Report: Dropouts eight times
more likely to go to jail
The Associated Press
PORTLAND — A report authored in part by Maine's chief justice says finishing school is a key to keeping young people out of the prison system.
In a preliminary report released Wednesday, the Maine Juvenile Justice Task Force stressed the need to increase Maine's school graduation rate and build a comprehensive community based service system.
Maine Supreme Court Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, one of the three task force co-chairs, says the report is the work of 70 task force members who heard from 300 people at a statewide summit last December.
The report notes that school dropouts are eight times more likely to go to prison and stresses the need to keep youths in school and increase Maine's graduation rate.
First lady Karen Baldacci, a teacher, is one of the task force's co-chairs.
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35 COMMENTS
Think said...
This is so insightful. Wow! Dropping out of school is a bad idea? Who would have thought? Lets pass a law that prevents this from happening. Just like drug laws. Let's declare a war on dropouts. I think that's a dandy idea.
March 18, 2010 at 8:24 AM Report abuse
jude said...
Dropouts are on the fast track to the criminal justice system long before they actually leave school. In most cases--but not all--their first error was picking the wrong parents. It is unfortunate that an advanced civilization can't figure out a way to require some basic competency in parenthood 101 before people have babies.
March 18, 2010 at 8:36 AM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
jude said..It is unfortunate that an advanced civilization can't figure out a way to require some basic competency in parenthood 101 before people have babies. Jude, it is unfortunate. But can you imagine the outcry if some poor elected official suggested it. The right would scream "nanny state". The religious community would accuse the government of playing God. The pro-life crowd would chime in in some self serving way. But, it would work....
March 18, 2010 at 8:41 AM Report abuse
stopthismess said...
But what would be done about the unwanted pregnancies when Catholic priests have sex with our 14 year olds?
March 18, 2010 at 8:45 AM Report abuse
OMG said...
If your under 18 and you dropout,your a minor. Quit your b@&tching and get picked up for community service with no pay. It's called truancy. Maine law is 15 and under. Uneducated dropouts belong back in school whether you like it or not! I don't care if your home life sucks. Get back in school and do something about.
March 18, 2010 at 8:58 AM Report abuse
dumasilook said...
catholic priests play with little boys and boys cant have babies.
March 18, 2010 at 9:01 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
Anytime you hear or see the words "comprehensive or community based" ...you know the liberals are behind it and whatever the issue is, its doomed for failure while lining the pockets of liberal "friends"! The current Government re-education centers, formally known as public education, have failed miserably! When you have a curriculum that has abandoned personal responsibility and replaced it with slothfulness, entitlements, and immoral behaviour it is bound to fail! Get rid of the liberal ideology in government and schools and you will see a resurgence in the entrepreneurial spirit, citizenship, morals and leadership this country was founded on!
March 18, 2010 at 9:02 AM Report abuse
nikonwilly said...
There is a much greater connection between jail and poverty than there is between jail and dropouts! Poverty is the great decider.
March 18, 2010 at 9:08 AM Report abuse
ModerateOne said...
ProConserv, do you actually see a liberal conspiracy behind every tree?
March 18, 2010 at 9:15 AM Report abuse
Obamination said...
http://www.maine.gov/corrections/jjag/ReportsPubs/index.htm ********* Since this news story doesn't move beyond the obvious, check out the above state website where bureaucrats apply fancy names like "Deviant Peer Influence" and figure out all the Nanny ways they can help little Sally not fall in with the wrong crowd do drugs and get knocked up. But of course if she does they'll pay for everything forever. That should teach them.
March 18, 2010 at 9:18 AM Report abuse
TUVLYXlha2Vy said...
ProConserv, Your act is old and tired. You cannot supply FACTUAL EVIDENCE of which you speak. You claim a liberal education is "re-educating" and indoctrinating kids to the liberal point of view. Once and for all....PROVE IT! 1. Show the curriculum that is liberal influenced....where is the liberal influenced math instruction? 2.Where is the liberal influenced science instruction? 3.Where is the liberal influenced language arts instruction? 4.Social Studies? Where is the liberal influence? How about music, PE, art, foreign language, chorus, athletics? PROVE IT with FACTS DIRECTLY FROM THE CURRICULUM. Thats right...you wont, because you know you CANT!
March 18, 2010 at 9:38 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
So if you pass a law that kids half to stay in school till they are 18 all they will do is sit in class an do nothing or cause trouble.
March 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM Report abuse
SL said...
Handing someone a waterdown high school diploma only cheapens the hard work of the kids that actually earned one. A piece of paper is not going to keep someone out of jail. Dumb down the requirements to get a diploma all you want, the same fools will end up behind bars because they CHOOSE to break the law.
March 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM Report abuse
Dhiff said...
When will society and government start holding parents accountable? One of the major problems here is quite obvious....dropouts are breeding dropouts. Too many parents are afraid or unwilling to hold their children accountable, hoping that society(ie schools) raise their children. Authorities should hold the parents accountable for the problems they are placing on the rest of us.
March 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
TUVLYXlha2Vy...I think what happend in Texas with the school textbooks proves without a doubt the lies that have been snuck into the school curriculum!! This is the beginning of the end for liberalism, progressivism and democrats in America!
March 18, 2010 at 9:44 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
ProConserv on here go to opinion open that than open columuist an on right open schools can't meet goals without proper funding an staffing an read all those comments. an tell me those people are all wrong ?
