Juvenile Felonies

Re “Juvenile Felonies Can Now Count Toward 3 Strikes,” July 4:

Perhaps before we certify juveniles to adult court, or before we sentence someone to spend the rest of his or her life in prison under three-strikes for juvenile crimes, we should undergo a “fitness” hearing to determine whether we have met our responsibilities: Did this juvenile have two nurturing, loving and caring parents? Was he or she abused, sexually, physically or emotionally? Did teachers and school administrators take time to make sure this juvenile mastered basic skills? Was the religious community a welcoming and accepting part of this child’s life? Did this juvenile receive appropriate medical care?

I believe that everyone, no matter what age, should be held accountable to victims and to the community for violent criminal activity, and that incarceration is sometimes appropriate as punishment or to protect others. But before we are permitted to throw away the life of a juvenile into an adult prison cell, we must be held to certain standards in our community treatment of this child, otherwise we must consider ourselves unfit to throw away the life of this child like so much useless trash.

Those of us who are Christian might spend some time reflecting on the words of our Gospel, “What you do to the least of these, you do to me” (Matthew 25:40).

FATHER GEORGE HORAN

Catholic Chaplain

L.A. County’s Men’s Central Jail