10 Year Olds in Jail?

[jbg]

Letter to the Winnipeg Free Press August 16

When young people fall victim to the criminal element before they reach 12 years of age, it represents a failure of the justice system and the social services that governments provide.

Not their parents?

[jdobbin]

Not their parents?

Not according to Toews.

It's hard to figure out what is happening at the Justice department at the moment. After Toews letter, he has been unavailable for comment.

[Charles Anthony]

After Toews letter, he has been unavailable for comment.

How do YOU know?

[jdobbin]

After Toews letter, he has been unavailable for comment.

How do YOU know?

Because the Charles Adler show has been trying to get him to clarify and his office said he was "unavailable for comment."

You've heard differently?

[Drea]

Why not mandatory family counselling? If a child is out committing crimes under the age of 12, I'd say the entire family is in need of intervention, not just the child. The child is simply exhibiting symptoms (committing crime) of a larger problem (his/her family).

If my 12 year old committed a crime, you bet I'd be there trying my darndest to find out how I could help him get back on the right track and how I went wrong in the first place.

If a family refuses counselling the child should be taken away immediately. Counselling would enable the courts to determine if the child is simply acting out or if the child has been taught to be a criminal by the parents. IE, Dad calling the police "pigs" etc. If Mom and Dad hate/are afraid of authority chances are junior will be too.

[jbg]

Why not mandatory family counselling? If a child is out committing crimes under the age of 12, I'd say the entire family is in need of intervention, not just the child. The child is simply exhibiting symptoms (committing crime) of a larger problem (his/her family).

If a family refuses counselling the child should be taken away immediately. Counselling would enable the courts to determine if the child is simply acting out or if the child has been taught to be a criminal by the parents. IE, Dad calling the police "pigs" etc. If Mom and Dad hate/are afraid of authority chances are junior will be too.

Most of these "families" are single mothers struggling with too many kids, no money, often addictions themselves, etc. A psychobabbler is not going to help her put her house in order. If the resources were there for serious family counseling the resources would also ensure that things would not have slid so far.

If my 12 year old committed a crime, you bet I'd be there trying my darndest to find out how I could help him get back on the right track and how I went wrong in the first place.

I'm sure you would. And I'm quite sure your 12 year old would not be out committing crimes for that very reason. Before things got to that point you'd be pro-active.

[MSH]

Why not mandatory family counselling? If a child is out committing crimes under the age of 12, I'd say the entire family is in need of intervention, not just the child. The child is simply exhibiting symptoms (committing crime) of a larger problem (his/her family).

This is almost exactly what the CPC gov't is proposing to do. The thing is the hysterical opposition has pushed its twisted interpretation of Toews' comments that he wants to throw kids in jail. Not only did he never mention incarceration, he explicity said in his original statement that he wasnt suggesting such a thing. Despite that he was STILL misrepresented to the degree that he had to write a letter to the editor emphasising that point. I thought the Liberal camp had hit bottom when it aired TV ads suggesting armed soldiers would be patrolling the streets of the Brave New Canada if Harper was elected. It appears they still sufffer from the same inability to accurately perceive reality today.

If my 12 year old committed a crime, you bet I'd be there trying my darndest to find out how I could help him get back on the right track and how I went wrong in the first place.

If a family refuses counselling the child should be taken away immediately. Counselling would enable the courts to determine if the child is simply acting out or if the child has been taught to be a criminal by the parents. IE, Dad calling the police "pigs" etc. If Mom and Dad hate/are afraid of authority chances are junior will be too.

That is because you are a sensible, competent person. An alcoholic, single-mother prostitute might lack the capacity to do such a thing. In order to do as you suggest, the law has to be changed exacatly as Toews has suggested. When a child under 12 is aprehended committing any sort of crime, the police and courts have ABSOLUTELY NO RECOURSE at present. The ONLY action the police can take is to return the child to his parents and contact social services. And if you've ever had the opportunity to observe how social services operates you know this is totally inadequate becasue by themselves social services does not have the resources to compel the family to attend coucilling, and can only take custody of the child if it is clearly established that the child is currently being abused or neglected.

That is why it would be much more effective if the justice system was given the power to hear cases involving younger children and issue rulings. Collaberation between the justice system and social services at preset is severely inadequate. Giving the justice system the ability to order appropriate action would go a long way in solving this problem, as would giving over-burdened social services the tools it needs to carry out such rulings (I'd be interested in seeing what governments plan to do about the latter).

[jbg]

This is almost exactly what the CPC gov't is proposing to do. The thing is the hysterical opposition has pushed its twisted interpretation of Toews' comments that he wants to throw kids in jail. Not only did he never mention incarceration, he explicity said in his original statement that he wasnt suggesting such a thing. Despite that he was STILL misrepresented to the degree that he had to write a letter to the editor emphasising that point.

MSM hates Harper, for whatever reason. They've done their level best in the US to smear Bush at every turn.

I thought the Liberal camp had hit bottom when it aired TV ads suggesting armed soldiers would be patrolling the streets of the Brave New Canada if Harper was elected. It appears they still sufffer from the same inability to accurately perceive reality today.

Steven Harper is eating your children:

1. In the kitchen;
   
2. At 24 Sussex Drive;
   
3. In Ottawa;
   
4. In Ontario;
   
5. In Canada
   

I'm not making this up. I can't make this up. I'm not allowed to make this up.