Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jan 2011
Source: Enumclaw Courier-Herald (WA)
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/1cJK0mEm
Copyright: 2011 Sound Publishing, Inc.
Website: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ech/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5171
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

THE OLD SYSTEM JUST DOESN'T WORK

Think back, for a moment, to when you were 16. This may be a distant 
memory for some, but more likely than not, you probably can't forget 
it. If you're like most 16-year-olds, there's a good chance you were 
getting into some kind of trouble.

On Dec. 13, Bonney Lake High School police liaison Officer Daron P. 
Wolschleger arrived on campus to encounter such a 16-year old, who 
had confessed to smoking marijuana after being removed from class 
when a teacher suspected him of being under the influence.

This particular case occurred at Bonney Lake High, but could just as 
well have happened on a campus in Enumclaw, Buckley or Sumner. Any 
high school, anywhere.

Upon arrival, Wolschleger was presented with paraphernalia previously 
discovered by a campus safety officer after he was permitted to 
search the boy's car. Of the items found, most notable was a red 
apple "altered to use as a smoking device." The boy admitted they 
were his and that he had been arrested for the same thing one year 
prior. According to the police report, he was "immediately emergency 
expelled," certainly to be followed by prosecution and additional 
scholastic consequences. For such a petty   almost 
stereotypical   activity, how can this possibly rehabilitate the boy 
towards a brighter academic future?

Several major United States medical associations and numerous 
international university studies have conclusively determined that 
treating most drug problems as medical in nature, rather than 
criminal, is exponentially more effective than incarceration. As this 
is not the first time this boy has been caught for a similar offense, 
why would arresting him a second time produce different results? If a 
policy of zero tolerance supposedly prevents certain behaviors, it 
should tangibly reflect that. It is logical to ask, then, what are 
the results? Clearly, on a fundamental level, the policy does not 
work. In this particular case, many decidedly negative consequences 
are readily apparent. Not only will the boy miss even more school and 
the stigma of expulsion, but he will now face charges that will 
likely follow him around for the rest of his life in one form or another.

The "crime and punishment" mentality of zero tolerance policies 
assumes that societal change can be accomplished by the punishment of 
individuals who breach social contracts. The problem with this 
mindset, however, is that when the only tool in your toolbox is a 
hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. By solely focusing on 
punishing students, zero tolerance fails to address the root causes 
of the problems which cause them to act out in the first place. For 
the aforementioned student at Bonney Lake High School, the system has 
failed him twice now and he is clearly not getting sufficient 
treatment and counseling necessary for him to appropriately deal with 
his problems. We live in the 21st century, and should thusly be 
utilizing all the best, contemporary knowledge available from modern 
science. Working together with his parents, teachers, counselors and 
peers, it is possible to create a positive outcome for this 
boy   rather than repeatedly trying the same tired methods we've been 
using since the Dark Ages.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom