New Laws Affecting Kids Should Be Vetted By Body of Experts to Avoid Unintended Consequences
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It is a natural human emotion to be scared of what we don’t understand. And sometimes the fear is too great and we check our brains at the door.
On Juvenile Detention, a Place Where the Right Meets the Left
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Today’s problems with an overcrowded and aging prison population are in part a direct result of efforts in the 1980s and ‘90s to “get tough” on crime. Several strategies were adopted across the United States that were intended to protect society and send a message to would-be criminals. Mandatory minimum sentences, increased penalties, removal of parole for certain crimes and life without parole were all part of the plan. Juvenile criminals were also included in this crusade against crime. Many of the laws passed in relation to juvenile crime were based on the now discredited “super predator” theory put forth by John DiLulio of Princeton University and James Fox of Northeastern University.