The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

Mary Mitchell talks about how the Los Angeles Probation Department is preparing to sending some of its inmates–including 3 who were convicted of a home invasion and beating of an elderly woman–to attend the upcoming inauguration for President-elect Barack Obama. She wrote the following in her latest piece entitled “Should jailed kids get to go to Barack’s bash?”

“The correctional officer I spoke with said fellow officers are disappointed that the Los Angeles probation department would even consider sending any of the juveniles to Washington.

“The juveniles committed a violent crime,” the correctional officer said. “What we are doing is rewarding bad behavior.”

Camp Afflerbaugh falls under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the largest probation department in the world.

A man who answered the phone at the camp on Friday referred me to the L.A. Detention Services Bureau, but not before denying that the inaugural plans were a done deal.

“We talked about it in a meeting, but nothing has been finalized,” he said.

[...]

But another employee with the facility claimed that on Thursday, the minors were taken to be measured for tuxedos and that a judge has approved the trip.

“I can’t believe that they would do that for three criminals who assaulted an old lady in her home,” he said.

[...]

“The general idea of sending at-risk youth for them to have an opportunity to be part of this historic occasion of Obama’s inaugural is, of course, a fantastic one,” noted Susan Dvorak McMahon, an associate professor in DePaul University’s Department of Psychology.

“Often, they don’t get these types of opportunities, and I think Barack Obama epitomizes a hope that you can have a different future.”

Because it is not clear how the juveniles were selected for the honor, McMahon was hesitant about commenting on this particular case.

But she understood the frustration that some people might feel.

“I wouldn’t necessarily want to reward kids who have committed a crime,” she said. “But there are a lot of kids who are at risk who could benefit from this. There are lots of kids to choose from.”

No doubt one can become easily mad at this level of stupidity being demonstrated by the Los Angeles Probation Department. But what one has to also realize is that once again, without the presence of a parent, the government is forced to play experimental parent with these kids. Still, this is a very dumb idea.