2By: Kazmen M. Duncan
I never thought that I would find my self in the back of a police car at the age of fourteen. But there I was, afraid, alone and miserable like I normally felt.
"You've done it this time," I told myself. My medicine began to kick in and sleep hit me.
I awakened once we reached the detention center in BayMinette. I don't remember much about the beginning. I was too tired. Finally the handcuffs were taken off me and I noticed that I had red imprints in my wrist. Once the processing in was done, I went to the cellblock.
I was not ready for what was coming to me. The man told me to take off all my cloths so I could be de-liced. I felt so humiliated. I didn't know what to think. I wanted to end it all that night. I couldn't live with what sent me there.
Finally I got to go to my room to sleep, which didn't happen. I just stayed awake and cried. I couldn't stand the environment I was in. The room was so cramped. It was hours before I got in my bed and drifted off to sleep.
In the first four months of this year, 287 juveniles in Baldwin County have been booked and detained according to records at the Juvenile Detention Center in Baldwin County.
Crime rates for teens have increased through the years. Society is wondering why this is happening and what we can do to prevent it.
Psychologists have four explanations of why people commit crimes. Those are excitement, independence, prestige and "who am I."
A person sometimes commits a crime just to get a rush of adrenaline. Yet, this is normally when the person gets caught from taking the crime to a higher level.
Some people plainly just want to show that he/she can go against the system. That they can do stuff that others can't. This is how people show their independence.
Teens who do not have high self-esteem may become friends with people who are bad influences. The kind of people that may influence them are thieves, liars, gangs or even mis-behaving children.
When prestige sets in, the person will begin to think, "I am supposed to be committing crimes".
According to author Roger Barr, detention centers cost taxpayers around $1 billion dollars a year. This includes training, food and shelter. Youths are detained because the youth is a threat, didn't show up at hearing or a threat to himself. A first time visit is normally a 72-hour stay or three days.
There are many ways to keep a young person out of trouble. If a youth is experiencing behavior that may lead to this outcome, there are things people can do to help. Get involved with school, school clubs, sports, or scouting. Do anything that will take up time that might get you in trouble. Pick your friends wisely. Read a book, listen to your music, get on the computer, talk on the phone, or watch TV. The list is endless.
This is not a joke. It is a serious matter at hand. This reporter, at least, knows that the law doesn't joke around.