GLOUCESTER DISTRICT COURT PROBATIONERS TO PARTICIPATE IN
SCARED STRAIGHT PROGRAM AT MIDDLETON JAIL

Gloucester District, one of two courts that supervise both adult and juvenile cases in the state, will host a field trip to Essex County House of Correction -Middleton where juvenile offenders and troubled youth will participate in “Scared Straight,” a program first introduced in the 1970s at Rahway State Prison in New Jersey.

Gloucester District Court Probation Officer Robert Perryman is coordinating the February 18th trip for teenagers, ages 13-18, at the Middleton House of Correction. The young men and women are students in the Essex, Essex-Manchester, Rockport, and Gloucester school systems.

This is the third year that Perryman, a three-year Probation Officer, has escorted a group of juvenile offenders to the jail to participate in the program.

“This program has been very effective. By participating in the program, they (teens) can see where making bad choices will leave them,” said Perryman. “It gives them a reality check and a little push to do better.”

During the program, the teens will tour the prison and attend a session where inmates generally speak candidly about their experiences in jail.

Perryman said of Scared Straight, “I believe in this program. It is a lesson for kids that teaches them this is what you’ll end up with if you continue down this path.”