THE new weekly documentary series, “MTV Juvies” should work like a modern, weekly version of “Scared Straight,” the program in which hardened criminals take wannabe bad-ass kids into “the depths of hell” inside prisons.

“MTV Juvies” probably won’t work like that – but I’ll get to that later.

MTV’s show, which premiered last week, goes deeper on some levels – in that every week, they follow two teens from booking to behind bars to bench.

In other words, like a real-life “Law & Order.”

We sit with them during their hearings and wait with them as their sentences are imposed. And the depth of despair that some of these kids have reached is enough to bring you to tears.

After each episode airs, there is an on-line follow-up video (www.Juvies.MTV.com) that revisits the lives of each kid since the shows were shot. And it’s not always great.

Last week they featured Cordell, a 17-year old kid who was arrested for auto-theft despite the fact that he had a solid support system around him, a close and loving family, and lots of friends.

The other kid was Sara, 16, who ran away from home in Texas and was stopped and arrested by cops

When it was Sara’s turn in court, her mother refused to take her back. “I’m not going home,” she says on camera, “Because my mom don’t want me.” Sara’s now pregnant and living with her teen boyfriend.

Like I said, despair.

Tonight’s kids include Ryan, a 17-year old, pot-smoking, surly kid arrested for driving while smoking a joint which resulted in a hit-and-run accident. Ryan is so disrespectful to his single mom that you want to slap him straight.

But it’s kids like LaRico, a 13-year old arrested for fighting on the school bus, who is the real heartbreaker. LaRico’s home in Mississippi was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. His family was left with literally nothing but the clothes they were wearing. LaRico’s mom moved them to Indiana where her boyfriend became abusive, and LaRico moved in with his grandmother.

The kids are all dealt with fairly by Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura, but what is glaringly missing is that they (so far) are not offered any help in terms of counseling or drug rehab. Mandatory drug testing isn’t rehab. Sending a kid back to his grandmother doesn’t help him deal with the trauma of having his home and life destroyed.

The show should scare the living daylights out of kids – but probably won’t. The fear here is that with their after-life online, they might turn into mini-celebs the way the monsters from “My Super Sweet Sixteen” have. They are now considered people teens want to emulate – instead of laugh at or be disgusted by.

Hopefully, the same won’t be said for “MTV Juvies.”

“Juvies”
Thursday night at 10 on MTV