Why American Courtrooms Are Dangerous Places for Young Blacks

[Victor_c3]

3. I have to agree with what you said

Building on what you said, perhaps they should give juvenile offenders a method to commune their multi-decade long sentences by completing a vocational training or degree program by the time they are 22 or 24 or something like that.

The state will train you to be a carpenter, a medical lab technician, mechanic, nurse, or something like that. You complete the program and demonstrate decent behavior in prison and you get parole. You demonstrate you can maintain a "straight and narrow" life while on parole and your record is expunged by the age of 30 or something like that.

Your childhood and early adult life is definitely messed up and you definitely have reduced freedom as a result of your actions (i.e. a good deterrent), but your life isn't over. You have a real chance to become a productive member of our society and to really learn from your mistakes.

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Most people grow up. You have to give them a chance to at least get their act together. It's amazing to me how the people who I considered "meat heads" when I was in high school and even college have slowly gotten their stuff together by the time they are in their early 30s. Many of those people are now decent hard-working parents.

An inner-city 14 year old gang-banger who never had a chance in life needs the slap in the face a felony conviction gives them, but they also need to have the chance to correct their lives.