Maggie's Farm

If you really want to change this, require they perform community service. For the first offense, give them 500 hours of community service to be served within 7 months of sentencing. Any hours missed double. No privileges (for college students that means no college) until the community service is completed, unless the individual is complying with the community service work requirements, no exceptions without medical need. By community service, I mean working with the tree trimming crews in the parks, or litter patrolling the highways, or some other necessary work, not sitting in a rubber room.

The second offense doubles the hours to 1,000 which must be completed within 14 months. A third, 2,000 hours to be served within 28 months.

Back when I was mid 20s, I worked industrial demolition work, during one project I worked 15 months, either 12 or 13 hour every day. Twelve hours per day equals 84 hour per week. Thirteen hours equals 91 hours per week. I was paid well, but this was hard work, over long hours. It made an indelible impression.

The punishment above would require about 2.4 hours of work each day. Or, if the tantrum thrower decided he would rather work just weekends he could work 8.4 hours of work each week end day.

This is sufficiently onerous to leave an impression.

When modified, this works very well, plus you obtain productive work out of the individual, and they gain the personal respect of having done a good job at something.

Mark Sherman