Which research do you believe

" A new study criticizes Pennsylvania for its treatment of juveniles charged with serious crimes, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Prosecuting juveniles in adult courts increases the odds
of their abuse in jail or prison, and incarcerating them in adult prisons
is more expensive than keeping them in the juvenile system, said Michele
Deitch of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
It costs an average $100,000 per year to house a juvenile in an adult facility,
but about $43,000 to house them in a juvenile facility", the report says.

The information provided raises as many questions as it answers. Texas had
to totally restructure the Texas Youth Department because of the major
abuses that were taking place. So when the study talks about increased
odds of abuse, compared to what group and located where?

The statement about the comparative cost of adult facilities and juvenile
facilities again raises questions: What type of adult facility? What is the
cost per adult in that facility? What is the cost of the juvenile in that
facility? And more importantly what kind of juvenile facility -- there are
a wide variety of facility possibilities -- and where is the facility located?

You need to read the original published research and look at the
methodology, the variables, and the databases used prior to accepting
the media report.

Housing juveniles in adult facilities should be the last option and consideration
must be given to utilizing juvenile facilities and treating any drug or alcohol
addictive problems prior to transfer to an adult facility.

We are facing youth 12 and even younger who have committed serious offenses
and the current solution is life with no possibility of parole. Many are raising
questions about this sentence and the probability is it will continue to be used.

Congress is going to have to amend or extend the 1974 law relating to
alternative sentencing and most importantly must consider the
questions of minimum ages and life without parole as a sentence. These
decisions have usually been left to the states, so it will be interesting
to see if state laws are pre-empted by Congressional Action in this area