Juvenile_Detainees

Juvenile detainees CRJ 303: Corrections Jamila Harris June 28, 2010 Juvenile detainees have many obstacles to overcome when they enter into a life of crime. A child’s development is important at a young age and can be a determining factor in whether a child will need help so they do not enter into the stage of becoming a juvenile delinquent. Children will push the boundaries of their parents, teachers and sometimes law enforcement and do not realize the punishment that can come from juvenile delinquency. Those juvenile detainees that are sentenced to prison for their crime can find out that prison is a scary place for a young juvenile and they will have to learn how to live out their sentence in a prison environment. Juveniles are finding the juvenile system changing as countless people in society want harsher punishments for juvenile offenses. A child’s development can be a critical factor in examining juvenile offenders. Children at a young age can display signs of antisocial behavior that may continue through the years and well into their adult years. According to Curtis Bartol and Anne Bartol in their book Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach (2011): A developmental trajectory or pathway reflects the changes in an individual’s cognitive, emotional and social growth as he or she grows into adulthood…pathways are numerous experiences that may be encountered, such as early childhood victimizations or the loss of a parent during preadolescence…some children engage in stubborn, defiant, and disobedient behavior…progressing to mild than more severe forms of violence and criminal behavior during adolescence and young adulthood…some children exhibit cruelty to animals, aggressive behavior toward peers, bullying, and substance abuse (p. 147). It is important that parents, teachers, and others protect children and look for signs if a child is displaying antisocial behavior so help can begin immediately and hopefully save a child from going down the path towards criminal activity. Juveniles will push the buttons of their parents, teachers and law enforcement and as they grow out of the juvenile stage will realize what they have done was wrong and do not want a life of crime while some will continue to commit crimes and end up in prison. Punishment for juveniles has been a hot topic as juveniles are committing more crimes. As young children most parents teach their children right from wrong and to obey the laws. Those young children grow into juveniles and many environment factors have the effects to lead juveniles into committing criminal actions. Other juveniles may become involved with gangs because it is a way of life in their neighborhood and those who become involved with gangs will more than likely spend their life in and out of jail or prison and some will end up dead. “Delinquent youths tend to have other delinquent friends, delinquent acts are often committed by more than one person, and little supervision can lead to more crime, especially among juveniles” (Worrall, 2008, p. 317). Juveniles who commit minor crimes and are first time offenders can face time in a juvenile detention center, treatment programs and several will be handed down probation “the most commonly used community-based treatment program for delinquent youth” (Vidal & Skeem, 2007). There are juveniles who believe probation is a light sentence and will only go out and commit more crimes and think they will receive probation again or will not get caught. In order for programs and treatments to really work the juvenile has to want to make a difference and having the support of their family is a positive start. Juveniles who continue to commit crimes are finding themselves facing changes in the juvenile system. According to Martin Urbina and William White, in their article Waiving Juveniles to Criminal Court: Court Officials Express Their Thoughts: Some policymakers feel that the juvenile system is no longer the best option for young offenders, and thus laws are being modified to accommodate what some view as the modern practice of controlling young criminals: adult sanctions for adult crimes in the criminal justice system (2009). Juveniles are being sentenced to adult prisons and find that adult prisons are worse than being sentenced to a juvenile facility. “A study documented that transferring juveniles to adult court was more likely to aggravate recidivism than to stem it…studies found that transferred juveniles were not deterred” (Urbina & White, 2009). There is debate between many of society that believe sentencing juveniles to an adult prison is good for them while others believe sentencing the juvenile to an adult prison will make it harder for the juvenile to rehabilitate. “Introducing a younger population of inmates into correctional facilities accustomed to only adults may create practical problems for staff in these facilities” (Kupchik, 2007). Adult prison staffs are accustomed to dealing with the adult prison population and when you bring a juvenile into a prison there can be complications between the prisoners, staff and juvenile. Juveniles have many obstacles to overcome throughout their young lives and if they choose to become involved with crime they will have to pay the price like everyone else in society. A child’s development is a strong factor into identifying problems that develop into a juvenile becoming delinquent. There are different programs that can be beneficial to juvenile detainees if they would only take a chance and see where their lives are headed. Having a supportive family and environment for a juvenile before and after they have committed their crime is important and can make a difference in deterring a juvenile from crime. References Bartol, C. & Bartol, A. (2011). Criminal behavior: a psychological approach. 9th ed. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Kupchik, A.. (2007). The correctional experiences of youth in adult and juvenile prisons. Justice Quarterly: JQ, 24(2), 247-270. Retrieved June 24, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1295280991). Urbina, M. & White, W.. (2009). Waiving juveniles to criminal court: court officials express their thoughts. Social Justice, 36(1), 122-139. Retrieved June 24, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1918633711). Vidal, S. & Skeem, J.L.. (2007). Effect of psychopathy, abuse, and ethnicity on juvenile probation officers’ decision-making and supervision strategies. Law and Human Behavior, 31(5), 478-98. Retrieved June 24, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1335919321). Worrall, J. L. (2008). Crime control in America: What works' (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.