showing my age again ;^) - but seriously, is there no longer such a thing as reform school? I know when and where I come from, back in the day, boys, usually, were sent to reform school or 'military' school. They were gone never to be seen or heard from again, until they graduated and were fine upstanding citizens. Is that a thing of the past?

Of course back in the day we didn't even "think" of doing bad things, or talking out in class, or disrespecting, because we all believed the parents, teachers and principals could almost tell what you were 'thinking', shoot, it never got to the acting out part. And the swats the principal gave out were nothing compared to what happened when the person got home. Ah, back in the good old days.

In a way I agree with Dawn, there ought to be a better way to punish and correct these kids. On the other hand I wonder if this little fellow would give Dawn or any of us the same consideration in a dark alley.

Dawn, I understand your pain regarding this young man, but facts dictate that he be tried as an adult. We can but ponder as to what his prior offenses were or were not. Odds are that this "fight" was not his first nor was it an isolated incident. Only the members of the court know, and it is they with whom we have entrusted the responsibility to make that call.

He was given four years not for reasons to reform, but as punishment for breaking the law. Sure the description Sniffles makes as to him being young and assaulted is probable, but it is not a surety. That point is eloquently made to evoke compassion and sensationalism.

My point back to you is where exactly do we draw the line for these young miscreants (for lack of a better term)? From the time they are barely teens until the time they are recognized as adults, most like this young man have pushed the envelope in and out of detention, juvenile delinquency, and the like. We are simply not privy to the whole story.

Realizing that most have not experienced positive family units and may have never met a positive role model, but the opportunities were the same for him as they were for the ones who elected not to get into trouble. He simply took possibly one wrong turn too many and was unlucky enough to be caught.

You speak of positive guidance, can you honestly say it was never made available? If that were the case, then I might loose sleep.

I was remembering a teacher I had in 9th grade, Mrs. Hanson. She watched me go from an 'A' student to making all 'F's. She noticed that the friends I had once had were gone and had been replaced by different friends - those who were the "wrong crowd".

She was the only adult, aside from my own parents, that cared enough to step in and steer me back down the right path. Mrs. Hanson and my mother conspired to involve me in as many activities as possible and Mrs. Hanson spent every Saturday coaching me in debate. She then signed me up for the Toastmasters Debate Team in which I excelled and won often.

I was lucky enough to have parents that loved enough to be strict, even when I hated them, and to have a teacher that cared enough to spend her free time saving a young lady. Then there were the neighbors who told on me for anything I did: "I saw your daughter doing this yesterday.......". There were eyes everywhere!

I do see your point, Mike, that when the law has been broken there must be a consequence. I just don't feel that prison will do anything but perpetuate the problem. By the time a man is say 30, he has pretty much chosen his life's course. But I can't help but feel that the young men and women can still be saved. However, I realize that Jane is right - in a dark alley this young man would probably not care as much about the good in me as I would in him.

BTW: 25 years later, I have never forgotten Mrs. Hanson. Teachers have more power than many of them realize. Bless them all for the jobs they do.

Each of us irregardless of our station in life have experienced the efforts of the "Mrs Hansons", it is up to us as individuals to accept the guidance. You are correct when you say that prison only perpetuates the problem, but what is the alternative?

For me, it is that as a society we draw a line, a line that is too often too subjective, but a line nonetheless. Upon crossing that line an individual's fate now rests with the determination of society. We all have to grow up and be adults eventually. The system is not without fault, but it's purpose is to protect all of society.