Comments on: On SCOTUS Cases and Juveniles in Jail for Life http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/2009/11/08/on-scotus-cases-and-juveniles-in-jail-for-life/ "She is very powerful, so be nice to her." Chancellor, Ohio Board of Regents, Eric Fingerhut Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:44:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Paul http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/2009/11/08/on-scotus-cases-and-juveniles-in-jail-for-life/comment-page-1/#comment-407841 Paul Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:38:42 +0000 http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/?p=13916#comment-407841 Jill: I know squat about this topic, but I've had a chance to work with an OSU professor named Steven Gavazzi who has done a great deal of research in this area: http://ehe.osu.edu/facstaff/hdfs.php?name=stephen%20gavazzi Steve and his wife Courtney formed GRADcis as a tool for county juvenile justice professionals who have to decide on courses of action. Check out www.gradcis.com. Anyway, to answer your question: I think that during that stage of development when the hormones are out of control, and the brain still developing, youth do all kinds of stupid things that they wouldn't at a later stage of life. To incarcerate someone for the rest of their lives for a mistake made at this time of biological and psychological chaos doesn't seem fruitful for anyone. That's not to say that there should not be consequences. I think that a great solution is to require such a young offender to join the military and serve for a serious chunk of time, but in a non-combatant role. Work as an orderly in a military hospital. Go help build schools in Iraq with a Navy Seabee unit. PL Jill:

I know squat about this topic, but I’ve had a chance to work with an OSU professor named Steven Gavazzi who has done a great deal of research in this area:

http://ehe.osu.edu/facstaff/hdfs.php?name=stephen%20gavazzi

Steve and his wife Courtney formed GRADcis as a tool for county juvenile justice professionals who have to decide on courses of action. Check out http://www.gradcis.com.

Anyway, to answer your question: I think that during that stage of development when the hormones are out of control, and the brain still developing, youth do all kinds of stupid things that they wouldn’t at a later stage of life. To incarcerate someone for the rest of their lives for a mistake made at this time of biological and psychological chaos doesn’t seem fruitful for anyone.

That’s not to say that there should not be consequences. I think that a great solution is to require such a young offender to join the military and serve for a serious chunk of time, but in a non-combatant role. Work as an orderly in a military hospital. Go help build schools in Iraq with a Navy Seabee unit.

PL

]]> By: Chuck Butcher http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/2009/11/08/on-scotus-cases-and-juveniles-in-jail-for-life/comment-page-1/#comment-407826 Chuck Butcher Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:17:43 +0000 http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/?p=13916#comment-407826 I know from personal experience that a person can turn their life around. There is a huge "but" in a statement like that. There probably is a level of depravity in crime that may indicate that no one could be seen to make enough change to be loose in society. How high would the bar have to be set to free a juvenile who raped and strangled an elderly lady? Pretty high. It is not exactly the sort of crime that qualifies as youthful hijinks or could be passed off to the ignorance of youth. A nasty question I'm glad I don't have the power to actually decide. I know from personal experience that a person can turn their life around. There is a huge “but” in a statement like that. There probably is a level of depravity in crime that may indicate that no one could be seen to make enough change to be loose in society. How high would the bar have to be set to free a juvenile who raped and strangled an elderly lady? Pretty high. It is not exactly the sort of crime that qualifies as youthful hijinks or could be passed off to the ignorance of youth.

A nasty question I’m glad I don’t have the power to actually decide.

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