In the Kids for cash scandal, judge Mark Ciavarella, who promoted a platform of zero tolerance, received kickbacks for constructing a private prison that housed juvenile offenders, and then proceeded to fill the prison by sentencing children to extended stays in juvenile detention for offenses as minimal as mocking a principal on Myspace, scuffles in hallways, trespassing in a vacant building, and shoplifting DVDs from Wal-mart.

Critics of zero-tolerance policies argue that harsh punishments for minor offences are normalized.

May is a critic of the School-to-prison pipeline and zero tolerance law enforcement for juveniles.

[7][8][9][10] In the documentary, May interviews experts on adolescent behaviour, who argue that the zero tolerance model has become a dominant approach to policing juvenile offences after the Columbine shooting.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film an approval rating of 92% based on 36 reviews.