GRESHAM, Ore. -- Sam Barlow High School students in Gresham got a lesson Thursday in the school of hard knocks -- straight from inmates in Multnomah County.

Sheriff's deputies videotaped jail inmates in a documentary, "From Drugs To Mugs", talking about how their drug addiction landed them behind bars.

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"I would have done anything to stay high," said a male inmate.

"I had this feeling pot was not that bad, so why not try cocaine,"said another male inmate Drug use hits close to home for many students because a former Sam Barlow High School student, 18 year-old Rachel Daggett, died last December of an overdose.

But after that tragedy, drug use is still a problem at the high school.

"At first we were all silent but then everyone was like life goes on," said Alyssa Root, a Barlow High sophomore.

Students watched the film in class. Inmates share their stories of how drugs lead them down a path of crime. And their mugshots captured their looks spiralling down into addiction.

"Seeing the picture you can see the changes and like a lot of people do drugs here. So you can see what's going to happen if you stay on drugs," said Caleb Roher, a Barlow High sophomore.

Nearly all the questions inmates answered in the interviews were sent in from East Multnomah County students.

"If you keep one or 10 children in this high school from having that drug experience you've changed their lives forever," Multnomah County Sheriff Bob Skipper said.

Deputies received a long list of inmates willing to share their stories so other don't repeat their mistakes.

Link: Faces of meth