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Film Analysis “Kids for Cash” Documentary Worksheet Instructions: First, watch t
Film Analysis “Kids for Cash” Documentary Worksheet Instructions: First, watch the documentary film “Kids for cash.” Then use this worksheet to answer the open-ended, essay-based questions regarding specific issues, themes, concepts, or critiques of law, policy, and practice presented in this documentary. Please provide responses to the different categories of essay questions (10 total) below in paragraph form (i.e., about roughly a 5-sentence long response for each question on this worksheet). You should type your answers to each question directly below the question. I. Right to Counsel, Know Your Rights Questions (Legal representation is a critical component of our justice system. The consequences associated with lack of counsel are dire—perhaps even more so for kids—and often have permanent, life-altering effects.) 1). Hillary’s mother, Laurene, waived Hillary’s right to counsel under misleading circumstances: “The woman slid a paper, a form, but it was blank and she said, ‘Do you have an attorney?’ and I said, ‘No.’ and she said, ‘Sign here.’” Putting yourself in Laurene’s shoes, would you have done the same thing? Why or why not? In your opinion, whose responsibility is it to ensure parents are informed about their options when navigating the juvenile justice system? 2). Later in the film, the Chief Public Defender says it made no difference in Ciavarella’s court whether youth had counsel, because “he sent everybody away.” What do you think about this statement? What are the implications of a public defender assuming that a client’s fate is already determined? In this scenario, who would you say is accountable for the kids getting “put away”? II. Zero Tolerance Policies (Many schools and communities have adopted rigid zero tolerance policies that some argue allow no room for common sense, extenuating circumstances or age-appropriate responses. Although these policies might be popular, many believe this one-size-fits-all approach is doing more harm than good and is ultimately doing a disservice to children, families, schools and communities.) 3). After the Columbine shooting, there was a rise in zero tolerance policies in schools around the country, with a heightened focus on suspensions, expulsions and arrests. What do you think about this response to in-school behavior? Do you think rules of this nature make school environments safer? Why or why not? What are some alternate ways schools can administer discipline and prevent bad behavior without resorting to the juvenile justice system? III. Disrupted Education, Disrupted Lives (The consequences of removing a child from his or her school are substantial. Beyond the obvious disruption in educational progress, the emotional toll is often devastating and permanent. Children lose their entire support system—teachers, friends, coaches and so on. When this occurs, children can be reluctant to return to school, may feel intense shame and often drop out.) 4). Justin and other kids in the film imply that they learned a lot of things they “didn’t really need to know” from other kids in the system who exposed them to ideas and behaviors they would not otherwise have encountered. What are the effects of placing low-risk youth in facilities with violent offenders? If “bad behavior” is happening in a juvenile facility, who is accountable? Can you think of alternatives to detention that might reduce or prevent the spread of negative influences? 5). Amanda speaks about feeling intense loneliness and isolation while in detention. What do you think about isolating kids? IV. Adolescent Brain Development (Numerous studies confirm that although many teens might look like adults, they do not possess the emotional maturity of an adult. In fact, the frontal lobe of the human brain (the part that controls impulse and reasoning) is last to mature and is not fully developed until age 25.) 6). Charlie describes his experience in detention as staying in his cell all day except for at meal times. How might this type of confinement hinder a child’s growth and development? In your opinion, are there any benefits to this approach? 7) Bob Schwartz and Marsha Levick of Juvenile Law Center point out how young people’s brains are at a very sensitive stage of development, and they react to critical situations very differently than adults. How do you think this information should be incorporated in the juvenile justice system? V. Trauma for Youth and Families (Kids as well as their families can be traumatized when the kid goes to court and is treated like a criminal, then placed away from the family in a confined environment with other troubled youth. The long-term psychological effects of such treatment can permanently alter a child’s view of the world and can lead to lifelong emotional instability, increased dependence on public services and turbulent transitions to adulthood.) 8). As a result of her time in the system, Amanda now has problems being around large groups of people, and she suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). How might experience in the juvenile justice system lead to this type of outcome? What are some better ways to nurture the mental and emotional health of young people? VI. Financial Costs to Families and Taxpayers (The high cost of attorneys’ fees, court costs, fines, restitution, placement support fees and probation fees can be overwhelming for families. And there are financial implications for us all: placing one child in a facility can cost as much as $600 a day, averaging $88,000 per child per year—costs that are ultimately borne by taxpayers. In fact, the United States spends nearly $7 billion each year to incarcerate youth.) 9). As noted in the film, the United States spends $10,500 per child per year on public education, yet $88,000 per child per year on juvenile detention. What do you think about these numbers? Why would it cost more to incarcerate than to educate? VII. Overuse of Incarceration (No other country in the world punishes children as harshly as the United States. We incarcerate five times more youth than any other country in the world, and we are the only country that sentences youth to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Moreover, there are significant racial disparities in the system, with youth of color treated more harshly than whites, at every decision-making point in the system. Although a “tough on crime” approach may be an effective stance during election campaigns, there is no evidence that it actually increases public safety.) 10). Given that Luzerne County’s population is predominantly white, the stories in the film do not reflect the reality of disproportionate minority confinement. In fact, according to the W. Haywood Burns Institute, “youth of color comprise 38% of the youth population in the US, yet comprise nearly 70% of those who are confined.” Years of research from experts around the country demonstrate that youth of color are over-represented at every decision-making point of the juvenile justice system, and are given harsher sentences than their white counterparts for similar conduct. What do you think about this disparity? How can perceptions and biases at the decision-making level have an impact on young people?
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