Boys Need Help, Not Jail
Posted by Christina Gomez on February 24th, 2009
When I was a baby, my parents came into my room to find my older brother trying to smother me with a pillow. He was three years older than me and upset that my dad had rocked me to sleep after telling my brother that he was "too big" to be rocked like a baby. In his childlike mind, I was the reason why his daddy wouldn’t rock him. His action could have proven deadly, and possibly be explained by the sentiment that he was only 4-years-old – and didn’t understand the consequences.
This incident came to mind when I read about the 9-year old boy charged with killing his father participating in a plea agreement in Arizona and the 11-year-old who is being accused of shooting his father’s pregnant girlfriend in Pennsylvania.
From press reports, the details of what actually happened are unknown. However, it is clear that these two boys had access to guns and are accused of using them with tragic consequences. And, in both cases, local officials defaulted to the use of incarceration for these boys as a first response.
Are we so bankrupt as a society that we cannot figure out a way to supervise and intervene with preteens without incarceration? Shame on us. These little boys need help, not jail. What should be taken into consideration is that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain is responsible for “executive functions,” such as weighing the future consequences of current activities, and it is not fully developed by adolescence, let alone by age 11.
According to a 2007 study conducted by psychologist Laurence Steinberg of Temple University, the brain isn’t fully developed until age 25. Countries like Australia understand this research and make it impossible for children under 11 to commit crimes. However, we live in a society that is hell bent on the idea that "punishment" equals "rehabilitation," which is why jail serves as the grounds for reconciliation. But what if you don’t understand "the crime" or "the time" because you are simply too young? In those cases, what purpose does locking up a child serve? One inescapable answer is to feed an addiction to incarceration.
In Arizona the juvenile justice system has forced a
9-year-old boy to agree to a plea deal he probably doesn't even
understand. Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, common sense policy has led the 11-year-old boy's defense attorney to request he be moved from county jail to a juvenile facility. According to reports, this boy can barely reach the top
bunk of his cell. His prison attire is three sizes too big for him. What do you think is going through his head?
As the facts emerge one thing remains clear. These boys are not mini-adults and should not be viewed through that lens. They are 9 and 11-years-old. Let’s hope and pray that the adults responsible for handling this situation act like grown-ups who understand children.
This is a shame that we have highly educated people making these absurd decisions about how to deal with our juveniles. You figure the amount of money we spend keeping these kids locked up we can be getting them real help instead of throwing them into such an abominable place. Yes the crime is quit disturbing but we need to open our eyes here!
If someone does not intervene with some form of knowledge unfortunately these boys have no future. Obviously their lawyers, prosecutors and judges have absolutely no idea. Where are the criminologists, psychologists and rights groups in all this? It makes no sense to incarcerate these children for all the reasons stated in the post. Working with offenders one gets an idea of where someone is at, even murderers can be rehabilitated but as long as they are adults and have the ability to accept responsibility and this is the crux responsibility - no child can have a concept of responsibility. In my view whoever left a gun open and exposed in order for these children to utilize them should be the ones facing charges. There needs to be an inquest into these children s home lives, no child brought up in a responsible home should have access to weapons. This saddens me and revolts me, until we as society start holding the justice system accountable. We as adults have to start taking responsibility for what we are teaching our children and we have to start taking responsibility for our hand in what is happening with the youth today instead of blaming them.
I'll never forget at a Task Force meeting when Tshaka was talking about seeing a young boy in court who's feet couldn't even touch the ground while sitting in a chair. That image has always stuck with me, and I think of it whenever I see the young men and little boys in my life freely swinging their legs and smiling big...how would I feel if my little nephews, cousins, or fam were to be put in shackles or locked down? Thanks for your work and your post. I stand by you that they need love, support, and help...not jail.
So true, I really respect you guys as you tell it like it is and in such beautiful language. Kids committing crimes at these young ages aren't criminals in the normal sense. They're lost children who need help and care, not a jail cell. It's a shame that it's just easier to lock them up and forget about them than to actually try and make a difference. ottoman slipcovers