Nine Strikes and You’re Out
I spent some time Monday reading through the probable cause affidavit regarding Shamus Patton. What was more disturbing than the fact he allegedly shot at and could have killed nine people that night, was the fact that he had nine previous run-ins with the law.
According to the affidavit, Patton has had nine referrals to juvenile court since 2008. Since he is a juvenile, his record is shielded from the public by law, but it has to make you wonder at what point do we as a society say enough is enough. I am all for giving individuals a second chance, but nine?
How many times does someone have to screw up before we go pick them up and politely put them somewhere in an orange jumpsuit. I am told by my sources that it is not uncommon for a juvenile on probation to commit multiple offenses and still not have to spend any time in the Department of Corrections.
I truly think it’s time to start taking a second look at juvenile corrections. There should not be this revolving door that lets someone like a Shamus Patton venture in and out of the system nine times over a two-year period. Should the law be changed to a “three strikes and you’re out until you’re an adult”? Maybe. But something apparently is not working and it’s time to fix it before we have another Shamus Patton on our hands who turns out to be a better shot than the last one.
July 27th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Did you notice that one of the teens he (allegedly) shot was on home detention? I have to wonder, how many strikes has that one had already? (and the obvious one, why was he not home?)
July 27th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I noticed that too, John. And I wonder if he'll be charged with violating that home probation. Or, if getting shot is enough of a lesson.
Our juvey system has been broken for a long time. The reason is money. It costs a lot to house juveniles properly, and we haven't been doing it properly for a longer time.
Ask your city-county council member to arrange a tour of the Juvey facility for you. It'll turn your stomach.
Jim Payne was a self-centered goof on the bench. People I know who work in that system admire Judge Moores, but her sentencing options are limited by space-available.
Like all other large issues locally, this one's been ignored by city leaders for 30 years. The longer we ignore it, the more expensive it becomes…in money and in lives.
At some point, we'll say we've “had enough” and either pay up, or shut up.
Until then, we whine.
July 27th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
It is not uncommon to close out a juvenile's probation case as “failed” after repeated failed attempts at the numerous programs. Most importantly “failed” often does not result in jail time it just means they are released from probation sooner.
Many juveniles have no conditions of their probation nor stricter curfews attached. Once a juvenile has a “true finding” in court they are 'asked' to complete various programs while on probation. There is NO accountability for parents if the children continue to re-offend or even if the parents and children miss regularly scheduled meetings.
Not to mention the lack of cases being filed, general leniency with repeat offenders. Ask any troubled child on probation…they will tell you themselves that juvenile probation is a joke.
Children in the community and schools see how this system works. You have a situation where the bad kid syndrome spreads like wildfire through communities because the children see there is no penalty for bad behavior.
Perhaps the system that provides privacy to juvenile proceedings is creating an environment with a lack of accountability in every level.
July 27th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I was just thinking about the stink that was raised over the child kept out in the sun for a couple hours while Daddy panhandled. True, they dropped any charges, but they were contemplating taking the child from the home.
But even after a kid makes NUMEROUS trips to 25th and Keystone, they happily continue to put them back in the home that sent them to juvie in the first place.
What's that classic 'definition of insanity' again?
July 27th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
If we're saying treat juvenile violent offenders the same as adults after their third strike with the juvenile court system, I'd say can we fine or incarcerate the parent(s) first? If the answer is “No”, then it's not pleasant, but we can't have violent time bombs on the streets- whether 17 or 37.
However, drastic as that may be, it would only address what's spewing out of the “no judgements” pipeline we've created. We may be temporarily safer, but no kids are saved and the pipeline is still spewing. It still doesn't tackle the root problem.
We have to go upstream with the same “had enough” attitude to save children that are young enough to break the cycle. That means telling some parents that their parenting isn't good enough. That means the word will have to spread that having a baby is no longer such a casual or subsidized choice. The word will have to change to, “If you repeatedly can't take care of your child, the child may be taken away and you may be found liable for punishment.”
“At what point do we as a society say enough is enough.”
Have we reached “enough” that we're ready to tell our elected representatives?
July 27th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
This kids parents should have kept their child out of the criminal justice system.
They didn't know he had a gun? They didn't know he has behavior problems? They didn't know he was hanging out with the wrong kids?
I am curious what this kids family situation is and what excuses they have.
July 27th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Where is the Baptist Ministers Alliance on this?
Oh yeah, they are to busy defend another thug for bad behavior and trying to stay out of jail themselves.
IndyStar;
FBI – Indianapolis Baptist Minister Steals Church Funds
Rev Wayne Taft Harris Jr.
July 27th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Who knew being a black pastor is where the money is?
Apparently Pastor Elder Rush does when he set up a CDC and took 100 homes from the city.
Shepard of Faith Holdings
Concerned Clery member
July 27th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
What ever happened to Bishop Michael Russell and the Russell Foundations missing millions?
July 27th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Judge Moores has been a reprehensible juvenile court judge. Is she at 100% recidivism rate? She just doesn't care about the public safety.
July 27th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Is this the son of Rev Wayne T Harris who had a problem with mineral spirits & flame?
July 28th, 2010 at 12:19 am
INSANITY–doing the same thing over and over, while expecting different results than before.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Shamus is like his dad, who is, oddly enough, in prison right now.
July 28th, 2010 at 10:31 am
First of all it's not just the Juvenile justice system. Very serious crimes are routinely blown off and plea bargained out in adult court too. It starts there with the Juv system though. As far as these folks are concerned there are simply no consequences for their actions until it of course, escalates to something like double murder….then and pretty much only then do they find themselves in big boy jail for a long er period of time. Most of the people you read about in the paper have criminal histories many pages long and have rarely been convicted of much and even then served little time on the few charges they did plead to….Plea bargain baby…the name of the game with this useless prosecutors office we have here. The priorities in this city have been skewed to sports, downtown, etc. for years…..no money for trivialities like criminal justice and jails…If the public only knew…..
July 28th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Even if the dad is in jail, he could tell his son to straighten up or end up dead or in prison.
What is the mom's excuse??