By Tammy Roberts

Roberts@hometownnewsol.com

Thirteen years ago, Larry Lawton was at a place in his life where no one wants to be.

He'd just been convicted of racketeering in connection with jewelry robbery and was about to spend the next 11 years in some of the toughest federal prisons in the country.

Today, Mr. Lawton, 47, sees things much clearer as a free man and has devoted his life to making sure today's youth does the same.

"In prison, there's predators and there's prey," he said. "I guarantee every one of these kids today are prey. I don't care how tough they think they are."

While serving his sentence, Mr. Lawton acted as a gang mediator and a counselor for other inmates. He studied law, and left prison as a certified paralegal, which would later serve as the basis for his business, LL Research & Consulting.

Just a few months after being released in the spring of 2007, Mr. Lawton moved to Palm Bay to care for his father, and went to work on a concept he designed to prevent teens and young adults from making bad decisions.

He called it the "Reality Check" program, a four-hour in-your-face glimpse into prison life and the horrors and lifelong tolls that come along with it.

"I gave it the name 'Reality Check' because it's designed to do exactly that - wake kids up and make them see this is where they could end up," Mr. Lawton said. "It's nothing like they see on TV or in the movies. Not even close."

In the past 18 months, hundreds of local youth ages 11-23 have undergone a "reality check" with Mr. Lawton as their guide.

During the program, Mr. Lawton uses a slideshow presentation to highlight four main topics: decision-making, juvenile statistics, penalties/losses and avoiding bad associations.

A New York City native, Mr. Lawton refers to his own experiences and discusses his connection with organized crime through personal accounts and photos. He doesn't sugarcoat his stories, using rough language and blunt speech to gain immediate attention from his audience.

"If there's one thing a kid knows, it's when you're feeding them bull," Mr. Lawton said. "They see right through it. I tell them I'm not their teacher, their parent or their counselor. You have to get on their level to make them want to listen to what you have to say."

There are several ways Mr. Lawton's program is given: one-on-one through the request of a parent, in a classroom setting at an area school or through a business or group event. It is also offered as one of the alternative programs appointed by the Brevard County juvenile court system and through the most recent option, the Reality Check DVD.

The hour-long film provides viewers with a condensed version of the program that can be watched in a home or group setting, Mr. Lawton said.

From teens whose grades are faltering in school to those with criminal records, Mr. Lawton's program boasts a 75 percent success rate. It is even effective as a preventative method for youth who have a history of staying out of trouble.

Mr. Lawton bases these findings on surveys filled out by each participant who completes the program, both immediately after and on a follow-up basis.

The program is an eye-opener for some participants and many seem to immediately look up to Mr. Lawton, asking if they could keep in touch.

"I always, always write back to every kid who contacts me," Mr. Lawton said. "I'll never turn them away."

Mr. Lawton offers the Reality Check program for youth ages 11 to 21 on a monthly basis in Melbourne. The cost is $50 and participants may also earn eight hours of community service upon completion of the four-hour program.

"This isn't 'Scared Straight,'" Mr. Lawton said. "This is reality. I don't believe in bad kids... only bad choices."

Melbourne resident Jill Davies got word of the program from a friend and decided to do a little research of her own.

"I visited the Web site and found out more about what it was that Mr. Lawton was hoping to do," Ms. Davies said. "I have a 15-year-old, and you know, that's a critical age and a critical time for decision-making. I really wanted him to gain some perspective on the real world, and this seemed like a great opportunity to do that."

A freshman at Eau Gallie High School, Ms. Davies' son, Kyle, completed the Reality Check program in early January. He has since shown improvement in his grades, gained recognition from his teachers and has focused more on his future.

"He went into the class with an open mind and came out with a better perspective on the decisions he was making," Ms. Davies said. "The first thing he said when he got in the car was, 'Thanks, Mom.' He was still talking about the things Larry said days after the program. It really made an impression on him."

Ms. Davies said that while she has never known her son to be a troublemaker, she was eager for him to hear the importance of responsibility from another source.

"Because Larry has been through these experiences, he is passionate about the things he talks about," Ms. Davies said. "He's real. I think the kids can really see that."

Before they leave the program, Mr. Lawton provides each one of his participants with one of his business cards in case they have a problem or a situation they'd like to discuss in the future.

Ms. Davies said that when her son returned home from the program, he put the business card on his nightstand and has kept it there ever since.

With as many participants as Reality Check has touched, it still remains the only program of its kind in the state of Florida.

In the past several months, the program has gained momentum from local politicians, corporations and the county court system.

Last fall, Mr. Lawton hosted a youth golf tournament in Suntree that included prize packages, golf lessons and one-on-one mentoring sessions.

"I wanted to show kids that there are other activities out there that they can be excited about," Mr. Lawton said. "It was about showing them something positive."

Mr. Lawton also gained national recognition with Reality Check as a guest on Voice America, one of the world's largest Internet radio shows. He is in the process of working with a local screenwriter, who contacted Mr. Lawton about turning his life story into a movie.

In the future, Mr. Lawton hopes to create a Reality Check program for parents of teens and has already made connections with leaders in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, where he'd like to see his program take flight.

But it's Mr. Lawton's newest venture that is guaranteed to make a lasting impression on local youth.

He is in the process of purchasing the three-story building in Palm Bay where he currently rents his office in order to expand the facility.

In one area, he plans to create a replica of a real-life jail cell, complete with concrete walls and steel bars, as a way to allow youth to see, first-hand, what life is like behind bars.

Until then, Mr. Lawton's goal is to reach as many teens and young adults as possible through his program, and in turn, create responsible adults, stronger families and a safer environment without putting a drain on society.

"I can't tell a kid what to do; that's not why I do this," Mr. Lawton said. "I just show them what happens when they make the wrong decisions."

The next Reality Check program will be March 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Primerica, River Crest Professional Center, 3452 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne. Registration required.

Mr. Lawton will also have a booth set up at the Better Business-Better Living Expo Feb. 21-22 at Melbourne Square Mall.

To register, or for information about the Reality Check program, call (321) 327-2921 or visit www.realitycheckprogram.org.