Oklahoma At-Risk Youth Get Reality Check

Everyday more than 2,400 men, women and teens are locked behind steel doors at the Oklahoma County Jail. Once a week, deviant, defiant and disrespectful Oklahoma kids join these inmates to see what life's like behind bars.

Thursday, May 9th 2013, 10:37 pm

By: News 9


Everyday more than 2,400 men, women and teens are locked behind steel doors at the Oklahoma County Jail. Once a week, deviant, defiant and disrespectful Oklahoma kids join these inmates to see what life's like behind bars.

They talk with hardcore criminals who want to influence these kids into taking a different path than they did. They perform rigorous physical activity, eat what inmates eat and go inside a jail cell to experience the lack of freedom they'll have if they break the law. 

Each child then has a heart to heart talk with county deputies.

"What we try to do here is break them down physically to build them up mentally," said Captain Michael Thomas.

Finally, each child faces their parents and tells them what they learned and how they'll change.

The Reality Check Program is on Tuesdays at the Oklahoma County Jail.  It's free. For more information, parents can call 405.713.7322.

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