In Cases Of Juvenile Arrest, Rehabilitation, Not Punishment Should Be :: essays research papers

Why would our government try to faded kids? Well, kids are being hurt right now. You see, in America punishment, sooner than rehabilitation is being emphasized for juveniles who commit crimes. This way of thinking must(prenominal) stop with the addition of rehabilitation and prevention programs for juvenile offenders.States vary in their legal definition of a juvenile. In Illinois, for example, a juvenile is define as any person below the age of 17. Using apiece states legal definition, the FBI reported that 62% of juveniles arrested in 1992 were referred to juvenile courts, 5% to a criminal or adult court, 2% to a welfare agency, and 1% to another police agency. The kids sent to adult prisons were eight times as likely to commit suicide. It has also been evident that those kids incarcerated with adults are also more than likely to become repeat offenders. Legislation pending in sexual congress now is debating several issues. Among them are weather to have children as teen as 13 be prosecuted and sentenced as adults for veritable crimes, give prosecuting officers the appreciation to transfer a juvenile to an adult court in certain crimes, and allow juveniles to have incidental contact and in some cases be housed with adults.I take an opposing point of view with that of congress. If a 13 year old is imprisoned, how can he become a functional fraction of society upon his release? How leave he create a positive degree lifestyle for himself? The real question is How can he turn in any direction other than that of crime? He simple will not be able to. If a child is sent to a prison to stay in a cell for hours at a time, the only life he will know is the life he came from, not the life that could be his. Also, a prosecutor shouldnt have the license to decide what court a kid is placed in. A prosecutor has a built in bias the decision should be left(p) to a judge who would look in the best interest of the convicted person. The statistics picture that housing children with adults can only have a disastrous gist for the juvenile. The goal of juvenile detention should be to rehabilitate and develop the individual. enamor educational skills need to be taught. Children need to be put in touch with their feeling through counseling. Juvenile offenders need to be subject to role models from within their community and without.