The American juvenile justice system needs reform and they need it quick. A StanfordUniversity studied revealed that 2.4 million juveniles are charged with offenses annually. A horrendous 55% of juveniles released from incarceration nationwide are rearrested within one year. [1] High recidivism rates are linked to increases in crime, victimization, homelessness, family destabilization, and public health risk. [2]. Another leading cause for high recidivism rates are due to states failing to rehabilitate youths before releasing them back into society.
Some states have already begun making changes to help reduce the recidivism rate. California’s recidivism rate for the juvenile prison system has been declining since recent changes have been made. This has also saved the state millions of dollars. Our government spends roughly $6 billion annually on juvenile prison system nationwide; this is partly because they are making slow changes and wasting tax payer’s dollars. At one time in California, 74% of juvenile delinquents were rearrested within one year of being release. In 2007, the recidivism rate dropped over 30% because the state made significant changes. California is looking for a positive modification for its juvenile justice system that will benefit the state and the juvenile.
In addition, many states are modifying their policies to keep more youth in the juvenile jurisdiction and helping to provide effective treatment in custodial settings. Also some states which have begun lowering the recidivism rate, shows that the government cares about the welfare of adolescents who are in the juvenile justice system. If our government does not begin to reform the juvenile system, many youth will live a life full of crime and incarceration. Our number one goal is to make everyone feel as safe as possible and to prevent youths from returning to the juvenile justice system.
Juvenile gangs have been on the rise over the last few decades in the United States. Gangs exist in every state, where in the 1970s they existed in less than half of the states. Gangs are not inclusively in the inner city nor are they limited to a particular ethnic group of people. Homicides are more likely to occur in larger cities by 10%.This is partly because larger cities have more people and thus more opportunity for gang violence or retaliation. Youth gangs are moving into suburban areas and recruiting kids from playgrounds, schools or on the Internet at a rapid rate.
According to the NationalYouthViolencePrevention Resource Center, youth gangs have about 772,000 members nationwide, with more then half of them being teens under 18. [1]Easy money is a lure for kids to join gangs. Kids as young as 5 or 6 are given signficant amounts of money and the promise of more to come if they join. Money is a powerful incentive for anyone, but to a child or young teen, it is practically irresistible.
Surprisingly, some gang members have outstanding family backgrounds and are successful students. But after the overwhelming amount of peer pressure, they join the gang. Most participants in gang crimes tend to be young, male, and either black or Hispanic. Many teenagers join gangs for several reasons. Gangs give lonely and troubled teens a feeling of belonging.Some teenagers are followers and join because their friends have done so. Teens involved with gangs committed 11% of all crimes. The rate of violent offenses for gang member was 3 times higher than non-gang delinquents. Our society needs more gang prevention programs in schools and invest in alternatives for children who are feeling lonely. Funds that are dedicated toward preventive programs can decrease the vast amount of gang related crime.
Over the years I have seen juvenile delinquency go up and down. Sadly, this trend threatens innocent people as they try to live their daily lives. The fact that all juveniles are at risk should be enough to change the way things are. Instead of assuming that locking a juvenile in a detention center for a few months will change their behavior, we must take rehabilitative steps towards the future. Our society seems to be sending the message that we want our kids to behave but we never have time for them.
Between childhood and adolescence, juvenile offenders tend to develop behavior problems such as aggression, dishonesty, property offenses, and conflict with authority figures. On average, these behaviors usually appear around age 6 or 7, while the first contact with the juvenile court for male Crime Index offenders occurs around the age 14-15. Moffitt [1] encourages juvenile delinquency to be viewed along two developmental paths: life-course-persistent (LCP) offenders, and adolescents-limited (AL) offenders. LCP offenders begin antisocial and aggressive behaviors at around 3 or 4 years of age, or even younger, and are consistent into adulthood.
