Over on The Corner, David Freddoso discusses a Maryland bill, focusing on the incentive question – the well-behaved pay more, so why behave?

Another problem is that this is, plain and simple, a stupid way to help the juvenile-delinquent population (in Maryland, each year there are “450 kids who are in group homes, youth centers, and residential treatment homes”). It feeds on the ridiculous notion that postsecondary education is the best thing for everyone.

There’s a negative correlation between IQ and criminality, meaning that most of these young offenders aren’t college material. Something like 30 percent of juvenile delinquents have outright learning disabilities. Others have attention, psychological, or (obviously) behavior problems that likewise rule out college. In addition, the bill applies only to “committed” juveniles, a group whose few university-capable members probably haven’t been able to keep up on their secondary-school work. I can’t find high-school graduation rates for this population, but I’d guess they’re nothing to get optimistic about.

We all love stories of redemption, the American Dream, etc., but it’s delusional to use these ideals as a factual basis for public policy. Of course, it’s worth helping whatever bright and hard-working kids get into bad trouble, but they make up a very small proportion of the problem, and they’re most able to help themselves – they can probably write very touching scholarship-application essays.

For the vast majority it would be better to focus on employment, substance abuse, basic good behavior, and sometimes high school education.