A Sorry Approach in the Juvenile System

Re “Disarray in Juvenile Prisons Jolts Capital,” Feb. 4: Each year we spend billions in an effort to keep youngsters off drugs. We do this because we know the deleterious effects that drugs can have on a growing mind. And then we spend billions more keeping young “wards” locked up in conditions one state senator described as “chilling,” further stating that we have “a juvenile detention system that is in chaos, ruled by fear and neglect.” Could this be having an effect on growing minds?

There are undoubtedly some wards not entitled to roam free in society. But I can’t believe there are so many incorrigibles in the state that we need to spend $80,000 apiece each year to isolate them. We are creating a bigger problem than we are solving with our present approach. What can we do today to avert tomorrow’s potential wards from a chilling experience in our justice system?

Richard A. Hein

Fullerton