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Scared Straight

Evidence Rating

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Disparity Rating
Likely to increase disparities
Community Conditions
Safety and social support
Authors
Lead: Bomi Kim Hirsch
Contributor(s): Alison Bergum
Date Last Updated
June 17, 2016

Scared Straight and other juvenile awareness programs bring juvenile delinquents or youth at risk of delinquency on organized group visits to prisons that include observations of prison life and interactions with adult inmates. Such programs also include presentations from inmates that describe the effects of violence and life in prison.

What could this strategy improve?

What does the research say about effectiveness? -+

There is strong evidence that Scared Straight and other juvenile awareness programs increase juvenile crime and recidivism (Campbell-Petrosino 2013, NIJ-CrimeSolutions). Youth who participate in such programs are approximately 1.7 times as likely as non-participating peers to have juvenile offenses such as arrests, convictions, and contacts with police (Campbell-Petrosino 2013).

Citations -+

Campbell-Petrosino 2013 - Petrosino A, Buehler J, Turpin-Petrosino C. Scared Straight and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews. 2013:9.

NIJ-CrimeSolutions - National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-CrimeSolutions. All programs and practices.