Impact Of Incarceration Of Young Offenders

Youth in high risk communities rely on crime to get what they need or want, either because their families cannot afford their needs or simply because their parents are already working hard to afford the basic necessities of life such as food and shelter. I admit that up until I read this book I never stopped to think about the problem we face with mass incarceration; reading it made me realize how desensitized I am from some tough social realities, as an upcoming social worker it will be my goal to be more aware of issues that not many talk about or advocate for. People go through life carrying the stigmas and stereotypes they were raised with and it is our personal responsibility to challenge our perceptions and beliefs. It is easier to believe stereotypes rather than take the time to research their validity, and we conform to the idea that people are in prisons because they did something wrong and deserve to be penalized. Reality is that there are inmates whom perhaps were wrongfully convicted and in worst cases innocent, they just couldn’t afford a lawyer or accepted a guilty plea because they were told it was their best option.

In the article “Incarcerating Youth As Justice? An In-depth Examination Of Youth, Incarceration, And Restorative Justice,” Maynard, Robyn, has done many research on youth incarceration. She wants readers to know how incarceration affect youth’s mind, how should we help them, and what cause youth to be criminal. According to her research, there is an act call Youth Criminal Justice Act. She says that this act allows judges to release the name of youth offenders to the public in order to make them feel shame about what they do. This act causes the decline of youth incarceration. Although this act works efficiently, posting youth offenders ' names to the public cause negative effect on the youth. Rhonda Buckland, a counselor in a youth organization, says that this act makes youth offenders lose the ability to survive in the society. They become weaker than others and lose the ability to communicate with others. Maynard, Robyn also finds out the biggest factor that causes youth incarceration is racial profiling. Because of their races, police treat them differently, and that makes them feel helpless in the

The criminal justice system approaches young offenders through unique policies to address the challenges of dealing with juvenile offending. They take special care when dealing with juveniles in order to stop them from repeat offending and stop any potential bad behaviour which could result in future. Juveniles have the highest tendency to rehabilitate and most adopt law-abiding lifestyles as they mature. There are several factors influencing juvenile crime including psychological and social pressures unique to juveniles, which may lead to an increase in juvenile’s risks of contact with the criminal justice system.

Youth choosing to engage in criminal behavior is not a new phenomenon. Youth who choose to do this repeatedly are referred to as re-offenders. The age and the sex of the offender also contribute to the recidivism rate and the types of consequences. Other contributing factors in recidivism include the relationship the youth has with peers or parents, whether they abuse substances, and the racial origins of the young offender. There is a wide spectrum of consequences and different ways in which treatment attempts to aid re-offenders. Re-offenders commit various crimes and differ greatly in their response to treatment.

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.

Studies suggest that young people are often at risk of re-offending (e.g. Sharkey, et al, 2003; Vincent & Seagrave, 2005). Sharkey and his colleagues explained that youth often reoffend since, as they prepare themselves in returning to their respective communities, they are usually confronted by similar situations that had influenced their behaviors prior to committing offenses. Another group of researchers however show that youth engaged in education, employment and other productive endeavors in their communities within 6 to 8 months after their release are less vulnerable to commit another offense (e.g. Keating, et al., 2002, Bullis, et al, 2002, Grossman & Tierney, 2008).

In America we sometimes house juveniles and adults in the same prison system. In the state of Wisconsin in 2014, we have incarcerated 121 minors into the adult system. While incarcerating these juveniles in the prison system some may wonder how does it affect a juvenile, Also what problems do they face while in prison and lastly, how has their life change for better or worse after they are released back into society.

If an individual has the time to concentrate on what they did, where it led them too, how it affects others, and how to avoid it, they will eventually live a crime-free life after release. If an individual has to focus on surviving the harsh conditions of prison, they will eventually lead a life of crime. When a young adult is placed in prison alongside adults, there will be numerous consequential effects on the individual, due to the harsh conditions and mindset of surviving in prison. The mindset of surviving in prison leads to a life of crime. This also leads to how the communities they are from are affected.

Many of the youths that are incarcerated are in between 16 to 22 years of age, and many of these are male rather than female. Over forty-four percent of youths arrested are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or sometimes the combination of both. Not only that but most of the accused commit the crime with someone, not by themselves. The young adults are more inclined to commit any type of crime under the influence or with some of their 'friends' encouragement. These are most commonly seen in teens who want and need to belong. The teenage years are a period of life that is shapeable by many stressors, such as physical changes, school, relationships with friends and parents, and also romantic relationships. Many succumb to the need to belong that they turn to people that are not the right motivator the adolescent needs.

Not only this but, “offenders who commit new offenses after court contact are at risk for a variety of poor developmental and life course outcomes, including school failure, out of home placements, occupational marginality, and long-term involvement in criminal activity” (Schwalbe 2004). As seen here, this is a downward spiral. Active reform has never before been at such a demand. As recidivism and juvenile delinquency continues to increase, not only will national crime rates and juvenile prison populations inflate, but the diminishing of an educated, safe, and economically stable society will also be affected regrettably. If juveniles whom continue to commit repeat criminal offenses lack school initiative, family support, and job exposure, than relatively as recidivism and juvenile criminal activity increases, our nation’s standard of living will consequently lower.

Studies suggest that there is a divide between the government and public response to juvenile incarceration. Bullis & Yovas (2005) state that support is given to correctional facilities to house juvenile offenders as a form of punishment (as cited in Shannon, 2013, p. 17). Individuals who support this perspective are often more likely to support the construction of more prisons and stern penalties on crime based upon the presumptions that youthful offenders are aware of the consequences of their actions (Drakeford, 2002 as cited in Shannon, 2013, p. 17). On the other hand, opponents of this perspective believe that incarceration creates an opportunity to rehabilitate the offenders (Huffine, 2006 as cited in Shannon, 2013, p. 18). This perspective supports the purpose of juvenile detention centers as “preparatory in nature – that is, offering services focused on the development of skills needed to return successfully to mainstream

The United States leads the world in the incarceration of young people, there are over 100,000 youth placed in jail each year. Locking up youth has shown very little positive impact on reducing crime. Incarcerating youth have posed greater problems such as expenses, limited education, lack of employment, and effect on juveniles’ mental and physical well-being.

subjected to the juvenile justice system, but an alarming number of youths are transferred to

In the United States, juvenile delinquency is becoming a major problem in the communities across the country. Because of the actions that these juveniles engage in on a regular basis, taxpayers across the country are having to shell out hundreds upon thousands of dollars to rehabilitate these children in order to help them make better choices. This leads citizens to wonder what factors actually cause juveniles to live a life of crime rather than success. In short, there are three main factors that often cause children to live a life of crime. These three factors are social influences, psychological characteristics, and academic potential.

In Miller v. Alabama (2012), the United States Supreme Court determined that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional to juvenile offenders. This decision is agreeable upon because adolescents do not receive the opportunity to reform themselves. As the Court suggests, life in prison violates the Eighth Amendment, which accounts for a ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, juveniles still must be held accountable for their actions and should be sentenced to a fair verdict according to their crime, whether they are an adult or not.