What is your opinion on punishment for young law breakers?
By ctrymuziklvr
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
United States
February 26, 2008 11:44am CST
A young soft-spoken sixth-grader with poor grades, virtually no relationship with his father, and a police record that includes attempted breaking and entering and assault and battery on his mother and sister when he was 11 years old.
When he was arrested last November for trying to break into a friend's house in Dorchester,a Judge could have ordered him to be locked up in a detention center that resembles an adult prison. Instead, he decided on a less punitive option. He referred the boy to a fairly new program, through which the boy - and about 30 other children charged with serious crimes - lives at home and stays in school. Three to four times a week, the children, who range in age from 11 to 17, go to a community center where they meet with advocates who make sure they stick to court-ordered curfews and attend school. They receive counseling and take tours of nearby colleges on field trips their advocates hope will expand their world view beyond the street corners that seem to cause them so much trouble.
Doesn't this seem like just a slap on the hand for these kids? Do you think this will help them to be law abiding citizens when their older?
7 people like this
16 responses
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
26 Feb 08
I do think until they turn 16, there are other reasons they are acting out. There are circumstances in every family. I think it will turn some of them around. They do need to be kept on a very short leash and should have alot of consequences from the parents also. I don't think it would have hurt to make them do something to better the town, doing community service with adult supervision or something. I do not think the answer to everything is send them away. That can just add to whatever the real problem is.
3 people like this
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
26 Feb 08
Yes, I too am a firm believer that if a child ids badly behaived and disruptive, there is always a good reason for it
blessed be
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
27 Feb 08
It's just a slap on the hand, this kid assaulted his mother and sister. It says nothing of having them wear a house arrest bracelet, so how do they know where they are and what they are doing 24/7? Other than being able to check that they were in attendance at school, 3 - 4 meetings a week and a field trip is nothing. It's not teaching them to be responsible adults, it does teach that if you commit a crime, and get lucky enough to get the right judge, you can get off with a slap on the hand. Oh, and coming from a law enforcement officer '30 out of 30,000 isn't making an impact on them or society'. I sent this discussion to my s/o to get his opinion.
1 person likes this
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
• United States
27 Feb 08
I think you are the only one I agree with. Kids today think they will take their chances of getting a lenient judge and around here almost everyone knows who they are.
@ngty69 (971)
• India
27 Feb 08
Well young law breakers are not criminals. It only that they have fallen out of their right path. But its good that they adopted these symptoms earlier that later in their life. Because when the wound is new it can be cured quickly but when its old its very difficult to get it cured, it take time and patience. So when law breakers are young they can easily be put on the right path rather than when the become professionals in law breaking.
Thanks for reading my response.
Goodbye
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
12 Mar 08
I don't think that the laws are strict enough for young offenders. I think they have to start treating some of them like they were adults. I am very strongly opinionated in this because I am tired of these young punks getting away with their crimes. Also these young people will grow up to be adults and they will continue to break the law and then become hardened criminals. I think the problem today is that the parents are not allowed to punish their kids with a good smack on the bum and so they think they can do anything they want. And the sad thing is they can. Now when a kid steals a car or does a B&E all that happens is they get a slap on the hand and told, don't do that again. Really, like they will listen. I think they should go to jail, no matter what age they are, for breaking the law. They know they get away with things, so they aren't afraid of the consequences.
@embhc8 (48)
• United States
26 Feb 08
I am not sure where you are located but I live in Missouri and I worked in the Missouri Division of Youth Services program. It is very similar to the new program you are refering to and in the state of Missouri the success rates are extremely high. The idea is based on the belief that children can change. I know me as a teen, I made some dumb choices (Not criminal) but with proper support from friends and a good education I never went down that path. The problem is that if we just lock up a 15 yr old with adult criminals what are they going to learn? They are going to learn to be better criminals. Where as if we take them out of the environment that lead them to their choice and get them a quality education and help them build more positive values their chances of becoming a more positive member of society are much higher.
1 person likes this
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
26 Feb 08
A good idea in my opinion would be to take them and leave them for a day in a maximum security prison. Believe me i cant imagine any of them wanting to go back for another go
blessed be
@subha12 (18441)
• India
27 Feb 08
i think its a nice way to treat young law breakers. I do no think that it will guarantee that all will be back to main stream, but most of them as i guess.
there can be no better way than this. atleast they are given good chance.
@rsa101 (37968)
• Philippines
27 Feb 08
It is believed that a child has a much more chances of from being a good citizens of a country than an adult who commits crime. Children can still be molded according to what the society can expect from them since at their you age they can still changed. But then the effectivity of such theory can never be defined as a fact since there will still be those that is indeed destined to become a menace to society.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
26 Feb 08
I believe that it is an excellent idea. It sounds like these children are getting the help and hope that they need. Just throwing a child in a cell is not going to do anything to better them as a person and they will only be a burden on society for the rest of their lives.
@whywiki (6066)
• Canada
26 Feb 08
I think it sounds like a slap on the wrist for serious offenders. I think a lot of times the problems are at home. Taking these kids out of bad situations would be a start. I think they should be in a secure setting and receive a lot of counsellings. Although on the flip side keeping them locked up with other criminals where they can talk and make evil plans may not be the answer either. I think maybe they should ll be put out on a working farm miles away from others and learn how to depend on others and how to live off the land and appreciate life. It is a sad thing to see a kid go wrong.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
27 Feb 08
It'd all be just fine if it worked as intended. My daughter who was prone to trouble was in such a program. It meant many court adventures for me and none that she minded for it just meant time out of school. They came and got her each day and drove around and talked and basically did nothing. She did get to go to the fair which really angered me as I could not afford to take my other kids to the fair...so why should the kid that gets in trouble get to go. It seemed like a slap in the face. In the end, they tried to hit me with a 6000.00 bill for their services.
@vicky30 (4766)
• India
27 Feb 08
Young law breakers should not be punished as the elderly people.If they have broken the law.they should be given advice that it should not bee done.also a small punishment like doing social service could be given to them.
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
26 Feb 08
People who commit crimes basically have an emotional disorder or cannot relate properly to the society around them. The main purpose should always be to save young peoples' lives from their own deficiences. I don't give much credit to state programes for youth because these are guided by state policy which doesn't have to be suitable. In any event saving is better than jailing and once in the prison system most inmates only learn more crime.
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
26 Feb 08
I have not heard of that new program. The only way I can see it working is if the parent or parents have to go through something also. There must be something going on with this child and his parents.
I am not sure if detention should be first and then this program to see how it they behave or this program first and if it don't work for the individual then detention.
Either way after sometime I do think the child/children need to be given a chance and if they don't abide by the law they will end up in prison for years when they turn of age.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
26 Feb 08
Yes it does but these kids are just that, kids. This one boy doesn't have a role model to go by and is why he's in trouble so much. Being put into this program gives him something positive to focus on and a goal to reach. It teaches him to expand his horrizens mentally and phyically. But putting him in jail would expose him to bigger and worse crimes and only make him more angry at the world. He needs guidance not to be thrown away like he's a waste of time.
