It is understandable that people get impatient with those who break the law, no matter their age or plight in life.
Yet extending a more compassionate hand to young offenders who find themselves in the juvenile justice system is worth extra effort.
Indiana Sen. Randy Head, a Logansport Republican, and state Rep. Wendy McNamara, an Evansville Republican, are trying to do just that. They have crafted legislation aimed at so-called “crossover youth” — those whose cases are being handled in the criminal justice system when they may be better served by the child welfare system.
The legislation, if it makes its way through the many hoops of the Indiana General Assembly this year, would require that juvenile judges and courts delve deeper into cases involving young offenders to find out what circumstances may exist in their lives that led them to commit crimes. Identifying those factors and dealing with them through social service intervention may help some more effectively than putting them in juvenile detention centers or jails.
Sen. Head explains the situation plainly and accurately. “We know that incarcerating kids too often turns them into career criminals,” he told CNHI state reporter Maureen Hayden in a story published in the Tribune-Star on Monday. “That’s not good for the kid, and it’s not good for our communities.”
Approaching the issue differently is a matter of taxpayer dollars and common sense. Incarceration is expensive. Intervening in a kid’s life by detecting links between childhood mistreatment and criminal behavior could help the young individual by altering his or her path as well as saving public resources over the long term.
Hayden explains that the legislation would require screening of juveniles who are arrested to determine if they’ve been abused, neglected or endangered. Prosecutors, public defenders and social workers would then provide a recommended course of action to a judge.
Being “tough on crime” is a banner under which politicians love to stand. But being “smart on crime” demonstrates a willingness to address issues such as juvenile justice more intelligently and with greater care. This proposal deserves that kind of treatment.