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Is the Juvenile Justice System giving Justice to Our Youth???

JImpact of Juvenile Justice System on Youth

During the past decade, there has been stricter enforcement of juvenile crime legislation. Unfortunately, the juvenile justice policy has become more punitive. Worst still, there seems to be not too much difference between juvenile and adult justice. A lot has been said to treat juveniles differently from adult criminals, fearing that it may prove counterproductive to treat juveniles as adults. Unfortunately, nothing much has been done in this regard. More and more juveniles suffer from detention and incarceration. It has not had any significant impact on the reformation of youth. Therefore, juveniles should be treated equally in the community than in confinement, and steps must be taken in this regard without threatening the community safety.

Juvenile Justice System in US

The juvenile justice system was set up in the US to reform youth offenders and treat them separately from the adult justice system. The goal was to safeguard youth from destructive punishments of criminal courts. The idea was to encourage rehabilitation. 

Sadly, the trend during the previous decade has been toward tightening the juvenile justice laws. Accordingly, every state has implemented certain changes in its juvenile treatment policies. There has been a rise in the rate of juveniles in custodial institutions, resulting in overcrowding of detention and correctional facilities.

As a result, while it has not had any positive impact on the youth crime rate, it has resulted in the detention of more and more youth, which disrupts their lives. Additionally, the detention of youth has had negative effects on their behavior and development. 

Sadly, incarcerated juveniles suffer from mental health problems. There is a high rate of physical injury among these youth. Besides, they fare poorly in the educational sector compared to their counterparts who had undergone reformation in the community. 

Apart from this, incarceration effects do not limit to physical and mental health problems. But it is to be blamed for problems with future employment. The youth are unable to find employment as they are looked down upon in society after their incarceration. They continue to be seen as ex-offenders long after their release and do not have too many economic alternatives to crime. This does portray a gloomy picture of their future.

Black Versus White Juveniles: Disparity in the Justice System

Statistics reveal that there are discrepancies in the juvenile justice system in US. The proportion of black juveniles undergoing incarceration is more. Unfortunately, such disproportionate racial

representation automatically raises questions about equality and fairness in the juvenile justice system.

Worst still, more minor black children suffer from risk factors related with crime. This includes living in poor communities that struggle with everyday life. Apart from this, there is a lot of social disorganization in these communities, which could be blamed for the youth taking to criminal activities.

Juvenile Justice System Needs Reform

Detention disrupts a juvenile's life while increasing their likelihood of experiencing punitive sanctions. Besides, most correctional facilities are overcrowded, raising the risk of injury to inmates and staff. A lot of research has been done on alternatives to secure confinement, concluding that the juvenile youth do not pose a greater threat to the public in community-based alternatives compared to secure detention. 

Further, treating juvenile offenders within the community poses no threat to public safety. Instead, detention and incarceration has adverse effects on the youth and society. Efforts must be made to expand community-based treatment.

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Location: Bakersfield, CA, USA

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