Apparently, increasing the punishment for young offenders is going to be part of the Conservative Party’s platform next election. I don’t agree with this or think that Young Offenders should serve long prison terms, but mostly in the same way that I don’t think imprisoning someone for twenty years, even if they committed a murder, is ideal. That won’t bring the victim back to life and is probably unlikely to serve a “rehabilitative” function, seeing as, if nothing else, twenty years spending most of one’s time in a prison cell won’t make for a particularly “well-adjusted” human being.

It is also difficult to make the argument that Ellard “didn’t know what she was doing.” Given this, I am not sure she would deserve to have been treated less harshly than an adult, were the context to be one of a less punitive legal system.

Another problem is that lack of government social funding and programming that can lead to people getting into trouble with the law.

It has become increasingly difficult to qualify for social assistance (welfare). The amount of single mothers living below the poverty line is disturbing and sad. Perhaps the question is, “what is lacking in our social system that is creating systemic inequality & barriers?”