Inmates at the Valley State Prison for Women use a combination of confrontation, information, and communication to try to keep five young girls from becoming convicts.

Five teens learn the harsh realities of prison life at the Maryland Correctional Institution at Jessup, where dozens of menacing inmates, including convicted murderers, surround the kids and taunt them. The teens include Steve, 17, who likes the "outlaw" life; Brandon, 17, who's been arrested five times; Dion, who admits to selling drugs; and Sahn, 13, who steals polo shirts because he's got a "passion for fashion.

Hardened criminals at the California prison that is home to Charles Manson give teens a taste of life on the yard, where any prisoner can approach the kids and give them a feel for the dangers of prison life. The teens include Stephen, 16, a violent youth who threatens his teachers; Josh and Armando, 16, twin brothers and gang members; Elijha, 15, a car thief; and Abraham, 16, who thinks that going to jail is no big deal.

Six at-risk teens experience Lieber Correctional Facility in Ridgeville, SC, to get a first-hand look and feel at life on the inside. The inmate-run "Operation Behind Bars" program locks up the teens in tiny cells, gives them a taste prison food and offers a glimpse into "Lock-Up," a prison within the prison for the worst of the inmate population. Shaming the teens with a stern tone, the program coordinator, civilian Nell Westbury, adds a unique voice to the inmate's onslaught.

Four at-risk teens are brought to one of the nation's most infamous prisons to participate in the S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. program? the oldest inmate-run youth diversion program in the nation. The program, short for San Quentin's Utilization of Inmate Resources, Experiences & Studies, shows these kids the realities of prison life. They see the state's only male Death Row, are paraded past the heckles of the prisoners in the overcrowded cells and discuss how the constant fear of violence and physical harm is around every corner.