Beyond Scared Straight Essay

A solution to this social issue is to start a program where young adults ages 12 to 18 can go to receive life-guidance, workshops, and activities to keep themselves away from trouble. Also, a way to prevent youth from having difficulties at home, school and in their community. Throughout the years, there had been many prevention programs to help at-risk youth. Most of them were successful. However one of the programs that were not fully successful to help youth was the Beyond Scared Straight program. The Scared Straight Program was established in the 1970s. It was used throughout the U.S in order to deter juvenile crime. The program is a visit for at-risk youth who get the experience of being in adult prisons. The experience involves tours of the facility, having aggressive “in-your-face” presentations …show more content…
Los Angeles is known to be the “gang capital” of America with over 450 gangs, including the increase of gangs throughout the years. With the increase of gangs, the age of recruitment has reduced to under 18 years of age. To recruit minors who live in low income environments, have a learning disabilities, and emotional disorders. These minors do not seek out for help but are finding help in the streets. Gang membership and delinquency is destroying the lives of youth, but with the help of a mentorship program with activities, it can lead youth to the right path of their lives. For example, Jose’s life would be better if he were to receive help of a program that offers guidance on how he could handle the situation of buying milk for his family. If the program was available for Jose back then, he would not have been with a gang. Instead of being in programs that degrades youth like Jose, the youth deserves to be in a program that gives them motivation. With the help from the program, adolescents can give themselves a better future and see that there is hope in the