I did recently in Missouri, and I am a little ashamed to admit how surprised I was that they seemed "normal." They were charming and likable. Or shy and quiet. Or obnoxious and goofy. Most of all, at 15- and 16-years old, they were just kids.
They may have done very stupid things. Or very harmful things. But many of them are a product of their environments. Anger at the world built up and they lashed out. Maybe their fathers abandoned them. Maybe they had abusive parents. Maybe they had bullying peers. These are not excuses for committing crimes. They might be explanations. One kid, when asked why he committed robbery, didn't even know. He just did it.
The point is, how does letting the government punish these kids further--by putting them behind bars without treatment--really help the situation? It certainly will help protect society from them, temporarily, and that is a major goal of juvenile justice systems. But these kids also need help in changing their ways. Most will be released at some point.
Missouri has taken a treatment approach to juvenile justice. Governing will be taking a look at how it works in the January issue.
If rehabilitating young thugs isn't top on your list, how about looking at it as a cost issue? States pay exorbitant amounts to house prisoners. Corrections is one of the top things states spend money on, along with health care and education.
"Fixing" kids early can help keep them from long-term adult prison stints. That's what Missouri believes. The theory is, if juvenile offenders are never taught better ways of thinking and behaving, it's more likely that instead of becoming productive, taxpaying members of society, they'll end up being long-term financial burdens behind bars. Then, not only do they pay, but so do all of us.
