Kordax
Senior Forumite
Hank Rearden
Posts: 2,537
|
Post by Kordax on Apr 21, 2007 7:28:26 GMT -5
www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5496955,00.html Research shows that it isn't necessarily or even likely that race is the reason black youths are overrepresented in juvenile lockup. There's no evidence that judges single out black youths simply because they are black.
In a study that focused on seven counties, including Knox, some clear patterns of probable causes emerged:
- Young people hailing from homes headed by single parents, particularly single women, with little education are most vulnerable to being locked up
- Poverty, particularly arising from unemployment by a single parent, is a key force.
- Selling dope and possession of a gun are quick tickets to harsher punishment.
- Dropping out of school, whether it be the child or the parent who quit, puts a youthful offender on a fast track to lock-up or transfer.
- The athletic, academic or social student is far more likely to avoid lockup. Youths who either shun or are shut out of extracurricular activities or the honor roll are more likely to wind up in trouble.
In 2005, 52,910 cases were filed in juvenile courts in Tennessee against white children. That same year, 22,430 cases were filed against black children. Whites make up 72 percent of the total juvenile population in Tennessee. Blacks make up 21 percent. Edited for HOW IN THE HELL DOES THE BULLET FUNCTION WORK?
|
|
|
Post by tcrashfx on Apr 21, 2007 8:14:31 GMT -5
Kordax:
Hit the bullet tab and it will give you a
list [/li][li] [/li][li] [/li][li] /list
Add a line at each *. If you need more lines cut and past some more of the * things with brackets (or just type [/li][li] for each additional line) and you should be good to go.
It took me about 2 days to figure it out!
|
|
Kordax
Senior Forumite
Hank Rearden
Posts: 2,537
|
Post by Kordax on Apr 21, 2007 8:28:25 GMT -5
I got it -- thanks, Crash!
|
|
|
Post by serendipity on Apr 21, 2007 10:36:29 GMT -5
They forgot to add in the list that blacks are usually unable to afford a lawyer to represent their child.
|
|
|
Post by tcrashfx on Apr 21, 2007 12:28:55 GMT -5
In the Juvenile Courts in Tennessee no child may appear before a Judge (Or referee) without being represented by both a lawyer and a Court Appointed Special Advocate {CASA}).
And these appointed lawyers are not always Public Defenders and are, in fact, some of the best in town (It fulfills their "Pro Bono" requirements).
The inability to hire a lawyer to represent a child (Black, white, pink or purple) in Juvenile Court, at least in Tennessee (And most states) is therefore not an issue.
I presume the authors of this report were aware of this fact (I thought everybody already was aware of it) and therefore did not include it.
|
|
Jay
Senior Forumite
Captain Cupcake
Posts: 5,070
|
Post by Jay on Apr 22, 2007 13:21:06 GMT -5
I wasn't aware of it. That's interesting though.. The "pro bono" requirements? Do lawyers have to do some pro bono work?
|
|