LEARNING A LESSON IS BETTER THAN PRISON

There has been considerable talk about the 17-year-old who refused to apologize for a burglary at the Oak Ridge High School.

After two weeks in jail, the young man had a change of heart. At a court appearance, he apologized to the people of Oak Ridge and county taxpayers for his role in stealing $6,000 in video and computer equipment from the school.

But was an apology sufficient? Some wondered if the teen-ager got off too lightly.

The young man was a first-time offender. But before Circuit Court Judge William Syler considered probation, he wanted to make sure this youthful offender was making an effort to reform.

It's not as if the young man got off with a slap on the wrist. He must pay $1,000 in restitution -- no small sum for a 17-year-old. And he must pay court costs and complete 50 hours of community service. He must also write a formal letter of apology to the Oak Ridge Board of Education. If he fails to live up to these demands, he will find himself in prison for a 120-day shock sentence.

During the teen's initial court appearance, he stubbornly fought the system. It was particularly telling that when the youth resisted being handcuffed, several prisoners who had watched the boy's refusal to apologize helped the bailiff subdue the young man. Perhaps these prisoners wished a judge would have given them the same option on their first offenses.

Justice will be served if this young man learns a lesson from this experience and reforms. Prison would have taught a hard lesson as well -- but unfortunately this young man would have learned more about becoming a criminal than rehabilitation.