Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Jamali Maddix travels to South Carolina to witness a controversial "correctional weekend," a program designed to give at-risk youth a visceral, unfiltered look at the life that awaits them if they continue on their current path. For forty-eight hours, these teenagers are stripped of their comforts and forced to navigate the psychological and physical pressures of a simulated prison environment.
This documentary avoids the tropes of traditional "scared straight" television, instead opting for a sober observation of the interaction between the program directors—many of whom are former inmates themselves—and the youth who are teetering on the edge of the system. We explore whether fear is an effective deterrent for crime, or if these programs highlight a deeper systemic failure. In a state with some of the most rigid sentencing laws in the country, the stakes for these kids couldn't be higher. This is an honest look at the desperate measures parents and communities take to save a generation from the cycle of incarceration.
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This film was first broadcast: 2022
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True Lives brings you fascinating stories of social interest from around the world. You can discover award winning documentaries, films and groundbreaking reports that capture the complexities of our daily life, with stories that will entertain, inspire and inform.
Content distributed by ITV Studios.
#TrueCrime #PrisonDocumentary #ScaredStraight #YouthJustice #SouthCarolina #SocialIssues #Documentary #AtRiskYouth #CrimePrevention #SystemicJustice
Jamali Maddix travels to South Carolina to witness a controversial "correctional weekend," a program designed to give at-risk youth a visceral, unfiltered look at the life that awaits them if they continue on their current path. For forty-eight hours, these teenagers are stripped of their comforts and forced to navigate the psychological and physical pressures of a simulated prison environment.
This documentary avoids the tropes of traditional "scared straight" television, instead opting for a sober observation of the interaction between the program directors—many of whom are former inmates themselves—and the youth who are teetering on the edge of the system. We explore whether fear is an effective deterrent for crime, or if these programs highlight a deeper systemic failure. In a state with some of the most rigid sentencing laws in the country, the stakes for these kids couldn't be higher. This is an honest look at the desperate measures parents and communities take to save a generation from the cycle of incarceration.
Subscribe to True Lives: bit.ly/3dBMxvl
This film was first broadcast: 2022
Check us out on Facebook: facebook.com/OurStoriesChannel
Watch More Documentaries
True Lives - bit.ly/3A8xRMJ
Up Close - youtube.com/@UpCloseITVS
Our History - bit.ly/3rUpdhL
Our World - bit.ly/3ftuckM
Our Stories - bit.ly/3ynfFyk
Taste - bit.ly/3OZoDcV
Blueprint - bit.ly/3ZK5UdD
True Lives brings you fascinating stories of social interest from around the world. You can discover award winning documentaries, films and groundbreaking reports that capture the complexities of our daily life, with stories that will entertain, inspire and inform.
Content distributed by ITV Studios.
#TrueCrime #PrisonDocumentary #ScaredStraight #YouthJustice #SouthCarolina #SocialIssues #Documentary #AtRiskYouth #CrimePrevention #SystemicJustice
