Texas Sends Poor Teens To Adult Jail For Skipping School

[Valmy]

Criminalizing what amounts to shiftlessness among teens (via non-payment of court fees for missing court dates) hardly seems like a great idea.

It's complicated. But for whatever reason our society seems to have few arrows in its quiver to deal with anti-social behavior like that. Which is what creates the infamous 'school to prison' pipeline.

[grumbler]

It's complicated. But for whatever reason our society seems to have few arrows in its quiver to deal with anti-social behavior like that. Which is what creates the infamous 'school to prison' pipeline.

Indeed. There are those who think it best to "force" students to 'grow up' by threatening them if they don't.  Time works better than threats. Hunger is a better motivator than fear.

[Malthus]

Criminalizing what amounts to shiftlessness among teens (via non-payment of court fees for missing court dates) hardly seems like a great idea.

It's complicated. But for whatever reason our society seems to have few arrows in its quiver to deal with anti-social behavior like that. Which is what creates the infamous 'school to prison' pipeline.

Just letting them not go to school would suck (it becomes really difficult to make up for in later life), but it would suck less than this.

Up here in Canada, I had friends who dropped out at a young age: one worked as a waitress for a couple of years: she went back when she realized that working at a pancake house for the rest of her life wasn't ideal, and without some education, it was pretty likely. [Of course then she married a trust fund kid, but that's another story.  ]

It wasn't a good idea, but I don't think jailing her would have improved matters.

[Martinus]

I think all teens should be jailed.  At age 20 a reasonable court made up of crank old fucks decides if they live or if they die.

That is all.

Oh, and instead of dying the girls could be sent to Gor for re-education.

Has Ed Anger stolen your password?

[Martinus]

She shouldn't have to go to court just for not going to class.

What, if anything, should happen to her for not going to class?

Flunk and get expelled.

That's not sufficient if there is law providing for compulsory school attendence.

[Ed Anger]

I think all teens should be jailed.  At age 20 a reasonable court made up of crank old fucks decides if they live or if they die.

That is all.

Oh, and instead of dying the girls could be sent to Gor for re-education.

Has Ed Anger stolen your password?

Lucullus speaks for me in my absence.

[Martinus]

Criminalizing what amounts to shiftlessness among teens (via non-payment of court fees for missing court dates) hardly seems like a great idea.

It's complicated. But for whatever reason our society seems to have few arrows in its quiver to deal with anti-social behavior like that. Which is what creates the infamous 'school to prison' pipeline.

In a civilized countries you would deal with it by (i) penalising the parents, (ii) sending a social worker to the troubled kid. Sending a teenager to an adult jail for failing to do something that is only an obligation because it is for the teen's own good seems like the dumbest way one can address a problem like this, of all venues possible.

[Valmy]

In a civilized countries you would deal with it by (i) penalising the parents,

This is what the intention is and what happens most of the time. But things get fuzzy when people reach certain ages. What they are going to put a 16 or 17 year old into foster care?

(ii) sending a social worker to the troubled kid.

Again this is what happens most of the time.

Sending a teenager to an adult jail for failing to do something that is only an obligation because it is for the teen's own good seems like the dumbest way one can address a problem like this, of all venues possible.

I guess I missed where I thought this was a good idea? Most people view this as a bug and not a feature.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Does Texas require children to go to school past age 16? It seems so, but that's pretty unusual.

It's either go to school or get a GED until 18. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

I guess I missed where I thought this was a good idea? Most people view this as a bug and not a feature.

Yeah, there's something like 90,000 dropouts a year, plus some large number that leave high school and just get a GED.  Somehow, just about all of them seem to have been able to avoid what happened to Serena and co in the article, so these 1000 over three years don't appear to be a normal situation. 

JP Dickhead Nodegree who does this relatively regularly needs to be tossed.  And Serena needs to get off her lazy ass and get on the bus to Sugar Land next time.

[grumbler]

... JP Dickhead Nodegree who does this relatively regularly needs to be tossed. ...

I'm thinking that having no degree and bashing the lazy bums is why he keeps getting re-elected.  Texas, ya know.

[Monoriu]

I have always been a little uneasy about elected judges. 

[garbon]

I have always been a little uneasy about elected judges. 

You are a little uneasy about elections so...

[Monoriu]

I have always been a little uneasy about elected judges. 

You are a little uneasy about elections so...

  That's a good catch.