Dr. Phil S21E81 - How Should We Treat Juvenile Delinquents?

When minors violate the law, should parents be held responsible? Should prosecutors provide these juveniles with resources instead of putting them back on the streets with no punishment or locking them behind bars? Is putting a minor in jail helpful or harmful? Santiago claims his son, Bryce, ran over a police officer and crashed into a house, yet he has only been charged one time and never locked up. Santiago says the system is broken and he is fearful his son will be killed or end up dead unless he suffers some sort of consequence for his actions. Ashley says she has the opposite problem with the system; she claims her son is locked up for minor things, such as behavioral issues, which aren't crimes. Michelle claims the system has failed her as a parent because the law never helped with her son when he was a minor, and now that he is 18, he gets locked up. Alisa Blair, Policy Director at Pacific Juvenile Defenders Center, says she doesn't believe locking up minors helps their future. Former police officer Mo Canady and Judge Melisa Powers say they try to resort to school resources before locking a child up -- but sometimes, locking them up is the only answer.