FAQ

Westchester County, NY, teenagers who are repeatedly in trouble with the law for seemingly minor crimes such as shoplifting, theft, drug dealing and use, and assault are taken to Rahway Penitentiary in New Jersey to meet convicts who have been sentenced to at least 25 years for brutal crimes such as rape, homicide, armed robbery, and drug dealing. Many of the inmates selected for the program are called "lifers", serving life sentences. Initially, the teens are somewhat impressed that they will see the inside of a real maximum security prison and that they're already "tough" attitudes will carry them through the day with little effect. They learn very quickly that their "meeting" with the inmates is designed to frighten them with the harsh reality of prison life. The inmates are permitted to use the foulest language they can and they are permitted also to berate the teens individually, even threatening them with bodily harm. At one point, an inmate orders everyone to remove their shoes, an act that simulates petty theft for the kids. If the teens do not remove their shoes quickly enough, the inmates will forcibly remove them (but without actually harming the teen). The teens are interviewed after their day with the convicts and many admit that they do not wish to be sent to prison.