Besides jail time or community service, Ferriday Police Chief Richard Madison has a another way to discipline students who commit misdemeanor offenses.

He has them write essays.

Madison said the program started in the summer of 2004, when he and Mayor Gene Allen recognized there was a problem with juvenile crime and that juveniles were not in a position to pay their citations.

“Initially, we were going to have them do community service,” Madison said. “But because these kids were in school, we didn’t want to take them out and inhibit their learning so we decided to have them write essays.”

Allen said his reasoning for the program was to keep juveniles out of trouble during the summer months.

“I thought we could get kids’ attention,” Allen said.

Allen said the program would keep juveniles busy “doing something besides running up and down the streets all night.

“Nobody wants to write.”

Essays must be five pages long, double-spaced, outline the nature of the offense and the legal consequences, Madison said.

He said the punishment only applies to students 17 or younger who commit minor offenses, like fighting, and minor traffic offenses like seat belt, speeding and loud music violations.

“This is to further (a student’s) education and get them to ponder over the mistake they have made,” he said.

Madison said he sometimes makes the juveniles research information for their essays in the library.

Madison said he thinks the program is very effective.

“The kids realize somebody cares,” Madison said. “Sometimes these kids are reaching out. You can’t reach these kids as a police officer — you reach them as a parent, school teacher or minister. You have to reach them with love and kindness.”

Both Madison and Allen said they felt the essay-writing program is successful because neither see the same groups of offenders getting in trouble again.