The Criminal Justice System Is Locking Our Young Men And...

The criminal justice system is locking our young men and young women under the age of sixteen in prison for the rest of their lives. These are children who are just becoming teenagers and still have the possibility of living production lives. These are children who make the wrong decision because of impulse or persuasion. Have we lost hope in our youth of tomorrow.? Do we just give up on our kids because they make a mistake? Does placing a child in an adult prison decrease crime among juveniles? How can a 13-year-old understand the Miranda rights? The system now focuses on the punishment of crime committed, when we need to focus on the child. We need to provide our youth offenders with options other than prison. Juveniles under the†¦show more content†¦Most of the kids were afraid of going to juvenile detention. Then the crack era hit and the areas in the neighborhood began to change. The kids that were growing up in the low-income communities, began to sell and use crack cocaine. By this time juvenile offenders were characterized as â€Å"super predators, ruthless sociopaths†. â€Å"Kids with no moral conscience who see crime as a rite of passage and who are unconcerned about the consequences of their actions. The argument went that violence juvenile crime was increasing and would continue to increase because this small group of juvenile super predators commits more vicious crimes with higher frequency than delinquents of past generations† (Snyder 966). Those who support placing juveniles in adult prison indicate juveniles should be able to distinguish right from wrong. The loved one of those affected by juvenile crime are looking for someone to be accountable for the loss of their family member. â€Å"Protecting the public from these vicious juvenile criminals became the primary concern of juvenile justice policymakers. The decline in the crack market in the mid-1990s removed much of the drug s influence on the U.S. violent crime rate, with one exception. While crack left the inner cities, the weapons remained in the hands of juveniles and young adults† (Snyder 967). Beginning in the 90’s more and more youth offenders were being charged as adults. The crimes committedShow MoreRelated Hope for Rehabilitation for Institutionalized Youth Offenders4628 Words   |  19 Pages â€Å"You do the crime, you pay the time,† is a common phrase uttered throughout our society in regard to juvenile delinquency. It has been suggested that a punitive response to the problem of youth violence in America is an effective means of solving the issue of youth crime, and would also deter future offenders. As a result, the existence of rehabilitation strategies within the system available to offenders is under threat. A harsh and punitive response to youth violence was, in part,Read MoreCrime in the United States4022 Words   |  17 Pagespopulation size compared to the other 49 states[1]. 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This brings the topic to ask, â€Å"What if someone kills your mother or any family member, would you want that victim to face the penaltyRead MoreAmerica Is The Land Of The Free2667 Words   |  11 Pagesworld. America is at war. We have been fighting drug abuse for almost a century. In 1972 president Nixon declared a war on drugs. Unfortunately, we are not winning this war. Drug users are still filling up our jails and prisons, now more than ever. The drug war causes violent crime and criminal activity due to prohibition, not the drugs themselves. Children in all of this are left neglected or without parents. The only beneficiaries of this war are organized crime members and drug dealers. TheRead MoreCorrectional Administration Reviewer18383 Words   |  74 PagesCORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION CHIVAS GOCELA DULGUIME, R.C I. INTRODUCTION PENOLOGY - the study of punishment of crime. - a branch of Criminology dealing with prison management, and the deterrence and reformatory treatment of criminals. SOURCES OF THE TERM PENOLOGY: a. Peno was derived from Greek word â€Å"piono† and from the Latin word â€Å"poena†, both terms mean punishment. b. Logy was from the Latin word â€Å"logos†, meaning science. c. Penology distinguish from Penitentiary Science- Penology deals