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SUNNY Temp: 86 °F Wind: WNW at 9 mph Thursday, July 24, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 22, 2003 Since You Asked Kids pay their debts to society many Why don’t the courts order kids who start grass fires with fireworks, matches or lighters to re-landscape the area they burned? I think that would make more of an impression on the kids as well as recompense the property owners. Why can’t we put them to work? — Louise N., Gold Hill Kids who are prosecuted for damaging property usually are put to work, Louise. However, most kids pay off their debt through probation programs, not doing chores for property owners. "There’s not that many victims who want to have fire-setters back at their property," said Ken Chapman, a juvenile probation officer with Jackson County Community Justice. Advertisement Personal service can be arranged between juvenile offenders and victims, but that doesn’t happen very often, Chapman said. Hundreds of juvenile offenders each year do thousands of hours of community service, ranging from cleaning county campgrounds and other facilities to maintaining hiking trails, Chapman said. In addition, judges usually order juvenile offenders to pay restitution. About 40 kids each year attend Community Justice’s juvenile fire-setter program, an eight-week class for kids who are curious about fire, Chapman said. Kids who are determined to have a more serious problem with intentionally setting fires undergo intensive treatment and could end up in the Oregon Youth Authority correctional facility in Grants Pass , he added. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times