Cops and Librarians: Two Views of Creative Punishment

I sometimes ask my neighbor teenager friends how they might punish someone for a particular crime or wrongdoing (they keep up with the news almost as much as I do). We’ve had some interesting discussions, though it probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that teenage boys are a bit more bloodthirsty than the average middle-aged law librarian. (I have great neighbor kids 🙂

Here is one type of creative punishment that’s been in the news lately – the Portland police officer who gives speeders a choice: a fine or another form of repentence/rehabilitation.

And here’s one librarian’s view of punishment for overdue books.