Unfortunately, many of these individuals miss the opportunity as children to acquire and practice pro-social and interpersonal skills at each stage of development, partly because they are rejected and avoided by peers, and partly because their parents and other caretakers become frustrated and give up on them. Individual counseling, interpersonal skills, and behavioral programs were shown to reduce recidivism for serious and violent non-institutionalized juvenile offenders by 40%. The most effective intervention programs for institutionalized serious and violent juvenile offenders include: aggression replacement raining, social skills training, behavior modification, cognitive-mediation training, and stress inoculation training. These interventions reduced recidivism by 30-35% within the institutionalized group of offenders [2]. These programs target individuals, families, communities, and systems focusing primarily on education and trading, support, resources, and enrichment, delinquency prevention, deterrence from gang involvement and public safety. Each developmental area from infancy until young adulthood is targeted and programs reflect and address the need of that age group. Our society needs to stop pointing the finger and come together so we can make a change for the youth of the future.
Moffitt, T.E (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 5, 135-151.
Lipsey, M.W.; Wilson, D.B.; & Cothern, L. (2000). Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders. Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Historically, there has been a very minimal amount of research on female crime in our society. Juvenile crime is on the rise once again, especially for female offenders. In recent years, many have come to realization that the problem of female delinquency is increasing faster than the problem of male delinquency. Crime rates amongst juveniles are up again since the 1990s. There has been an increase of young women offending at higher rates then ever seen before. In 2000, the National Institute of Justice studied incarcerated female offenders and discovered a link between abuse and criminal behavior. A shocking 75 to 95 percent of female offenders are former victims of abuse various forms of abuse[1]. Any form of abuse can result in low self-esteem and poor judgment for young women.
In a 1996 U.S. Department of Justice Report, the number of arrests of young women had doubled between 1989 and 1993. Twenty percent of all juvenile arrests were committed by girls, an increase of 87 percent. [2] The bulk of crimes committed by young women are assault and illegal substance abuse.Females are more likely to also commit status offenses, which consist of running away and often lead to prostitution. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, female juvenile crime is often embraced by the public, the news media, elected officials, and juvenile justice practitioners. Females should not be treated any different than males. In order to deter crime, our society has to start making examples of females who commit crimes.
Over the last decade, mental health issues with youth in the juvenile justice system have been continually ignored.As a result, federal initiatives are now realizing the scope of the problem and the inadequacy of mental health care in juvenile correctional facilities.More states are beginning to focus on the importance of mental health issues because one of the primary responsibilities of the juvenile justice system (JJS) is to care for youth with mental health illnesses. Hence, this issue has also resulted in more juveniles being prosecuted in adult courts because the JJS have very little to go on when attempting a diagnosis. It is estimated that between 50 to 75 percent of incarcerated youth nationwide have a diagnosable mental health disorder. [3] The JJS has often failed to perform standardized screening and assessments. Sadly, youth of color are often not diagnosed.
As states face more and more economic problems, funds directed to mental health programs in institutions, schools, and communities are being slashed.About two-thirds of the nation’s juvenile inmates — who numbered 92,854 in 2006, down from 107,000 in 1999 — have at least one mental illness, according to surveys of youth prisons, and are more in need of therapy than punishment. [1] Above all, California has the nation’s worst JJS and is currently under a federal mandate to improve mental health services. California’s main focus with youth has been punishment and not rehabilitation. Many of these juvenile come in with mental issues that are never addressed. According to federal investigators, three dozen youth offenders seriously injured themselves or attempted suicide in the last year — a sign, state juvenile justice experts say, of neglect and poor safety protocols. [2] Inadequate mental health resources can lead to an increase in the recidivism rate.
Mental health issues of youth are increasing rapidly nationwide. Surprisingly, one in ten children suffers from mental illness that can cause impairment and only one in five children receive mental health services. [3] There is so much that needs to be done and so little funding. Research needs to be done on JJ and mental health programs to better serve vulnerable populations. There also needs to be better communication from schools, family, and medical institutions.
3."Report on the Surgeon General’s Conference on Children’s Mental Health: A National Action Agenda." (January 2001). Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services.
