"Getting smart"

[jbm32206]

This, from the Times Union 'Opinion"

"There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking." - Father Edward Flanagan, founder of Boys Town That motto has been replaced in recent years by a new view. That there are many bad boys, and increasingly, bad girls. Incorrigibles who need to be locked up.

This view gained currency thanks to a few sensational incidents, such as the 1993 attack on British tourists at a rest stop off Interstate 10 near Monticello. The vision of the super predator, juveniles attacking ruthlessly and without remorse, gained currency nationwide. This overly negative view has created an expensive system that relies on prison as the first and last option in too many cases. By 2000, the Florida Legislature eliminated the option of judges to place juveniles in minimum-risk, nonresidential programs. The result is an overly harsh, highly expensive system that simply does not work.

Those are a few of the observations inspired by a new report from the Blueprint Commission on Juvenile Justice, chaired by Frank Brogan, president of Florida Atlantic University and former lieutenant governor. The commission reported that many juveniles were sent to rural facilities "notorious for severe and harsh discipline, including corporal punishment." These large facilities often are ineffective in rehabilitating the juveniles. In fact, gang activity and violence can flourish there.

Doing time, petty crimes
Thanks to this view, Florida is putting away many juvenile offenders who don't need to be locked up. This policy costs much more than less intensive programs and it's probably less effective, as well. So getting tough for petty crimes makes no sense from both practical and cost reasons.

At current rates of incarceration, Florida will run out of room in its juvenile facilities in five years, the commission reported. There will be no room in secure facilities in 10 years. Yet the cost for prevention services is just a fraction of detention: $2,128 compared to $42,606 for detention.

The blueprint commission advocates a change from "get tough" to "get smart." The focus already was beginning to turn. In 2004, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency urged Florida to develop graduated penalties for different offenses which doesn't seem all that radical an idea. In detention centers, almost half of those had committed nothing worse than misdemeanors.

"The smart strategy for Florida is this: Invest in a continuum of services that can address the needs of low-risk offenders outside of secure and residential placements, while continuing to provide appropriate sanctions for youth involved in serious and violent crime." We need more prevention, more rehabilitation and more diversion from detention, said Walter McNeil, secretary of Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice, in the report.

The vice chairman was Richard Danford, president of the Jacksonville Urban League. "It's mind-boggling to hear what is going on in this state," Danford said in a telephone interview. "Florida may not have the worst system in the country, but we're close." The commission suggests community-based services that help keep kids out of trouble. More interventions and alternative programs are needed as opposed to lockups.

The best programs are small, with good educational and skill-building programs to prepare young people to return to their communities. Programs focused on minorities and a growing proportion of girls are needed. "We need to put aside all the partisan politics and realize these young people are our future," Danford said. Statewide, there is not enough communication among the agencies that deal with juveniles, such as school systems and the criminal justice system, he said.

Minorities overrepresented
While blacks represent 21 percent of the population ages 10 to 17, the proportion of blacks is nearly double in the juvenile justice system (39 percent). And as many as two of three juveniles in the system have mental illness or substance abuse issues. So diversionary centers must have trained therapists to deal with abuse issues, for instance, rather than correctional officers under the imprisonment model.

Jacksonville may be slightly ahead of the trend with the new commitment to reopen a Juvenile Assessment Center that will properly refer juveniles with appropriate levels of security and treatment. The commission suggests each of Florida's regions should have a juvenile assessment center.

As the commission states, "Ultimately, this reform is about changing the way the state of Florida thinks about juvenile offenders are they villains who need to be punished, or young citizens who need our help?" Our image of them may determine our solutions. Where are all the good boys and girls? All around us.

Commission conclusions
Many challenges: The Blueprint Commission on Juvenile Justice came to several broad conclusions:

- Juvenile crime accounts for only 11 percent of all arrests in Florida.
- In 2007, only 5 percent of Florida juveniles ages 10 to 17 were referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
- From 2003 from 2007, referrals for serous crimes among juveniles have increased in Florida. Total referrals are down.
- Gang activity in Florida is "pervasive and undeniable."
- There is a recent increase in juveniles referred for serious felonies. Nevertheless, many juveniles arrested for less serious offenses are being detained.
- There is a disproportionate number of minorities and a growing number of girls.
- Many delinquents have serious mental health and physical health needs.
- Large residential facilities are less effective than smaller units closer to communities.

Notes & Quotes
"We must move toward a more balanced system, one that proactively seeks to prevent juvenile delinquency, that redirects those youth at risk of delinquency, that provides more appropriate, less-restrictive sanctions for low-risk and misdemeanant youth offenders, that focuses on rehabilitation and that reserves serious sanctions for violent and habitual offenders."
- Frank Brogan, chairman of Blueprint Commission on Juvenile Justice, in cover letter

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021708/opi_247405515.shtml

[jbm32206]

The fact of the matter is, juvenile crimes are on a rise, and more and more, they're violent crimes. I agree with prevention programs and also feel that a large majority of these young offenders should not be housed in with the adults. We do need to have better juvenile detention centers, to separate them.

