Inside the walls of the J. Paul Taylor juvenile justice center are teenage thieves, arsonists, gang bangers – even kids who kill. At any of the nation's thousands of other juvenile centers, they would face swift punishment in a brutal environment that turns some into even more hardened criminals.
But the J. Paul Taylor Center is trying a different approach to juvenile incarceration. In an exclusive look inside the facility, Soledad O’Brien introduces you to three juvenile offenders who find themselves in a world of second chances. A New Mexico program called Cambiar – the Spanish word for Change – uses a progressive method for incarcerating kids that emphasizes respect and rehabilitation above all else. Juvenile offenders live in dorms, not in prisons, in small groups where safety, nurturing, and therapy are the watchwords. They receive an education, counseling, and a promise that they will never be thrown in solitary confinement or face abuse.