Like Any Other Kid

This film opens with adolescent Evelyn presenting the time line of her life, tragically noting such things as her miscarriage, molestation by a family member, school suspension, and arrests. The presentation is in a juvenile center that serves as an alternative to the more familiar juvenile halls nationwide. Here, Evelyn will have more support than in most programs, live in dormlike surroundings, participate in group living, and benefit from personal and group counseling. Her juvenile detention center is based on the Missouri model of juvenile justice, originating more than 30 years ago. This video introduces viewers to three such facilities in the United States that use the Missouri model, which stresses changing adolescent behavior through therapies, love, and structure over punishment and developing self-responsibility. The video focuses on six students. Not all will succeed, but those who do finish high school, take jobs, raise families, and leave their gangs.