Brutality not the answer to juvenile delinquency
On January 6, 2006, 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson died after being beaten by guards at a correctional facility boot camp in Florida just hours after his arrival.
Last Wednesday, 30 college students gathered in the foyer of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s office asking for some resolutions to the incident: the arrest of those involved in the beating; an apology from Bush to Anderson’s parents for the their loss and the way the investigation was handled; and the firing of the medical examiner who ruled Anderson’s death was due to a pre-existing medical condition. A second medical examiner’s findings suggested Anderson was suffocated.
I don’t doubt that Anderson’s medical condition could have played a role in his death. I have heard my share of stories of seemingly healthy people who died suddenly and unexpectedly from disorders they never knew about.
I don’t know how severe the beating was and do not have the medical expertise to say whether it resulted in Anderson’s death, although I am sure it played a part. If the appropriate authorities believe Anderson died from the beating, those responsible should be tried and punished.
While the question of whether the beating was the main cause of Anderson’s death is certainly an important one, another important question needs to be considered: Why was Anderson beaten?
The guards who were responsible probably did not have murderous intent, but even so, what is their justification for beating a teenage boy?
Anderson was arrested in June for stealing his grandmother’s Jeep Cherokee. He then violated his probation by trespassing a school property and was sent to the boot camp by a court order. The boot camp was supposed to rehabilitate Anderson and make him a law-abiding citizen.
That beatings took place at such a facility is unthinkable. Violent beatings are traumatic for anyone. If a young person has broken the law, chances are good that the person is dealing with other issues. Abuse is not going to solve the problems. It will only traumatize the person and make things worse.
Boot camps are meant to instill discipline in young offenders. I don’t deny that they could use some structure and discipline in their lives. These kids don’t need beatings; they need guidance from mature adults who care about them and their well-being.
Adults working in these facilities should be role models to the young people. In order to do so, they should know how to assert their authority without resorting to physical violence. When the authorities at these boot camps use violence, it sends the wrong message. Vicious attacks don’t solve problems.
I hope Anderson’s death causes boot camps such as this one to re-evaluate their ways of dealing with juvenile delinquents.
Columnists' opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of The Spectrum