Jailed parents ignored their responsibilities

Bad parenting is not a crime.

Many people feel that it should be, and there are certainly plenty of mothers and fathers who are guilty. But it would be a dangerously slippery slope if society starting throwing incompetent moms and dads behind bars.

Of course, there are some examples of bad parenting that clearly cross the line into criminal activity. People who physically abuse their children or who neglect them to the point of starvation or sickness can be charged with a crime. But the parents who never pay attention to their children, who allow them to do whatever they want, who feed them nothing but junk food do not get punished under the law.