The World as You See it, in 500 Years

By |

Imagine the world you would like to see in a year. Now imagine the world in five years, then 10, 20, 50, 100, and finally 500. Take some time with each increment. This past year I have spent a lot of time trying to create the world I want to live in, and I have met many people with the same desire, though they do not always put it in the same words. I have interacted with advocates of restorative circles, nonviolent communication (NVC), alternatives to violence, and many others interested in peace making.

Kids and the Burning Man Ethos

By |

On October 1st, at 8:30 in the morning, I was walking across a field in north Georgia, surrounded by colorful tents, flags and decorations of all sorts. In front of me was a DJ, surrounded by a professional-looking sound system and several massive speakers. The bass in particular was very loud, and I imagine music could be heard a few miles away. Along the way I had spoken with several short-tempered and tired people. Apparently this DJ had set up his camp after midnight and begun to play his electronic music shortly after.

The Peaceful Power of Restorative Circles

By |

In the early 1990s a young Englishman walked up the steep mountainside that surrounds Rio de Janeiro and into a favela, a slum unlike anything seen in the United States. It was a place ruled by drug gangs and the daily scene of murders and gun fights between the inhabitants and the police. He walked in and began talking to some kids about what was happening in their lives. Nearly 20 years later, the justice and educational systems of Brazil have been altered, and the work he started there has spread around the world. As I write this I am in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., a 12-hour-drive from my home in Kennesaw, Ga.

Sentenced to 30 Years at Age 14

By |

Christopher Terrance Middleton was 14 when he committed several serious crimes in the course of one event in 1997, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, armed robbery and theft by taking. He was sentenced to serve a total of 30 years without the possibility of parole. According to his attorney, McNeil Stokes, Christopher had agreed to plead guilty to a 20-year sentence, but during the sentencing phase the victim testified she would be afraid if he got out before he was 45. Both Stokes and Middleton’s mother have written about his case on JJIE. His mother advocates for the repeal of mandatory sentencing laws for juveniles, and Stokes has filed an appeal challenging the constitutionality of such sentences.

Lack of Data From States Hinders Implementation of Effective Juvenile Justice

By |

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released a report this month that discusses juvenile transfers to adult court and the problem of gathering reliable information about this practice. The authors give a brief history of the practice of transferring youth, and an overview of the wide variety of laws and practices that states use when trying kids as adults. Several of their conclusions stand out. The practice of transferring youth to criminal court through anything other than a case-by-case court order grew nationally from the mid-1980s until the mid 1990s. Laws allowing for judicial transfer have existed since nearly the beginning of the separation of juvenile and adult cases in the 19th century.

The Real Consequences of Bullying

By |

Bullying is increasingly seen as a problem in the United States, and some research has started to prove that its consequences are real. Most adults can probably remember being bullied in school, and there is a tendency to think of it as a rite of passage or simply as a part of life that kids have to get used to. After all, we got through it OK, perhaps with the advice of “standing up” to the bully, or simply by enduring it until it went away. Consider a few statistics from James Burns, an educational speaker and trainer who runs Proactive Behavioral – Management:

Sixty percent of middle school students say they have been bullied, while 16 percent of staff believe that students are bullied. Thirty percent of students who reported they had been bullied said they had at times brought weapons to school.

The Importance of Evidenced-Based Research in Establishing Juvenile Justice Policy

By |

Over the last few decades politicians have advocated for stricter sentencing guidelines and for trying more juveniles as adults. These decisions have been largely driven by public fear and a desire by elected officials to be seen as “tough on crime.”

They do not rely on evidence-based research, one of the least used methods for determining juvenile justice policy. Some of these attitudes seem to be changing though. Over the last few years, research has generated data that are beginning to be acknowledged by policy makers. One such study is Pathways to Desistance, sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with many other groups interested in effective juvenile justice practices.

Prison and the Crucial Role of Nonviolent Communication

By |

I saw a lot of violence during my years in prison in Georgia. Most of the time, however, this violence happened because of miscommunication. Rumors about what one guy had said about another, or allegations of some misconduct such as stealing, would lead to a confrontation. The accused would feel trapped into responding with violence. The culture was attuned to respect, and instances of disrespect were seen as reasonable grounds for hitting someone, or at least threatening them.

The Trouble With Trying Children as Adults

By |

There are numerous issues surrounding trying juveniles as adults – particularly in cases where the possibility of life without parole exists. The ideas that shaped juvenile justice for over a hundred years have been degraded and attacked, particularly in state government, with a view that juveniles deserve harsher punishment. These ideas fit the overarching “tough on crime” view of many politicians (and often their constituents). But does this view reflect reality, or is it a political convenience that preys on the pain of victims and the fear of the public?

John Lash On Sentencing Fairness and Salvaging Young People

By |

On August 22, James Glover, a Marietta, Ga. teenager, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the robbery and assault of Paul Smallwood, a 94-year-old World War II veteran. Glover and an 11-year-old accomplice robbed Mr. Smallwood of $27 and a cell phone last September. Smallwood had lived independently until the attack. Now, due to his injuries, he is in assisted living.