Scared Straight

‘Scared Straight' is a program designed to deter juvenile participants from future criminal offenses. Participants visit inmates, observe first-hand prison life and have interaction with adult inmates.

In Hong Kong situation, there are three schemes provided by Hong Kong correctional service.

They are Personal Encounter with Prisoners Scheme, Green Haven Scheme and Visits to Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum.

For example, in Personal Encounter with Prisoners Scheme

Participants are arranged to visit correctional institutions to know more about correctional facilities and life of persons in custody. And meet with persons in custody, thereby enabling them to think about the serious consequences of committing crime.

However, the result shows this program is ineffective. Scared Straight not only doesn't work, it may actually be more harmful than doing nothing.

The second is home visitation program, this program is that nurses or trained professionals meet with usually low-income and/or high-risk mothers. Often times these women are teen mothers. The professionals meet with them throughout their pregnancy and then until the child is around 24 months of age. it is important to understand just how crucial parenting is to the healthy development of the child.

This program is largely successful at deterring crime for the children involved. Home visitation programs decrease the occurrence of prominent risk factors, and consequently reduce delinquent behavior later in life. And the result is effective.

One specific program, the University of Rochester Nurse Home-Visitation Program was particularly successful. It was conducted with 400 women, and home visits emphasized the mother's health throughout pregnancy, The result of the program was