THE OLD SYSTEM JUST DOESN'T WORK

Think back, for a moment, to when you were 16. This may be a distant
memory for some, but more likely than not, you probably can't forget
it. If you're like most 16-year-olds, there's a good chance you were
getting into some kind of trouble.

On Dec. 13, Bonney Lake High School police liaison Officer Daron P.
Wolschleger arrived on campus to encounter such a 16-year old, who
had confessed to smoking marijuana after being removed from class
when a teacher suspected him of being under the influence.

This particular case occurred at Bonney Lake High, but could just as
well have happened on a campus in Enumclaw, Buckley or Sumner. Any
high school, anywhere.

Upon arrival, Wolschleger was presented with paraphernalia previously
discovered by a campus safety officer after he was permitted to
search the boy's car. Of the items found, most notable was a red
apple "altered to use as a smoking device." The boy admitted they
were his and that he had been arrested for the same thing one year
prior. According to the police report, he was "immediately emergency
expelled," certainly to be followed by prosecution and additional
scholastic consequences. For such a petty almost
stereotypical activity, how can this possibly rehabilitate the boy
towards a brighter academic future?

Several major United States medical associations and numerous
international university studies have conclusively determined that
treating most drug problems as medical in nature, rather than
criminal, is exponentially more effective than incarceration. As this
is not the first time this boy has been caught for a similar offense,
why would arresting him a second time produce different results? If a
policy of zero tolerance supposedly prevents certain behaviors, it
should tangibly reflect that. It is logical to ask, then, what are
the results? Clearly, on a fundamental level, the policy does not
work. In this particular case, many decidedly negative consequences
are readily apparent. Not only will the boy miss even more school and
the stigma of expulsion, but he will now face charges that will
likely follow him around for the rest of his life in one form or another.

The "crime and punishment" mentality of zero tolerance policies
assumes that societal change can be accomplished by the punishment of
individuals who breach social contracts. The problem with this
mindset, however, is that when the only tool in your toolbox is a
hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. By solely focusing on
punishing students, zero tolerance fails to address the root causes
of the problems which cause them to act out in the first place. For
the aforementioned student at Bonney Lake High School, the system has
failed him twice now and he is clearly not getting sufficient
treatment and counseling necessary for him to appropriately deal with
his problems. We live in the 21st century, and should thusly be
utilizing all the best, contemporary knowledge available from modern
science. Working together with his parents, teachers, counselors and
peers, it is possible to create a positive outcome for this
boy rather than repeatedly trying the same tired methods we've been
using since the Dark Ages.