63 days

[Deborah]

Exhausted,
Agreed, the courts should be consistent. But, it seems to me that you may support stricter laws and possibly Zero Tolerance.
If that's the case, read this:

http://www.advancementproject.org/repor ... EOLrep.pdf
Education on Lockdown: The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track,
is Advancement Project?s second examination of the emergence of zero
tolerance school discipline policies and how these policies have pushed students away from an academic track to a future in the juvenile justice system. School districts have teamed up with law enforcement to create this ?schoolhouse to jailhouse track? by imposing a ?double dose? of punishment - suspensions or expulsions and a trip to the juvenile court - for one act of childish misconduct.

[White Cracker Man]

Exhausted, early this year we had a heartbreaking story about a seven year old  girl named Nixzmary Brown here in New York. You can Google that but I do not think you will want to read too much about it.

[Anonymous]

(What, you didn't think I'd jump in here?)

Google for the words "gargling milk" while you're at it.

[exhausted]

I wouldn't say I was in favour of zero tolerance, kids should be allowed to be kids, they do daft things, how do they learn if they are not allowed to make mistakes....some make the mistake several times before they realise it's not a good decision, I know I've done this several times due to immaturity

I would like to see the rules a little more clear cut though, why doesn't life mean life? Why does it mean 15 years, oyu can take someone elses life and destroy their family and do betwen 9-15 years for it?

I guess I am talking about real justice, I am a firm believer in the punishment fitting the crime, which doesn't always mean a jail sentence, I don't want my kids getting arrested for assault because they have had a grass fight when the lawns are freshly mowed and some little precious cries to his mother that he has got a stone or a blade of grass in his eye - toughen up kid, shit happens, it doesn't require a visit from the police
I believe when kids get up to potentially dangerous childhood pranks such as dialling emergency services because they want to see the big fire truck with its flashing lights tear down the street, DO NOT have them up on a charge.....they would learn more by being ordered down to their local firestation to clean boots and wash engines down every night after school and over the weekend, they have lost their free time, they have to do something they don't want to do and they have to face some pretty pissed off firemen who know what they did, if they grafitti, give themn the equipment to wash it off, have fun kid cos you have a whole street to do,it would be a far better life lesson than putting them on yet another caution that means absolutely nothing, apart from something to brag about to their friends.