Judge assigns essays as punishment

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 24 (UPI) -- An Ohio judge known for sometimes ordering defendants to write essays said the unusual punishment is crucial to getting convicts to understand their crimes.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook, who took the bench in 2007, said ordering defendants to write five-page essays on topics including teen violence and head injuries is a way of making them think about the crimes they committed, The (Toledo) Blade reported Tuesday.

"From years of practicing law, I felt that there was a huge missing link in getting people to understand what they did wrong, not just in committing the crime but where there was error in judgment," Cook said. "I've always thought people needed to understand that what they did sent out this ripple effect."

Cook said she does not have statistics but she does believe the essay writing has been effective in preventing repeat offenses from many convicts.