There are young men in the U.S. who have literally no one in their lives who they can turn to for the most basic pieces of advice. And the statistics are staggering. Young men without positive role models are more likely to commit crimes, abuse drugs and alcohol, etc. The Mentor Act is a proposed solution to this problem, that aims to get more people to be mentors. Those who agree to mentor would receive a legal excusal from jury duty – giving children more mentors, and reducing the need for juries.

What if the same court system that puts young men behind bars, could help keep them out of it in the first place?