Juvenile Detention: A Short Story

The data for this project was collected by administering an anonymous survey to incarcerated juveniles at (name of facility), the (name) receiving center and at the NAACP office in Sacramento, California. The survey asked for gender and parental status (incarcerated versus not incarcerated). Participants were given a paper survey and a pencil to complete the survey. See Appendix for a copy of the survey.

Childhood is a time in which memories are created, adventures are explored and social awareness begins to develop. The events that occur during childhood are pivotal in the development of a healthy and substantial life. However, what if those experiences were taken from a child? What would the outcome be if a child could not experience what it is like to be young? Juvenile incarceration strips a person of their childhood and essentially takes away the experiences necessary for them to develop into healthy functioning adults. Even though juvenile incarceration is an effective method of punishment for those who have committed heinous crimes, the justice system should not convict children and adolescents as adults because of the child 's circumstances that lead to the crime as well as the disastrous effects it causes on the mental and emotional state of the child.

Within a century ago, juveniles justice system were created because of the unspeakable acts of kids learned in adult jails when placed in that interment. when juveniles are placed with adult prisoners , the juveniles return to the community as a more knowledgable criminal.

Jail in the United States descended from the 12th – century England with reeves and shires which is another word for sheriffs long. Jail is the entrance to the system. Next is Pretrial Detention which may consist of being questioned, finger printed, mug shots and long waits. Once detained for an extended period of time, the detainee may begin to face problems such as mental health, substance dependency, medical needs, and legal problems. After being detained for an extended length of time exerts pressure on the detainee to waive their rights and plead guilty. There are alternatives aside from remaining in jail such as, post the full amount to the courts, pay a set fee to a bondsman or release on

San Jose Police Chief, Bill Landsdowne, stated that, “[l]ocking up kids is the easiest way. But once they get in the juvenile justice system, it’s very hard to get them out” (Holman & Ziedenberg, date). Detaining youth, in particular non-violent offenders, has more of a negative, long-term impact on youth as well as the community. With the inception of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, the use of retribution is being pushed aside for more restorative and rehabilitation efforts. States that have embraced this initiative are finding that not only are the numbers of youth being detained decreasing but that alternatives to detention are providing opportunity for juveniles to become productive members of the community. All this effort without increasing risk to the community and safety issues. More importantly this initiative works in addressing the underlying issues causing delinquent behavior.

Since they are minors they should be in juvenile prisons not in adult prisons, because they do not get the help they need. For example, Mrs. Jones decided not to take Roger to the authorities for trying to steal her purse instead she teaches him right from wrong. Mrs. Jones taught Roger to do the right thing because she recognizes that Roger is just a young boy, and that he is still learning his right from wrongs. If Mrs. Jones took Roger to jail, there would be no one to teach him right from wrong, if Mrs. Jones took Roger to jail he would have never gotten a second chance to do something right. In addition, the article “Teens and decision making: what brain science reveals” states that the brain of a minor do not fully

When it comes to California’s juvenile detention system it seems that there are many ironies involved within the system. Although these systems have become a permanent part of California’s justice system, the harsh reality is that juvenile detention may be doing more harm than good. Ironically the carelessness of the policies and operations have turned troubled youths into failed adults. Failure of the system is a result of poor funding to both state and private institutions, poor reform efforts, and overcrowding.

The justice system is a confusing, scary, and irritating system, especially when dealing with juveniles. Although it's modeled after the traditional justice system which is designed to suit adults, they each have their differences. They are both forms of punishment, but in my opinion juvenile jail were created to rehabilitate the youth while jail is the waiting room for the penitentiary. Everyone is entitled their own opinion on any subject matter. Here is one and let's see if you agree.

I found after reading this article to be very interesting, which focuses on how juvenile justice facilities are slowly starting to change their approach in detaining adolescents in detention centers. This change in philosophy can be attribute it to Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI), which advocates for keeping adolescents out of a traumatic environments, such as detention facilities. There have been several studies conducted, which revealed unreasonably high levels of stress among adolescents in detention centers, mostly due to traumatic experiences prior to being detained. "Kids who get into trouble, including committing crime and violence, are usually acting out of their own traumatic childhoods" (Finkel, 2015, para. 18). Despite,

I began going to juvenile prisons. And some of these kids face some very, very tough lives how do they feel in juvenile prison? Do they even know that if their life is bad, what is prisons life like? Do they know what are the consequence for breaking prisons rule? Why is respect so important within the prison environment?

A deep look into juveniles in adult prisons. Touch bases on several smaller issues that contribute to juveniles being in and effects of adult prisons. The United States Bureau of Prisons handles two hundred and thirty-nine juveniles and their average age is seventeen. Execution of juveniles, The United States is one of only six countries to execute juveniles. There are sixty-eight juveniles sitting on death row for crimes committed as juveniles. Forty-three of those inmates are minorities. People, who are too young to vote, drink alcohol, or drive are held to the same standard of responsibility as adults. In prisons, they argue that the juveniles become targets of older, more hardened criminals. Brian

Under what circumstances can a juvenile be held in detention prior to trial? There are four circumstances that hold a juvenile in detention which are lack of parental care, for juvenile protection or society protection, to make sure the juvenile attends his hearing, how serious the offense is, and juvenile prior

The significance of this study was to examine if adolescents in a juvenile detention center in St. Louis City could self-adjust, cope or adapt with their levels of stress. There is a great deal of literature available supporting the notion of utilizing affective tactics in combating stress levels among various age groups. However, there is very little information provided on at-risk adolescents in a juvenile detention center confronted with dangerous levels of stress. The importance of understanding how these detained adolescents between the ages of 11-17, approach dealing with their stress is not just beneficial to them and the institution responsible for providing adequate care. It further provides a unique view into the mindset of detained

“I used to believe are our future but now I realize that this, sadly isn’t the reality. Through laws that treat kids like adults, the government is throwing away the future of children in this country.” (D. Lee) An estimated 200,000 juveniles are tried as adults. The term juvenile refers to any young person under the age of 18. For most states in the United States, the age of majority is 18. While there are many things that juveniles are unable to do until they reach the age of 18, being charged as an adult for a crime is not amongst those things in some states. Juveniles are not allowed to vote, drink alcohol, or sign a legal contract, yet they can be charged and treated like adults when it comes to them being

Serious crimes such as murder, burglary and rape have raised questions as to whether the young offenders should face severe punitive treatment or the normal punitive measures in juvenile courts. Many would prefer the juveniles given harsh punishment in order to discourage other young people from engaging in similar activities and to serve as a lesson to these particular offenders. However, results from previous studies indicate such punitive measures were neither successful nor morally acceptable. Instead, the solutions achieved have unfairly treated the youths and compromised the society status (Kristin, page 1).