A&E'S GROUND-BREAKING CRIME AND JUSTICE SERIES RETURN THURSDAY, MAY 30

SEASON 4 OF EMMY-NOMINATED 'BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT' PREMIERES AT 10PM ET/PT FOLLOWING NEW EPISODES OF 'THE FIRST 48' AT 9PM ET/PT

New York, NY - May 21, 2013 - A&E's hit series "Beyond Scared Straight," following derailed and disrespectful teens as they enter immersive jail programs aimed at deterring them from a life of crime, returns for a fourth season Thursday, May 30. Season four premieres at 10PM ET/PT immediately following the return of new episodes of A&E's critically acclaimed real life series "The First 48" at 9PM ET/PT.

Inspired by "Scared Straight!," the Academy Award and multiple Emmy-winning documentary film by Arnold Shapiro, "Beyond Scared Straight" follows at-risk teens who have been in trouble for everything from fighting, theft, and drugs to promiscuity, gambling and gang affliations. They are forced to spend a day (and sometimes a night) in jail, be confronted by convicted felons and experience the harsh reality of life behind bars.

In the season premiere, four troubled girls who, between them, smoke weed, hit their mothers and have committed bank fraud, visit Oneida County Jail in New York, where they learn that their life at home is nothing compared to the terror of being behind bars. This season will also see the return of Deputy Jonathan Lyle as he takes on a 'buck wild' partying runaway, a drug-dealing Jekyll-Hyde and a young teen who threatened his pregnant mother with a knife, as well as returning inmate "Hustle Man", a ferocious incarcerated killer, who is dragged away from the teens after he tries to attack.

Now in its 13th season, "The First 48" follows real-life homicide detectives in the critical first 48 hours of their investigations. The series gives viewers unprecedented access to crime scenes, interrogations and forensic processing.

In the premiere episode, detectives in Cleveland investigate the murder of a teenager who is shot down in the street. Meanwhile, in Harris County, TX, a young woman who has been set on fire clings to life as deputies race to find the person who left her for dead. Later this season, a Cleveland man is gunned down defending his home from an intruder on New Year's Eve. In Broward County, Florida, when an elderly man is found dead in his apartment, the hunt for the killer leads to a surprising discovery.

"Beyond Scared Straight" is produced by Arnold Shapiro Productions for A&E Network. Executive Producers are Arnold Shapiro and Paul J. Coyne. A&E Executive Producers are David McKillop, Elaine Frontain Bryant and Laura Fleury.

"The First 48" is produced by ITV Studios America for A&E Network. Executive producers are John Kim and Alexis Robie. Executive producers for A&E are David McKillop, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Laura Fleury and Peter Tarshis.

About A&E Network

A&E is "Real Life. Drama." Now reaching more than 99 million homes, A&E is television that you can't turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network's original scripted series, including "The Glades," "Longmire" and "Bates Motel," to signature non-fiction franchises, including the Emmy-winning "Intervention," "Duck Dynasty," "Beyond Scared Straight" and "Storage Wars," and the most successful justice shows on cable, including "The First 48." The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com.