It just got real for students in Missouri after a new mandate was passed allowing kids of any age or grade to be charged with a felony for fighting. Yep, you read that right, whether you are in high school or elementary school, you will be charged as an adult and can possibly experience jail time for assaults.
According to Complex, the new rule will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017. Kids who are involved in a fight on school grounds or on a school bus will be charged with a Class E Felony and can face time in jail or a juvenile detention center for up to four years.
A statement released by the Hazelwood School District details what students can expect:
“The way the new statue reads, if a person commits the offense of an assault in the third degree this will now be classified as a Class E Felony, rather than a misdemeanor. If he or she knowingly causes physical injury to another person (hits someone or has a fight with another individual and an injury occurs) – one or both participants may be charged with a Felony.”
It goes on to say,
“For example, if two students are fighting and one child is injured, the student who caused the injury may be charged with a felony. Student(s) who are caught fighting in school, bus or on school grounds may now be charged with a felony (no matter the age or grade level), if this assault is witnessed by one of the School Resource Officers/police officers (SRO) or if the SRO/local law enforcement officials have to intervene.”
Before this rule was passed, students involved in fights would be charged with a misdemeanor and would still be allowed to go home.
While some officials say the new statute is to help prevent future fights, others who know better are worried this is just another tactic designed to have kids sucked into the prison system.
“Are we really trying to throw these kids’ futures away by giving them a felony charge for something they do in their adolescence, giving them an adult charge when we can do something else to get in front of the situation?” Erica Ussery, a graduate of Hazelwood Central High School, told KTVI.
This is definitely a system all too familiar ano unfortunately now it’s directly targeting our youth…. maybe a quick look at the documentary “13” may hopefully change their minds. If you really think about it, if the whole idea is to make kids less violent, wouldn’t sending them to jail defeat the purpose?
Lets chat below, do you think that this statute is just further perpetuating the school to prison pipeline?
TSR STAFF: Debra Oh! @The_Ebony_Issue
Source: http://www.complex.com/life/2016/12/missouri-school-fights-felony