One of the major issues that results in the increase in juvenile offenders, is the total lack of parenting. I know I've said this over and over, but it's true. These kids, for the most part are raising themselves, and there's no positive role models at home to give them the direction they need. Most times, the only influence they have, is through school...where the schools end up being everything to these kids, but as long as they're living in these sorry households, that positive influence from school becomes an every day effort, which is like starting over, each day.

There's absolutely no parent accountability anymore, and without that, these children are almost doomed for failure from the onset. The schools do what they can, but you simply cannot force a child to want to learn, you can't force them to want to comply with basic rules...and without parent involvement of a positive nature, the process ends up being futile, at best.

Then there's the problem with parents that are there, but aren't good role models...and should they come to the school because of ongoing problems, they will often stand there cursing and carrying on, which certainly demonstrates where this child's attitude and behaviors stem from. Many have no intentions of working with the school, to help their child succeed, and blame the school for their child's problems.

There are so many good and viable programs already in place, ones that will work with the families as a whole, others working with the children during and after school...and the parents end up seeing them as nothing more than babysitters. As I said, much of this boils down to parenting and the lack there of.

[CS Foltz]

Ms JBM: I agree with your train of thought! Families as a whole are on the down swing..... the days of parental units and young things as in the days of old are no more! Parents are too busy tring to earn a living and youngsters are busy with vidio games and their peers! Not good over all for all concerned! Parental education is a no brainer,but people don't think about that aspect of the overall equation....Team effort is required and I don't see that happening anytime soon!

[Claude91098]

We're all in agreement then: Parenting is the KEY to preventing crime.

Now, how on earth does soceity get free people with Constitutional rights to "do the right thing"???

I have LOTS of suggestions, unfortunately, they are all illegal or unconstitutional.

Face it, "some" parents have kids simply because they are too damned lazy to use birth control, or otherwise just don't give a damn. If you researched all the people in prisons, you'd find that the vast majority didn't have a "Cleaver" household to grow up in. Anyone that believes they can "change" other people are very admirable, and naive. The ones HERE & NOW that have teenagers and young adult kids are beyond hope. (IMHO).
Sure, you can "try", but like Mr. Miagi said, "There is no try. There is only do or no do."

The rising crime by young people shows that the parents aren't, and haven't been, even trying...let alone doing!

[Timkin]

While this all may be true, so is it true that there are good and responsible parents who do their level best to raise children in the "right" way, and the kid ends up in trouble anyway. So it isnt always the lack of parenting or the "Cleaver" household (lack thereof) that makes kids turn out bad. SOME of it is up to the individual. In other words, some of these criminal children have probably had good ,honest , hard-working, and decent parents. Not all of them have not tried. (IMO) :)





I agree totally that parenting and disciplining of children has changed, and that now, in alot of cases, BOTH parents are required to work in order to maintain a home setting.. That cannot be helped. Disciplinary actions have changed alot too.. when I was a kid , we didnt get beaten , but we sure got disciplined if we did something wrong. Nowadays a kid can turn their parents in for disciplinging them , particularly if spanking or paddling is administered. Same as with School. That was common when i went to school. I dont think it is so much anymore.. So it isnt just lack of parenting. Its an all around vicious cycle that some kids can be bad , get away with it ,and no one can stop them.

I dont agree that in all cases people cannot be changed... though again I belive as it is a choice of the individual to follow the footsteps of peer pressure , so too is it a choice of them to do right or do wrong.

[jbm32206]

I agree totally that parenting and disciplining of children has changed, and that now, in alot of cases, BOTH parents are required to work in order to maintain a home setting.. That cannot be helped. Disciplinary actions have changed alot too.. when I was a kid , we didnt get beaten , but we sure got disciplined if we did something wrong. Nowadays a kid can turn their parents in for disciplinging them , particularly if spanking or paddling is administered. Same as with School. That was common when i went to school. I dont think it is so much anymore.I didn't mean to imply that all parents are lousy ones....but there's a large number of them that are.

I agree with you and know that there's also the situations in which good parents end up with a terrible child...that no matter what they do, the child just simply will not comply.

As for the spanking, paddling...that is not against the law and parents are allowed to administer corporal punishment. The problem is that some parents will beat their child or use inappropriate items in which to do so; and will often leave bruises, etc...which is then violating the law. There's a big difference in spanking and abusing.

DCSB just did away with paddling about 2 years ago, and before that, it was up to the individual school's administration to utilize it or not. Parents were given permission (or not) slips in the beginning of each school year.