Has your kid gone to jail?

[Bean]

I'm curious as to how many parents here have experienced jail (or prison) with their difficult children? It often seems like a sad inevitable when kids are on the wrong path and are bent on making bad decisions, leading a destructive life.

My daughter was 17 when she went to jail the first time. Because the call to the police was domestic, they had to take someone (threatening the police with her gang buddies while giving her report was a bad call...), and here at 17 you're considered an adult for domestic disputes, apparently. It was a horrible, horrible reality to face. Even though I knew she was "safe" up there, it was an experience - like all of them - that can't be taken back. Sadly, she was back in jail about a half dozen time in that same year. Bail-jumping, probation violations, etc.

I don't know how it will affect her in the long run. It makes me sick to think about. My husband says the times in her life when she was there it was probably the best option. She was clean; she was off the streets. Unfortunately it couldn't be tx instead, which is even better, since jail is just dead time, sitting around learning how to be a better criminal, desensitizing yourself.

 

[AnnieO]

Onyxx has been in juvie, and is facing a felony assault on a teacher right now.

She's only 14... but we will see.

 

[DammitJanet]

Cory went to juvy once and has been to big boy jail...oh gosh...cant count how many times. Mostly just for a few days but he did several 30 day or more stretches. Thankfully he has never hit prison. He has a suspended prison sentence hanging over his head which is what has turned his attitude around.

 

[DDD]

easy child/difficult child was in juvie for pot. He has been in "big boy jail" a number of times but with only one criminal charge...the rest were VOP's. We have our fingers crossed that we "may" be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as it has been over two years since he had a problem. None of us ever imagined that our children would be in trouble with "the law". I do understand your concern and anquish. It is a bummer to say the least.
Hugs. DDD

 

[everywoman]

My difficult child got his first charge at 14 for trespassing. He was placed on probation. He was arrested at 16 for "hitting" mailboxes. At 18 he was arrested for felony forgery, he spent 25 days in county because I refused to bail him out and talked any bondsman in town out of posting bail. At 19 he was charged with MOP. In the past year, at 21 he has had two charges of possession of paraphernalia. It's been a long 7 years! For the last three charges he spent several nights in county.