Beyond Scared Straight |

Follow Up

Portsmouth County, VA

An at-risk teen, with dreams of a rap career, gets a wake-up call win he sees where his love of drugs and gang activity will lead, during a visit to the Portsmouth County Jail in Virginia.

Valentino

AT THE CONCLUSION OF PRODUCTIONHaving moved with his family to Georgia, Valentino still comes home on time and no longer steals or runs away. He got his GED and is considering colleges.

LATEST UPDATE: MAY 2013Valentino is faring wonderfully since starting a new life in Georgia. He is no longer stealing, comes home on time and doesn't run away. Now 18 and gainfully employed, he is saving up money to get his own place. This summer he is planning to attend a family reunion in New Orleans.

Jamel

AT THE CONCLUSION OF PRODUCTIONJamel's fighting is now focused on his siblings. He choked one sister during a fight and police were called when he threw a bottle at his sister JaMehia's head.

LATEST UPDATE: MAY 2013Though things were good at first, Jamel's behavior has ultimately not improved since the jail tour. His mother says Jamel is "knocking on jail's door." Though on probation for a previous assault charge, Jamel breaks curfew every night and has failed three drug tests, garnering a GPS ankle bracelet as a result. His sister JaMehia, who is doing wonderfully since the jail tour, has tried talking some sense into Jamel, but her advice falls on deaf ears.

JaMehia

AT THE CONCLUSION OF PRODUCTIONActive in ROTC and hoping to someday enlist in the Merchant Marines, JaMehia no longer fights. She's a role model for her sister who she babysits daily.

LATEST UPDATE: MAY 2013Totally changed, JaMehia has continued on a positive path. In school, she has kept up her grades and is on track to graduate next year. She works part-time and still wants to pursue a career in the Merchant Marines. At home, she still babysits her sister and has even apologized to her mother for her prior bad behavior.