
A 14-year-old from San Bernardino, Calif., who hangs out with hang members spends a memorable day behind bars.
A violent 15-year-old fighter gets socked by reality after an unexpected jailhouse encounter with a relative.
A combative Georgia teenager lies to a judge and is ordered to spend some time in the Douglas County Jail.
A 13-year-old arsonist schemes to assault members of a rival gang, but his criminal plans change after he squeals on a larcenous convict.
In Oklahoma City, Kerina, 16, and Siera, 14, are sisters who emulate the violent lyrics and wear the face paint of the Insane Clown Posse. They learn that there is no clowning around in jail.
A 14-year-old girl visits prison in Virginia, where her mother is incarcerated.
Darisha, 17 is a gangbanger who loudly challenges inmates, but is shocked to see a relative behind bars at St. Clair County Jail, IL. She then faces a situation after the tour with potentially fatal circumstances.
A violent 15-year-old boy visits prison in Georgia.
In the Season 9 premiere, a mother sends her extremely aggressive 15-year-old son on a tour of the Fulton County Jail in Georgia following an incident in which she had to use a Taser and pepper spray in order to defend herself from his attacks.
An unpredictable deputy at the Floyd County Sheriff's Office in Georgia bullies, coaxes and comforts to help create new futures for a carjacker, a shoplifting party girl, a violent fighter and a granny-robbing thief.
The inmates and officers of a Virginia jail are physically challenged by an aggressive 16-year-old gangbanger.
Weapons are found on an 18-year-old student, who claims she had no idea she was carrying them and that they belong to a friend. In hopes of a clean slate, she attends a youth intervention program at the Chester County Jail in South Carolina.
Two baby-faced brothers, ages 12 and 13, are brought to Dougherty County Jail in Georgia in hopes of curing them of their penchant to start fires, steal guns and assault their mother.
A 16-year-old who has run away four times refuses to back down to inmates or deputies at the Douglas County Jail in Georgia, where she discovers an unlikely ally behind bars.
Caught on video violently attacking his mother, Dylan, a 14-year-old bully, gets a taste of his own brutality during a long overnight stay in South Carolina's Richland County Jail.
Angry sisters Precious, 14, and Keyiona, 17, think they're tough enough for jail, until they are startled to discover a family member serving time at the Oklahoma County Jail.
When a spoiled, 15-year-old gang member is confronted by a swarm of angry inmates in jail, she fights back physically.
