Mark Luttrell is sheriff of Shelby County:
Recently I spoke with a 35 year old mother who expressed concern for her 20-year-old son in our jail for multiple criminal offenses.
Her request was not for mercy but instead was an expression of frustration over the criminal way of life she inherited from her mother and that she had passed on to her children. This mother touched all the bases: teenage pregnancies out of wedlock, numerous children without parental supervision, a school system incapable of holding the child’s attention, juvenile delinquency and drug involvement leading ultimately to another generation entering the adult criminal justice system.
Those of us in law enforcement call it the “cycle of crime.”
Criminal behavior must be addressed swiftly and surely but to really make a difference requires a paradigm shift of monumental poportions.
The societal issues that fester criminal behavior such as those expressed by the young 35-year-old mother require a community commitment unseen in recent years. A profile of the average jail inmate confirms that the breakdown of so many family support systems produces a lawless society that makes an entire community uncomfortable and disillusioned.
My hope for 2009 is that we, each citizen, look inward for ways to
impact some of the core issues impacting our future as a city. Pick
one — teenage pregnancies, domestic violence, neighborhood schools, substance abuse, summer youth programs, and family values — and focus your energy toward making a difference.
All of us have a sphere of influence where we can make a difference and help is definitely needed from all of us.
