Georgia Judge's Powerful Speech Brings Troubled Black Teens To Tears

"If you don't make a goal for yourself, society will make one of these two options a goal," Bibb County Superior Court Judge Verda Colvin says.

A passionate Georgia judge made a lasting effect on a group of troubled teens last week when she reminded them to take a hold of their future instead of falling into the criminal justice system.

New York Daily News reports Bibb County Superior Court Judge Verda Colvin spoke to the group through the county's "Consider the Consequences" program. Less tense than a Beyond Scared Straight situation, participants are placed in jail cells with jumpsuits and are met by a judge. Afterward, the teens are required to pen an apology letter highlighting lessons learned.

Like many judges and lawmakers who participate in similar programs, Judge Colvin spoke to the teens but at a grounded level. She explained her past and current experience raising her son as a single mother. The judge also told the young women they were uniquely made as she held back tears sharing her problems with her son.

"You can have the ultimate experience — you can be in this body bag," she said. "And the only way somebody will know you're in here is this tag with your name on it. What do you wanna do?"

She also discussed prison life and the harsh realities of rape and abuse prisoners face in jail.

"Somebody raping you in the middle of the night, and there's nothing you can do but just lay there," she said to the young men before talking to the girls. "Cause guess what — everybody got to get their turn. So it's your turn, cause you're the new meat on the block......You're special, you're uniquely made. Stop acting like you're trash and putting pictures of yourself on the internet. Stop being disrespectful to your parents. Care about your future. Be somebody."

The teenagers became teary-eyed when Judge Colvin urged them to never come back to her courtroom. The video posted Wednesday (March 30) has garnered over 200,000 views and thousands of comments praising Colvin for keeping it real with the teens.

Check it out below.