A former teacher who now serves as a judge in Detroit has begun requiring offenders who haven't finished high school to the "sentence" of completing their degree. Judge Deborah Thomas, a Detroit native, also displays the completed diplomas — now numbering about 40 — on the wall in her courtroom. It has proved to be a motivating factor, she says, because "It shows a sense of pride."
"I remember Judge Thomas saying without my education there is no path you can go down, " says DeQuane Curry, 19, who completed high school at Thomas' direction and is heading to college this month to study nursing. "It woke me up and made me realize my diploma is the best thing I've got going. It feels good."
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