March 18, 2010 at 10:19 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
wollydevil ..."ProConserv on here go to opinion open that than open columuist an on right open schools can't meet goals without proper funding ..."******************************************************** Please re-write that thought...I can not understand liberal jibberish!
March 18, 2010 at 10:22 AM Report abuse
JazzBox said...
And now we're politicizing public ignorance. You people are pathetic.
March 18, 2010 at 10:26 AM Report abuse
Read3r said...
I say if you drop out, the armed forces get you for no less than 6 years. If you don't want to learn, go fight.
March 18, 2010 at 10:28 AM Report abuse
reader said...
LET DROPOUTS DROP OUT! ===================================== Seldom do you hear bad news come out of Massachusetts schools including the all minority schools . That is because the troublemakers in junior high DROP OUT by high school. If these DROPOUTS are encouraged not to dropout and stay in high school, ALL THE STUDENTS end up suffering with these troublemakers sill in school
March 18, 2010 at 10:29 AM Report abuse
EdShelby said...
The next idea sounds like Big Brother but it would work, think bout it before you react, Mandatory birth control for all men and women until they are 25 years old, It could be done, it would work. The biggest problem this country has is kids being born to parents that are not ready to be parents.
March 18, 2010 at 10:41 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
Proconserv I bet you went an read it an have no come back so you wrote that.
March 18, 2010 at 10:46 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
wollydevil...Let me be clear...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
March 18, 2010 at 10:48 AM Report abuse
wollydevil said...
LIKE I SAID GO TO OPINION NEAR TOP OF PAGE THAN TO COLUMUISTS AN THAN GO TO WERE I TOLD YOU GO GO!!!
March 18, 2010 at 11:05 AM Report abuse
SteveCScharf said...
Read3r said... I say if you drop out, the armed forces get you for no less than 6 years. If you don't want to learn, go fight. The military won't take you until you have a high school diploma. Although the liberals will have you believing they can't find people to serve in the military, for the most part they have been meeting their recruiting quotas.
March 18, 2010 at 11:11 AM Report abuse
Jonathan said...
I really think the title of this story should read, "Future Criminals 8 times more likely to drop out of school" 90% of criminals can be spotted by the 5th grade. The only people that don't see it are the parents of those kids. Poverty, in and of itself, has nothing to do with it. Criminals don't keep jobs and criminals raise criminals. Don't go reading simple poverty into the mix. Just because someone is poor doesn't have anything to do with their propensity for criminality.
March 18, 2010 at 11:33 AM Report abuse
Jonathan said...
Wolly, are you ok? Are you trying to make sense? If you are, you're failing badly.
March 18, 2010 at 11:35 AM Report abuse
UofA said...
ED SHELBY- If your statement was true, then we would only have republicans being born. Way back when, down in the US, kids had to be 16 and prove they had a job before being allowed to drop out. Even in detention centers, they are taken on beach trips, allowed to play in basketball tournaments(Aussies not). fed 3 hots. Get rubbers in school before dropping out. Is this a republican government doing this. I think not. We have to empty the cesspool and get some knowledgeable people in Augusta.
March 18, 2010 at 11:50 AM Report abuse
frankstower said...
You're not real smart are you Jonathan? Do a little research, there, smarty pants, and you'll find that poverty does in fact have a direct influence on crime. Really, it's just common knowledge at this point. Now, of course, that doesn't mean all criminals are poor nor are all poor people criminals... just to save you the time in sending in that gem of a rebuttal. lol
March 18, 2010 at 1:15 PM Report abuse
Oak said...
For you folks who think there should be some restrictions on who is allowed to reproduce, remember that that would require someone making that decision based upon some criteria. What if a wise bureaucrat decided that liberal political ideas are dangerous and people like jude and ModerateOne should not reproduce. Heck, maybe it's not such a bad idea after all! Jonathan - I agree with the first part of your post, but I do believe that poverty begets crime. Combine poverty, despair, money making opportunities in the black market, and the bigotry of low expectations fed to poor minorities by the liberal public school system, and it's no surprise so many drop out to live a life of crime.
March 18, 2010 at 2:33 PM Report abuse
LordNelson said...
We need real welfare reform....less "benefits" after each unsupported (I care not if you are married...just support your kid damn it!) child. Much of our welfare, dropout, crime problem eminates from this same statistical cohort. And generation after generation. And those generations really back up on each other when you start reproducing at 14. Our society will never change as long as we continue to ameliorate "hardships" caused by stupidity and poor choices. We used to call it "consequence" and it had an innate deterent purpose to it. What programs do we have for the economically disadvantaged kids who choose not to get pregnant? Slim and none. Hardship is a relative term given that even "poor people" own 2 tvs in America according to recent research. Soon our whole society will be made up of these "layabouts." What then?
March 18, 2010 at 3:57 PM Report abuse
silky said...
dropouts/poverty/lack of parental resposibility/laziness/drugs/no moralcompass/no discipline.every teen who elects to drop out without a valid reason should be required to go into military service.get them off the streets and give them an environment in which to succeed.worked great for me back in 1958.basic training works
March 18, 2010 at 4:06 PM Report abuse
Hipupchuck said...
Dropped out or psychologically forced out?
March 18, 2010 at 7:21 PM Report abuse
spud said...
All the more reason to expand the AR GOULD HIGH SCHOOL and fill it up with kids.
March 18, 2010 at 7:29 PM Report abuse
TheColourOf said...
You can always trace a high school dropout back to liberal ideals.
March 19, 2010 at 8:52 AM Report abuse