Parents of kids who commit crimes in Tennessee will face fines up to $1,000 for each offense after the first one, under a bill that’s headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s Bill Lee
After a juvenile’s first offense, juvenile court is required to fine their parents for each subsequent crime, according to the bill’s language. If parents can’t afford the fine, they will be able to work it off through community service.
But most agree that Memphis and Shelby County are feeling the effects of juvenile crime. In 2023, Memphis Police told the City Council that officers had arrested more than 4,000 juveniles, including more than 500 for motor vehicle theft.
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said Tuesday that the county’s juvenile facility is nearing capacity, with 118 juvenile offenders held there. The youngest was 13 years old.
Oh awesome. Then you’re also going to charge the parents if their kid shoots up a school too, right? Right Tennessee?
Take money from the poor while fixing nothing. Business as usual 🤷🏻♀️
Dumb af
Even the best parents are not responsible for their kids crimes. Some teenagers have bad ideas, some kids are narcissists, and parents can’t always be near them to assert full control. You can not jail someone for the crimes of someone else, unless there is involvement, period.
That’s why the punishment is a fine.
And what happens when you can’t afford the fine? This bill hurts poor people while rich parents won’t be affected at all.
And why is that better? If my argument stands, that doesn’t change that it’s bad and that it might not be in conformity with existing law.
Why is it that the States that’d force you to have a child are the same ones who make it harder to raise one?
The amount of government intervention in parent’s lives is crazy. It’s easier to take your kid than to take your gun.
While I can see the merits of this idea, I feel that this is missing the mark.
