Juvenile offenders get the justice low-down

I hate to be a critic, BUT.... is this a case of good idea, bad execution, or am I just a cynic? Read on and decide for yourself...

The Houston Bar Association has recently launched a "juvenile delinquent orientation program" that is intended to "orient" juveniles with the juvenile justice system of Harris County, and ultimately act as a deterrent to prevent these "delinquents" from re-entering the system once their sentences have been served. The program will soon be mandatory for youths who have been issued a "deferred prosecution" sentence, apparently the lightest a juvenile can receive through the courts for first-time and minor offenses. To be clear, the program is targeting youths that have not been issued an in-house detention sentence, but rather a probationary or out-of-house term.

When I read the introductory information about the program, I thought, "wow, great idea." Then, the details of what the program actually entails jaded my perspective a bit....story of our society, story of my life. Ugh! So here is what the program actually offers:

1. A panel of speakers that includes a representative from each segment of the justice "system." This consists of a representative from law enforcement, the courts, the defense and juvenile probation.

2. Actually, that was it. The game plan ended with the speakers. And the speakers lived up to what their titles would imply; they spoke. They spoke, to a room full of adolescents who were each cheerfully accompanied by a perturbed parent.

So, what did they say, one might inquire. Well, they said things like:

"If you're not supposed to have it in school, don't take it to school."

"Don't let your friends get you in trouble."

"There is surveillance everywhere."

"It never hurts to be respectful and polite."

"This juvenile justice system brings all of you in and it's almost like a sausage factory: you get processed, packaged and stamped."

These folks aren't really crowd-winners, are they? Forgive me for not being impressed by these striking pearls of wisdom, but really, were they aware of their audience? Every pot-smoking teenager knows that you shouldn't bring pot to school. Every shop-lifting adolescent knows there are cameras in a department store. So, what, exactly, was the point of this orientation? To remind these teens of the truths that any quasi-intelligent U.S. native would hold to be self evident? PR?

How about a tour of a juvenile detention center? Don't these public servants watch television? Teens do, and this is a media-crazed, drama loving society....so meet these kids on their level if you really want to "get through" to them. Crappy conditions, no video games, no cable, and definitely no pot...that's the reality of a juvenile detention center, and THAT would scare the bejesus outta any teenager. Why not bring to their attention that the decisions they are making now will affect them for the rest of their lives. If they think high school is fun, remind them that college is a blast, and is right around the corner if they clean up their acts. Why not remind them that there are actually a lot of LEGAL ways to be young and silly once you get there, and now! Problem is, lots of schools won't let you in if you have a criminal record. Back to TV...bring em' a video clip of a day in the life of a student at college vs. a day in the life of a same-aged youth who couldn't get there and is trapped in a perpetual state of between-minimum-wage-jobs-crappiness.

Is the message here "don't get caught," or is the message, "make good choices now, because your chances will run out." Are we trying to encourage their futures that are coming and building from now, or are we reinforcing the idea that they are only a number to be "packed and processed."

One of the things they brought up in the orientation was the amount of paperwork and hassle it is to get into trouble. Let's be honest, life is all about paperwork and hassle, the real issue is what kind of paperwork do our young people want to spend the rest of their lives filling out? I walked away from this article with the sense that we are telling these young people what they already know; getting into trouble is "bad." The most crucial element that was missing was the positive alternative, demonstrating to them what is "good." We should redirect irresponsible behavior, and encourage hope and hard work, and illustrate the fruits of such labor in ways that make sense to young people.

The last thing that Texas needs is another mandatory program without any sustenance. Too many of our programs that are aimed at "rehabilitation" do little to help those at risk for really becoming "part of the system." Good start Houston, but you may want to work on your logistics.