show them what jail is like

[Sunlight]

http://post-gazette.com/pg/07105/777594-85.stm

ant spent almost one year in alleg county jail. he followed the very route they show. the local paper is doing a series on that jail so people can see what it it like to go to jail. perhaps you may want your older difficult children to see this presentation. each day there is a new part of it. so far you can watch three parts.

 

[sameold sameold]

I know I just replied to this what happened??
Anyway, very interesting article. Thanks for posting this

 

[Stella Johnson]

Interesting article. Not sure if it would help with some of our difficult children though. They seem to have the ten feet tall and bullet proof attitude or the "I won't get caught" one. :hammer:

 

[Allan-Matlem]

Hi,
I read in the past about a guy , maybe an ex convict , who was working with kids. He used to arrange visits to prisons. Some said that this does not really work , because this kids identify with the macho anti-establishment , rebelliousness of the inmates.

Allan

 

[guest3]

sad to say my difficult child I did our towns "mini police academy" for 2 years and went to the state prison on a field trip and thought it was "cool"

then he was caught by the same cops that were his teachers at the academy doing graffiti (in broad daylight)

another proud moment, that comes with a $1600.00 restitution bill

 

[Sunlight]

the hard part is that, as a parent, I found the whole jail thing horrifying. it was claustrophobic, even watching the red scrubs type outfits, seeing the legs of the prisoners walk on that video. any of them can be any of our kids.
what they cannot show you is the noise..the incredible noise at all times in jail...like animals. they also cannot transmit the smells of humanity.

 

[Fran]

<span style='font-size: 11pt'>I think like anything else we have tried, different things work for different kids. Jail would absolutely put my difficult child into a regressed state of fear. He is anxious and not able to defend himself against bullies. Fortunately, he doesn't tend towards breaking the law.
Some like how tough love works.
We tried emotional growth boarding school which worked for us but didn't cure what is the underlying problem.
Some go the military school route.
Showing prisons to some difficult child's may work. I know my easy child would be horrified by the noise and smells and the fear. It would probably work for him. It isn't going to do much for my difficult child.
What I'm trying to say to those who are still in the earlier stages of difficult child raising, look at what your particular child needs. Our difficult child's need custom made treatment plans based on our kids behaviors and reasons for their behaviors. Not all were the victims of severe abuse or neglect. Not all have genetic or neurological reasons for their behavior. Not all have a mental illness diagnosis. There are as many reasons and treatments for difficult child's as there are difficult child's, I think. I try to keep an open mind to any possibility of treatment from medications to alternative treatment. I want to help my difficult child so if it works, I'll try it. I don't care what the label is or the controversy. None of that is important to me as helping my son function in this world and to have a life.
Thanks Janet for the article. </span>