On June 23,1976, the Morning News published an article that addresses this problem.
The problem facing Delaware at the time was delinquent kids.
John J. Mulvena, juvenile corrections chief, came up with jailing parents of delinquent children by requiring the parents to spend the weekends with delinquents at juvenile detention centers.
This was a bill backed by Sen. Herman Hollway Sr. Mulvena wanted parents to participate in responsible supervision of their children.
I think this is true today. Respect and responsibility needs to start at home. I’m also a proponent of holding people accountable on lesser crimes so they do not progress to more heinous crimes.
If a law is broken and there is punishment for the broken law then the person breaking the law need to do the time or pay the fine or what ever punishment is attached to the crime they committed.
So if someone starts as a shop lifter and is punished maybe they won’t commit armed robbery as an example. Judges and DA’s are to lenient on crimes at all levels which is not working by the sheer fact that soap, baby formula and toothpaste among other items are locked up in stores.
I also think this might help with the discipline problems in schools.
Deirdre Taylor
Newark
