BECAUSE OF THE WIDESPREAD PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE PROGRAM MANY STATES ARE CONSIDERING SIMILAR APPROACHES. CRITICS, HOWEVER, HAVE CONTENDED THAT THE JUVENILE AWARENESS PROJECT'S SUCCESS WAS EXAGGERATED IN THE FILM. THE TEXTS OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN AT THE HEARING ARE PROVIDED. THEY REVEAL MIXED REACTIONS TO THE PROGRAM. WITNESSES INCLUDED A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER ON INSTITUTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES, A PROFESSOR OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, A GROUP OF BROADCASTERS WHO HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN MAKING THE PROGRAM, AND AN EX-INMATE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND A STATE ASSEMBLYMAN DESCRIBED THEIR FAVORABLE EXPERIENCES WITH THE RAHWAY PRISON PROGRAM, FOLLOWED BY POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM TWO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT. CONCERN WITH THE SCARE CONCEPT OF CRIME PREVENTION WAS EXPRESSED BY A CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATOR WHO ALSO DESCRIBED AN ALTERNATIVE INMATE PROGRAM AT THE JAMES RIVER CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN VIRGINIA. FINALLY, A POLICE OFFICER AND COMMUNITY WORKER DISCUSSED THEIR REFERRALS TO THE JUVENILE AWARENESS PROJECT AND REACTIONS TO THE FILM. NUMEROUS STATEMENTS AND LETTERS FROM LEGISLATORS, POLICE, YOUTH SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATORS, AND MEDIA OFFICIALS WERE SUBMITTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE RECORD. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES ON 'SCARED STRAIGHT' AND THE JUVENILE AWARENESS PROJECT, A TRANSCRIPT OF THE FILM, COMMITTEE CORRESPONDENCE, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS GUIDELINES FOR JUVENILE AWARENESS PROJECT, RESEARCH MATERIALS ON THE 1977 EVALUATION, AND THE TRANSCRIPT OF A FOLLOWUP PROGRAM CONDUCTED BY DICK CAVETT.