In the town I grew up in, on Long Island, we had a program called P.A.V.E.S. that was run by the city's child services office. I don't remember the full name but Paid and Volunteer where in there.

Basically, when a young person wanted work, they would sigh up with P.A.V.E.S. an list what they where interested in doing. My brothers and I listed snow shoveling and lawn mowing. Others might list baby sitting, dog walking or any number of other skills a young person might have. In the summertime, it was not unusual to see a kid riding his bicycle while pulling along a lawnmower.

Then, when a town's person needed yard work done, they would call the P.A.V.E.S. office and in turn, P.A.V.E.S. would call us with the details. Then, off we'd go! We'd make a reasonable hourly rate for the time, often setting up regular appointments. It was certainly less expensive then professional help, and the kids would earn more then just a pay-check.

It was a great program for the kids that instilled confidence, self-worth and self-reliance, among others, and it also peripherally benefited the elderly in town who could no longer do everything for themselves. The program itself cost next to nothing to administrate and created an all important vetting process for the safety of the young people who took advantage of the program.

I really do hope programs like this still exist out there.

So what if the poster got the specifics about available work for a 12 year old wrong!

I think, and correct me if I am wrong original commenter, that what was being suggested, in essence, is that in a years time, through the parents and with the Judge's help, some kind of solution could have been found to carry out the sentence in such a way that this child, who clearly has discipline/authority issues, will benefit the most from the court order.

Court judgements aren't just blanket punishments. They are meant, as justice for the victim, and to further deter those found guilty. This is a child of 12 with prior delinquency charges. He clearly has issues. None the least of which is likely his parents ability/skill to get through to the kid. Throwing a judgement in his lap and expecting him to comply was never going to get the job done done. If this kid is going to get out of the system, it's going to take a team effort.

I mean, come on, this kid couldn't be remanded to weekly or even monthly meetings with a state social worker at DHS where, while being helped to fulfill his sentence, a trained child and family skills advocate could at least attempt to to make the sentence work for the kid and his parents in the most beneficial way?

.....Puleeze! ;)