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> things like graffiti cleaning, litter picking, cleaning other outdoor areas (e.g. derelict land), assisting in a care home or home for disabled people. These

> things like graffiti cleaning, litter picking, cleaning other outdoor areas (e.g. derelict land), assisting in a care home or home for disabled people. These are all things that normal people volunteer to do, even spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to do (graffiti removal is not just time consuming but also expensive, particularly cleaning up trees/rocks in nature). This is exactly the type of work that community service programs should target. We're not talking about for-profit chicken farms in the US or something. > Some of these could be more social than Edwin would have wanted, and could also have been (relatively) physicially demanding. Honestly? Good. He was clearly depressed and mentally unhealthy long before his run-in with the law. Forcing some socialization and physical exercise might've saved Edwin's life. And it's pretty clear to me that he was headed nowhere good even prior to his legal troubles.

dv_dt 5y ago
Mental heath services should have been provided if Edwin was depressed or mentally unhealthy. Community hours are a punishment, albeit a socially useful one, but no substitute for actual health care.
- throwawaygh 5y ago
  > Mental heath services should have been provided if Edwin was depressed or mentally unhealthy. Sure, agreed, but again... the narrative of a cold and uncaring family/milieu is just false. His mentors at school were deeply concerns. He went to rehab and they kicked him out as a lost cause. Etc. Other people cared about him, but he didn't care about him. The idea that he just needed a bit more understanding and sympathy seems extremely misguided... if anything, he had too much "soft love". If I were the judge, in his case, I would've strongly insisted on community service. Would it have helped change his mindset or at least break his death spiral? Who knows. But it had a better chance than prison. > Community hours are a punishment, albeit a socially useful one It's also a personally useful one. Seeing other people pitching in and seeing the tangible positive effects of one's actions can help some people introspect and really come to terms with the tangible negative effects of their previous actions. Not always, but sometimes.
  - makeitdouble 5y ago
    From the article: > There were countless visits to the doctor and to hospital. Each time there would be medical tests. “Honestly, I think it was psychological,” said José. “Edwin had a lot of anxiety, but the doctors focused on physical causes.” Doesn't look to me like the answer was "tough love" or "go do some gardening", in particular when taking into account he eventually ends his own life. This really feels like a lack of psychological treatment that might have been needed very early, and just go way way worse as it went untreated.

dv_dt 5y ago

Mental heath services should have been provided if Edwin was depressed or mentally unhealthy. Community hours are a punishment, albeit a socially useful one, but no substitute for actual health care.

throwawaygh 5y ago
> Mental heath services should have been provided if Edwin was depressed or mentally unhealthy. Sure, agreed, but again... the narrative of a cold and uncaring family/milieu is just false. His mentors at school were deeply concerns. He went to rehab and they kicked him out as a lost cause. Etc. Other people cared about him, but he didn't care about him. The idea that he just needed a bit more understanding and sympathy seems extremely misguided... if anything, he had too much "soft love". If I were the judge, in his case, I would've strongly insisted on community service. Would it have helped change his mindset or at least break his death spiral? Who knows. But it had a better chance than prison. > Community hours are a punishment, albeit a socially useful one It's also a personally useful one. Seeing other people pitching in and seeing the tangible positive effects of one's actions can help some people introspect and really come to terms with the tangible negative effects of their previous actions. Not always, but sometimes.
- makeitdouble 5y ago
  From the article: > There were countless visits to the doctor and to hospital. Each time there would be medical tests. “Honestly, I think it was psychological,” said José. “Edwin had a lot of anxiety, but the doctors focused on physical causes.” Doesn't look to me like the answer was "tough love" or "go do some gardening", in particular when taking into account he eventually ends his own life. This really feels like a lack of psychological treatment that might have been needed very early, and just go way way worse as it went untreated.