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To thrive and succeed as an adult, every child and every teenager must learn that his or her actions have consequences. For those adults who fail to learn that lesson and commit crimes, the criminal justice system steps in to school them on the ways of adulthood. But what about teenagers who commit violent "adult" offenses? We decided locking them up wasn't doing anyone a favor. Thus, the extended jurisdiction juvenile (EJJ) system was created, providing a pathway for teenagers to turn their lives around and avoid prison. But it's not a get-out-of-jail-free card (pun intended). Probation instead of prison comes with rules. Violating those rules ends probation and the original prison sentence is reinstated. Seems more than fair.
"'Back door to prison' steals precious time" (front page, Dec. 18) posits that somehow the system fails those teenagers who break their probation rules and end up in prison. The article mentions an "early architect of EJJ, who now disavows the program as ineffective and unduly harsh." No, prison time as a teenager is harsh. Being given an extended probation is a reasonable, less punitive alternative.
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