Punishment in the Juvenile System

Punishment in the Juvenile System

Tehrina L. Means

CJS/240

June 16, 2013

Asharani Moore

Punishment in the Juvenile System

Should the juvenile justice system should be focused on punishment or should it be focused on rehabilitation? This paper is going to look at placing the focus on punishment. Having made that statement, it should be understood that it is possible that the juvenile justice system needs to take another look at the types of “delinquent acts” that it becomes involved in. There are far too many kids in the system that shouldn’t be. Many of them simply need the attention and care of an adult. The juvenile system should be there to deal with juvenile offenders that commit the more serious adult crimes.

Law enforcement officer should not have to be called to a home because a teen-ager refuses to get up and go to school. This is a problem that the parents can and should learn how to deal with. They are the ones that should be held responsible for parenting. The juvenile justice system often steps in and tries to aid in these situations and most often there is little to no success.

The simple act of focusing on punishment rather that rehabilitation within the juvenile system, would free up the officers, courts, many detention facilities, treatment program, etc., and allow room for them to aid those that are in actual need of the services they provide. Often times the juveniles that get caught up in the system long term are those that got caught drinking underage, or some other normal teen age act of rebellion. The police are often the ones that catch them and give them a citation, then release them to their parents. The juvenile courts then become involved and rather than simply turning them over to their parents to be dealt with, the end up in a long process of having to take alcohol classes, perform community service, pay fines, etc. The process itself can lead to the decline of the juvenile’s grades, as the requirements of the court can...