Einstein’s definition of insanity
is apt at this time in our history.
MN A.G. Keith Ellison’s response to
the public outcry for punishment is normal
(And that’s a shame).
Our need for punishment over restorative justice is the American way. We don’t care if charging children and youth as adults brings more crime and recidivism.
It doesn’t much matter if the charged youth grew up in a toxic home or was so abused they have been removed from their birth home for the terrible things done to them by parents. That these youth have serious mental health problems not to be effectively treated in prison before their release isn’t a conversation.
A great deal of violent and serious crime is caused by juveniles. Former MN Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz and Justice Anne Mckeig have both stated that 90% of the youth in Juvenile Justice have passed through Child Protective Services. My years of working in CPS are testimony to this reality. All my caseload children lived with overwhelming behavior problems caused by trauma from their years of abuse.
It hurts me to know that we the people believe charging a 12, 14, 16 year old’s as an adult is the right thing to do. Kids that had unbearably abusive/traumatic childhoods do bad things. Without community intervention/support they often are violent and even dangerous.
If Justices Blatz and McKeig are right, we are piling on the misery of violence and trauma incurred in the home to lifetimes of violence and degradation in the Justice System.
Prison recidivism in the U.S. has been over 80% at nine years for a long time. Human & financial costs (and tax dollars) are terrifically high.
It may be that the young brothers charged with the murder of Zaria McKeever came from stable homes. County Attorney Mary Moriarty judged “not” to try these young men as adults and the likely lifetime prison sentence attached to it. We the people have chosen otherwise hoping for better results. I’m with Einstein.
- Recidivism: Studies have shown that adolescents who are transferred to the adult criminal justice system are more likely to reoffend than those who are kept in the juvenile justice system.
- Incarceration with adults: Adolescents who are transferred to the adult criminal justice system are often incarcerated with adults, which often results in rape and more abuse in prison.
- Lack of rehabilitation: The adult criminal justice system is focused on punishment, rather than rehabilitation. Adolescents who are transferred to the adult system rarely get the help they need to change their behavior.
- America has 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s prison population
- Over 600,000 State and Federal prisoners are released back into society every year – few of them with their mental health and behavior problems addressed.
Healthy children become productive citizens producing millions adulthood
earnings,taxes and other social good/volunteerism etc.
KARA reports on the issues of child abuse.
This article submitted by CASA volunteer Mike Tikkanen
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County Attorney Mary Moriarty