The United States is only one of a few countries in the world to sentence juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of parole. More then 130 countries have completely banned life sentenses for juveniles. Many countries believe that juveniles can be rehabilitated and that children are not mentally developed until they turn 20. Forty-two states have laws allowing juveniles to be sentenced to life without parole. In 22 out of the 42 states, it is mandatory to sentence anyone found guilty of committing first-degree murder, despite their age. To add, we have ten states that have no minimum age for sentencing children to life without parole. There are over 2,200 child offenders serving life for crimes that were committed before they turned 18. [1] Amoung those offenders, 60% were sentenced to life for their first ever criminal conviction. [1] A senior human rights researcher states that, "Children who committ violent crimes should not go scot-free; but if they are too young to vote or buy cigarettes, they are too young to spend the rest of their lives behind bars."
Sadly, once children are convicted and sentenced to life, they are sent to adult prisons and experience harsh conditions. Sentencing a child to life in prison is cruel and unusual punishment and unconstitutional. Some of these children did not take the life of another, therefore, they should be given a second chance at life. They must live amongst sexual predators and face joining adult gangs. In April, the Equal Justice Initiative reported that at least 73 U.S. inmates, majority are minorities, have been sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed when they were 14 or younger. Some of these children are victims themselves and they commit crimes for attention. If they were given the needed tools then maybe one day they can succeed in society. The Supreme Court will review and determine whether sentencing juveniles to life violates the Constitution.
Throughout our society crimes are being committed on a daily basis. It is quite disturbing that more and more of these crimes are being committed by juveniles. Over the last two decades, the number of juveniles living in poverty has grown 42% and this caused an increase in crimes by juveniles. Many of these individuals do not have a positive vision for the future and they lack long term goals. Not only do those who are less fortunate engage in dangerous activities, they also acquire their goods illegally as a way out. The Los Angeles Times reported many juveniles were either neglected or abused growing up. In addition, a number of these juveniles were raised in a single family home. According to the star tribune, several teenagers believe they are going to die young and this is why they are so out of control. The University of Minnesota surveyed 20,000 teenagers ranging from seventh to twelfth grade. The survey revealed that nearly 15% said they had a 50-50 chance or less of making their thirty-fifth birthday. Researchers also found out that juveniles who have a negative outlook on life are more likely to put themselves and others in danger by using drugs, consuming large amounts of alcohol having unprotected sex and attempting suicide. Nearly 3 in 10 American Indians, and 1 in 4 blacks, expected to die young, compared to 1 in 10 whites. The media and increased availability of guns play a huge part in the number of crimes committed by juveniles. In Los Angeles, cases involving juveniles with weapons have increased more then 80%. More family life and less exposure to violence can decrease juveniles committing violent crimes.
In America, juveniles are treated differently compared to adults. The courts focus is on rehabilation and help rather then punishment. Many are dealt with informally which is from an outside agency. Juvenile delinquency relates to minors who break laws, trauncy and in most cases are unsupervised by an responsible adult. Juvenile delinquency is on the rise across our country. It's becomming a common trend amongst children who come from broken families. Young males make up the bulk of delinquents because they grow up without positive role models and mimic the negative behavior they witness. Recreational activities may be an option but they are too expensive for the less fortunate and they don't cease delinquency but help to alter decision making. In a juvenile spare time, they would rather participate in activities they may hinder their future. This issuse is complex and can be decreased with proper research and intervention. Juveniles commit crimes for a multitude of reasons. For example, some may steal food because they are not receiving nourishing at home, others are deprived of attention, and many are suffering from abuse of home. Whatever the reason is, juvenile delinquency rates are on the rise and not much as been done about it. Finally, I chose this topic because I wanted to examine the crimes committed by minors. These same minors are also our future.
My name is Kita Brown and I am 24 years old. I am married and blessed with two beautiful daughters. My oldest child is 3 years old and my youngest is 1. This is my last semester as a student at California State University, Sacramento.
