Scared Straight! (1978)

The filmed depiction of a program where convicts tell troubled kids about the horrors of prison life.

Director:

Arnold Shapiro

Writer:

Arnold Shapiro

Stars:

Peter Falk, Doug Cronin

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Peter Falk	...	Himself - Host
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doug Cronin

Storyline

This film shows the Scared Straight program that has hardened convicts from maximum security prisons tell their stories about the truth about prison life in order to convince kids that no crime is worth the risk of being incarcerated

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Plot Keywords:

prison | convict | teen | juvenile delinquency | vulgarity | 

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Genres:

Crime | Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1978 (USA)

Filming Locations:

East Jersey State Prison, Rahway, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden West Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

When it won the Oscar and Emmy, producer 'Davil L. Wolper' was the one who presented the awards to Arnold Shapiro.

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Quotes

Convict: I don't like nothin' in the first place and I don't like you!

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Connections

Spoofed in The Venture Bros.: Return to Spider-Skull Island (2004)

User Reviews

Potent.

I first saw this nearly five years ago as a high school freshman, in health class. The experience was absolutely riveting, and as has already been pointed out, there's a brutal honesty in this film that simply doesn't come from a screenplay.

While this film is over two decades old, that in no way lessens its impact. With talk-shows now blindly bombarding us with images of indignant, lawless teenagers and trying to dispel the situation with pop psychologists and boot camps, the "Scared Straight!" program looks all the more effective.

This is definitely not one to miss.