I never did. In fact I had to buy my own vehicle before I could drive myself places.
but you don't send your child to prison over something like that. You ground them, tell them they can't go to the prom, etc. In other words, you deal with it yourself and don't use the "nanny state" by sending them to jail on our tax dollars.
We don't have the whole story. I doubt the parents got to this point without trying everything they could come up with. And this was not a child. you can't spank him unless he lets you (unlikely). Beat him? then You'll be the one in jail. Let him keep doing what ever he wants - with whomever he wants' belongings as you suggest? Now who's tax dollars are poorly spent.
If your 14 year old steals money from your wallet, are you going to throw him in a pond with alligators to "teach him a lesson"???
This was not a 14 year old, (You should read the articles first). A 14 year old you can still spank, and physically enforce a grounding if necessary. This was a 17 year old man. When I was 17, I was a private in the Marine Corps - you think my parents could have disciplined me if they tried?
In this day and age it is idiotic to send a young kid to jail for an offense as trivial as borrowing the car without asking.
That's true but there was no young kid involved in this story, and having been told you cant makes it stealing not "not asking".
The parents can now enjoy the silent years of the fruit of their regretful stupidity.
The young man's death is not the fault of the parents, who did the right thing.
The age of adulthood is 18, not 17. A fine distinction but since you are hardnosed, it should be made for you.