There are so many lessons to be drawn from Bobbie Gross’ tragic experience in trying to help her 17-year-old son that the challenge isn’t to describe just one but how to sum up the whole plethora of ills the young man fell into when left to the not-so-tender mercies of the State of Arkansas:
It turns out that his mother, seeking to help him, made her first mistake when she filed a petition with a judge of Arkansas’ juvenile court system asking the court get her son treatment, maybe even an order that he get into a rehabilitation program. Instead she wound up getting him a criminal record and being locked up with already hardened criminals, most of them sex offenders and violent offenders. For the state is no substitute for the family, much as some wish it was.
That’s why we should go on a letter writing campaign……Mr. Steve Harvey helps juveniles in trouble. I guess he has a camp-like sort of program that these kids go through so they don’t end up in juvenile hall.
I don’t think there should be juvenile halls in this country or any where else, for that matter- what should be in their place is a rehabilitative programs (probable costing the counties less money) to help guide them through those tough years and move them forward with positive encouragement.
I am more determined to contact Steve and see if he can some how influence change in our legislation and make police changes in the way we treat juveniles.
Any comments of ideas anyone?
I meant to say “policy changes” not police….