Multiple Choice: A Film on Juvenile Justice. videocassette. color. 30 minutes. Prod. By ImageMaster Productions. Dist. By Children and Youth Coordinating Council of Georgia. 2001.
Gr 7-12—With new laws enacted in the state of Georgia in the last few years, teenage criminals face tougher punishments and stiffer penalties. This video addresses the choices that face young adults today: good decisions lead to school or a good job, bad decisions lead to jail or a detention center. The video profiles local teens in jail and detention centers that made the wrong decisions and are serving time for them. These criminals tell their stories and how they feel now that they are paying for their crimes. The video gets right to the issue: choosing a life of crime is not a pretty way to spend your life, and time in jail or detention is tough. The stories cover a variety of “types” of teenagers, including males and females of all races and walks of life. This video can be used to show young adults that their decisions are important, and making the right (or wrong) ones can have life-altering effects. The stories told and the speakers used should helped students understand that they are not exempt from the law. The narrators of the story seem to be average teens that won’t alienate viewers, and the music and graphics also seem to be up-to-date with current trends in young adults’ lives. Generally, while they won’t enjoy it, students should learn valuable lessons from the stories and mistakes portrayed in the video.