Do you think Scaring the Sh*t out of Kids by Taking them To Jail is too far?

The Bibb County, Georgia program is called Consider the Consequences.



"Consider the Consequences, at its basic level, is an attention-grabber for kids who've gone awry, kids who their parents can't connect with them anymore," said Colvin.



It's designed to prevent juvenile delinquency. Bibb County Sheriff David Davis says it's a wake-up call for kids aged 9-17.



"We've had them start stealing, we have them being disruptive at home, being disruptive in school, so their adult loved ones see something in their behavior that shows that they're going down the wrong path, so it's to intercede early to divert them into a different way of thinking and a different way of behaving," said Sheriff Davis.



"What I'm trying to do is talk about those things that matter, like respecting yourself, being honest in what you do, having integrity, because ultimately, those things will define who you become. And that determines whether you get a diploma, end up in a body bag or wear a jumpsuit," said Judge Colvin.



"They put on a jail uniform, they actually sit in a cell. Inmates come and talk with them," said Colvin. "They eat lunch at the jail. I think they even experience what it's like to have handcuffs on, so that they can the full flavor of where they're headed if they don't stop their behavior."



"Certainly Consider the Consequences has some elements of the old Scared Straight program, but we don't have the part of Scared Straight where you have these big burly inmates just screaming at the kids," said Davis.



Oh really? Once the sheriff left the jail and the bars slammed behind us, our crew was shocked at what went on: Prisoners berating and cursing at the children. Young girls ordered to clean the toilets of inmates without wearing gloves. Children thrown in cell blocks with hardened criminals, even murderers.



Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Judy Ho says the only consequences of a program like this are bad consequences.



"A program like this can actually harm them. It can traumatize them. And what do traumatized children do? They often act out, they often turn to a path of crime, and as adults they end up back in the system where they were just an observer," said Dr. Ho.