School trip to library turns into a trip to jail for elementary students...

[cynatnite]

It was supposed to be a field trip to a public library for 6-year-old Stephen Stovall and his classmates. Instead, the kindergartner found himself locked in jail.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that parents at Sunnyside Elementary were told their children would be taking a visit to a library and even signed waivers stating such. The children were instead taken to the local Berkeley Police Station, where they were shown guns, ankle bracelet monitors and then temporarily locked inside jail cells at the station.

"Is this supposed to be a scared-straight tactic?" Stovall's mother Carmen Ware told the paper. "For 6-year-olds? I don't get this. What exactly is Sunnyside School saying — that it is a temporary holding facility for the jailhouse?"

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/6-old-locked-jail-cell-part-school-field-205808798.html

[Renew Deal]

1. Jails and Libraries have some things in common, so I can understand the mix-up

Both emphasize quiet. Both have lots of books. Both have a kind, helpful person to help people find what they're looking for. These things happen.

[11 Bravo]

2. Well, one you enter, then get books. In the other you get booked, then you enter.

Simple mistake, no?

[Renew Deal]

3. lol

[WhoIsNumberNone]

5. +1

[gratuitous]

11. And where are you going to get more practical real-life experience?

I had to follow the link to the Yahoo story to the original Chicago Sun-Times report, but can you possibly guess the color of the kids involved? Not that there was anything racist going on here. Surely we'll see a story next week about the white kids from the posh private academy receiving the same opportunity to explore community resources.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. The kids probably enjoyed the jail more.

LOL

[cynatnite]

6. You're probably right...

Although, as a parent I think I'd be a bit put off by the fact I was told my kid was going one place and then taken to another. This almost does seem a bit like a "scared straight" type of tactic. That bothers me more.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Oh I agree with you on that.

I was just reminded of when the police came to our school with several cop cars, a tank, a fire truck, an ambulance and a paddy wagon. And our kids stood in line to lock each other up in the paddy wagon. The other vehicles weren't nearly as popular. LOL

[FarCenter]

8. Cool -- I remember a field trip to a police station

I was the lucky kid picked to be fingerprinted!

[progressivebydesign]

9. We did that in elementary school.

We got locked in the drunk tank. Not a big deal. Parent's are such whiners now... big deal.

[levp]

10. Visit to a cop station is not a big deal,..

... but lying is.

What does this teach those children?
"Just don't tell your mom. It's going to be our little secret..." LOL

I hate liars, especially those in official capacity. School owes all these parents an explanation and an apology - not for jail, but for blatant lying.

[golddigger]

12. Okay children, this ends our class today ...

on the subject of how to lie to your parents.

[NYC Liberal]

13. Putting aside the lying to the parents part

(even though I suppose that is the main issue here)...as a kid I would much rather have gone to a jail/police station than to the library.

When I was in high school, my Boy Scout troop visited the federal courthouse here (one of the guy's parents were both judges) and we got to see the holding cells.

[saras]

14. Were I there, and six, they would have had to kill me to shut me up

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

15. I remember our field trip to the library, someone noticed an owl in a tree we could all see.

We also took a trip to the Fire Department. I, as a young kid recall thinking, wow, these guys get to sleep here without their wives...

[Rhiannon12866]

16. I visited the police station and jail with my Brownie troop...

[Renew Deal]

17. Did they tell your parents you were going to the library?