Many of them were dangerous beyond their years, guilty of blood-splattered homicidal mayhem that most people would associate only with a Hollywood script.
Others were wretchedly troubled, acting out assaultive sexual impulses born of twisted family lives.
These are among the young criminals locked up in the Texas prison system for crimes committed between the ages of 10 and 16. A disturbing series of stories — Kids or Criminals?, by Dallas Morning News reporters Jennifer Emily and Diane Jennings — introduces us to them, their hideous offenses and their uncertain futures.
It is a study of hopelessness, resignation and an occasional success story. It also reflects the tension between the imperative of punishment and the elusive goal of rehabilitation.
Our justice system exacts retribution for wrongdoing. On this, there’s little debate. But it might appall the public to know that some inmates are spending decades behind bars for childhood crimes and will get only brief specialized treatment.
[For more of this story go to http://www.dallasnews.com/opin...f-kids-in-prison.ece]
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