Sen. Tim Green, D-St. Louis County, has sponsored a bill that would require all ninth-grade students in Missouri public schools to visit a state run correctional facility before entering the tenth grade.

"Students would be able to see first hand what it is like to go to prison, what it is actually like to lose their personal freedom and so maybe they will think twice about doing something wrong kill, " said Green. Green said he chose ninth-graders because they are at the point in their life were they are easily influenced.

Any teacher, principal, or school superintendent who fails to comply with the law could be fired, according to the proposed law.  

Green said the state spends too much money on maintaining correctional centers.  "I want more tax dollars going for education and less for incarceration."

Green said he is flexible with the wording of the bill, and said parents would have the option of not letting their children go on the field trip.

If passed, the law would not go into effect until the 2009-2010 school year.

How to add and localize the story for your newspaper

• Talk to your school principal and administration to get their reaction to requiring freshman to visit a correctional center. Do they think the requirement is a good idea-why or why not?
  What would be the potential hardships of implementing the program?
• Does your school already have a program like this? Do neighboring schools? If so, talk to the students who have visited a correctional facility and get their reaction. What was the experience like?
• What does your local law-enforcement officials think about the idea?  What do they think about students visiting the county or city jail?
• Parent reaction-a lot of parents have voiced concern over the idea of sending their child to a correctional center. Talk to the leaders and members of your school PTA or Booster Club, or other active parents.
• Are there local correctional centers in your area? Do workers there think the proposed law is a good tactic to keep teenagers out of trouble? Talk to them about what kind of burden this law might create for them.

Useful Information

• SB 189: read the actual bill and check to see its status in the legislative process.
• Sen .Tim Green: information on his  district, leadership roles, and sponsorship of past and current bills.