ON THE OUTS tells the story of three inner-city girls whose lives intersect in a Secaucus, NJ Juvenile Detention Facility. The girls all hail from the same neighborhood, but each represents a distinctly different subgroup within the larger community.

OZ, 17, is a street-wise drug dealer who commands respect among the local hustlers in her neighborhood – largely because of her smarts and her willingness to resort to violence to defend her turf. Oz lives with her indifferent Grandmother and mentally disabled brother, Chuey, whom she loves and tries to protect. Oz’s heroin-addicted mother, Evelyn, cycles in and out of jail and rehab, leaving her daughter in a permanent state of resentment bordering on rage. When Chuey dies of an asthma attack, Oz questions the ties that bind her to her mother, her home and her drug dealing lifestyle.

SUZETTE, 15, is the sheltered daughter of a domestic worker whose day-to-day responsibilities include taking care of her little sister so that her mother can work numerous jobs to keep the family afloat. Suzette draws the attention of Tyrell, a smooth-talking hustler in her neighborhood, and their flirtation blossoms into a relationship. When Suzette becomes pregnant, she rebels against her mother’s demand that she get an abortion, and runs away to be with her man. Life with him is precarious and less romantic than she imagined. When Tyrell has his own brush with violence, Suzette hides his weapon, an act of loyalty that sends her to juvenile jail. Even after her release, Suzette’s plan to return to her boyfriend – the first person to make her feel special and important – has devastating consequences.

MARISOL, 17, is a loner, a free spirit, and a single mother to Autumn, a loving two year old girl. The demands of raising a toddler alone, with no money and no family other than an invalid aunt push her to the edge where crack takes over, providing Marisol an easy escape route. After getting high one afternoon, Marisol is hit by a car, and her drugged-out state lands her in juvenile jail. Once inside, Marisol cleans up sufficiently to miss her daughter and feel remorse for her lackadaisical behavior as a mother. She resolves to do better, but never gets the chance – Autumn is taken into State custody and Marisol must fight the brutal foster care system to try and get her back.

^{A short trailer of the film can be see here:}