Juvenile Offenders

[Bee]

Just curious to know what others think about how juvenile offenders are dealt with in the justice system.

I have just returned from victim/offender mediation.
I was as nervous as I have probably ever been at any time in my life. Until I walked into the room and sitting at the desk accompanied by a social worker, was a scrawny, pathetic, scared $hitless child.

I decided on the meditation option in the first place because after hearing about his background I felt sorry for him and thought he deserved a second chance.
Apparently he was taken from his mother, a drug addict, who couldn’t care for him and was in and out of foster homes most of his life. He has been on the streets since he was 9 years old and started using drugs at around 11. He can barely read and write, which is obviously why he couldn’t read that the autograph on the number 7 jumper was Wayne Johnston and not Brett Ratten!

After hearing that, I didn’t think locking him up in a juvenile detention centre would help him, in fact I thought it would probably harm him more.

So I just wondered what you all think. Should we be sending young offenders to juvenile centres or should there be another avenue in dealing with them and trying to help them?

BTW the mediation was quite good. After the first tentative 10 minutes he started to realise that I wasn’t there to rant and rave or abuse him and he talked openly and honestly and even apologised (sincerely).
On talking to him I discovered he isn’t a bad kid, he isn’t a criminal and he deserved the second chance. Whether or not he uses that to his advantage is now up to him. If he doesn’t then I can’t help him any more either.

Another thing though, if he had taken part in the break in, if he had been one of the lot that smashed my house up there is no way in hell I would have agreed to mediation.
I couldn’t have sat across from the same table as that lot and remained calm.
But even after all that today, he still didn’t give me the names or the whereabouts of those that were responsible. He could have at least been that grateful!

[Dave]

I agree, when children are involved we should make every effort to avoid incarceration. Our kids are what we make them, and from the sounds of it the one you were dealing with never had the sort of parental guidance required. Good on you for having the compassion to give him another chance Bee, who knows, perhaps he might even use it.

I've said it before, our society requires us to take a test and pay an annual fee and obey all sorts of rules to get (and keep) a drivers licence, but any idiot(s) can have kids without so much as a by your leave.

[Bloodstained Angel]

yeah but could you imagine what a practical, philosophical and idealogical minfield a "School of Parenting" would be ?

glad the mediation worked out ok Bee btw :)

cheers

[Dave]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
yeah but could you imagine what a practical, philosophical and idealogical minfield a "School of Parenting" would be ?

Oh **** yes. The very thought of eugenics scares me ****less so I'm not advocating anything like that, it's just that to me having to pass such rigorous tests etc for one and requiring no qualifications other than the obvious for the other is an enormous anomaly. Do i have a solution? Not at the moment.

[Grendel]

Okay Bee I can accept the form of punishment made IF the child is sincere in his regret over it.

However he hasnt given up his 'mates' that did this (and will no doubt do so again).


To offer an apology without that to me is hollow. Sorry but he sounds like the classic 'Oliver Twist'. The pretty one put forward to soften how you see the offender.

No, unless total regret is stated by showing a willingness to accept the consequences of your actions (and you dont need an education for that, you need a conscious) I think you have been to soft.

I hope this kid sees the error of his ways. I truly doubt though from his lack of giving up these 'friends' that his remorse while maybe genuine only extends so far enough to say sorry to you but not to help you recover any more of what is rightfully yours while his 'friends' profit from your loss.

[Frodo]

Originally posted by Grendel
Okay Bee I can accept the form of punishment made IF the child is sincere in his regret over it.

However he hasnt given up his 'mates' that did this (and will no doubt do so again).


To offer an apology without that to me is hollow. Sorry but he sounds like the classic 'Oliver Twist'. The pretty one put forward to soften how you see the offender.

No, unless total regret is stated by showing a willingness to accept the consequences of your actions (and you dont need an education for that, you need a conscious) I think you have been to soft.

I hope this kid sees the error of his ways. I truly doubt though from his lack of giving up these 'friends' that his remorse while maybe genuine only extends so far enough to say sorry to you but not to help you recover any more of what is rightfully yours while his 'friends' profit from your loss.

I tend to agree with this response.

It is a deep subject. How the cake is made is certainly the problem. If it can be made edible then we should try, but whilst it is poisonous then we should not allow it to be in our society.