Juvenile intervention programs often start too late for many who as infants are raised in a culture of gangs, violence, drugs and alcohol.

Programs need to focus on the single mothers and fathers and require them to take responsibility for their children while educating them on how to break the cycle of government dependance.

Young mothers shouldn't just be handed benefits and then be told to be on their way to their personal government-paid-for housing.

If they want government support for their children, they should have to be part of communities that are developed where single mothers live together and support each other while they get an education and learn life skills.

They should have jobs in their community that support it. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, babysitting ect. Work some, learn some. Privileges given and taken away based on performance.

Kind of like being in the military without the fighting.

Then People won't see having kids as a way to government funded Easy Street

peace2u - Why aren't fathers in the home? Because the system rewards single mothers for having kids they can't afford.

The Government won't pay if an unmarried male lives in the home of a single mother. Two unmarried people have a kid, and the only way to get Government money is for the father to not live in the home.

Plus the fathers aren't held accountable to support their kids.

The welfare system that was intended to help has only created generation after generation of kids that have no father at home and young mothers that don't know how to raise kids.

The system requires no accountability, no need to get up in the morning and be productive, no need to educate oneself to be a better parent or get a job to get out of poverty.

Kids are raised in an environment of drugs and alcohol funded by the monthly government checks.

Create a system where the poor get help, but have to be a part of a community effort focused on the goal of supporting themselves, and there will be a change.

No. No more "programs". Programs haven't stopped this; it's on the rise. Punishment by incarceration, hard labor, and permanent ineligibility for free cash for them, their spawners, and their spawn.

Out in 6 months to commit a home invasion/murder/rape.

Colon Willoughby is right...we need juvenile intervention programs for these boys who obviously aren't getting a good upbringing. I doubt any of them have a father in the home. It would be cheaper in the long run and maybe save wasted lives of criminals and victims. They weren't born criminals!