Juvenile Justice System Essay
The Juvenile Justice System: Problems and Solutions
The juvenile justice system operates quite differently from the adult court system. It was created when Illinois passed the Juvenile Court Act, with the first juvenile court being established in 1899, in Chicago, Illinois. (Seiter, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005). The main goal of the juvenile justice system is to reform young offenders, so that they can remain at home with their families. Although, this system aids in reforming young offenders, there are still several problems and issues concerning it. Quite a few circumstances, such as; recidivism, mental health services, and educational programming.
One large problem with the juvenile justice system is the high recidivism rate. Recidivism …show more content…
According to the U.S. Justice Department and several other experts, ‘A significant majority of juvenile offenders are afflicted with different types of mental health conditions, disorders and problems’. (www.ehow.com/about_5365215_problems-juvenile-justice.html). One of the mental health issues at hand is, competency. It is unclear in some cases, on whether or not the juvenile offender understands the issue to stand trial. Competency is an issue for youthful offenders due to their level of emotional and intellectual development, immaturity, and inexperience. (Seiter, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005). There are not enough suitable resources within the community, or within the detention facilities to aid in helping these young offenders. A portion of the mental health conditions they suffer from, revolve around drug and alcohol abuse. There is also a lack of mental health services provided in this area as well. Young offenders need these types of resources to aid them in becoming productive citizens. Without these types of resources, they are prone to becoming repeat
The juvenile justice system operates quite differently from the adult court system. It was created when Illinois passed the Juvenile Court Act, with the first juvenile court being established in 1899, in Chicago, Illinois. (Seiter, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005). The main goal of the juvenile justice system is to reform young offenders, so that they can remain at home with their families. Although, this system aids in reforming young offenders, there are still several problems and issues concerning it. Quite a few circumstances, such as; recidivism, mental health services, and educational programming.
One large problem with the juvenile justice system is the high recidivism rate. Recidivism …show more content…
According to the U.S. Justice Department and several other experts, ‘A significant majority of juvenile offenders are afflicted with different types of mental health conditions, disorders and problems’. (www.ehow.com/about_5365215_problems-juvenile-justice.html). One of the mental health issues at hand is, competency. It is unclear in some cases, on whether or not the juvenile offender understands the issue to stand trial. Competency is an issue for youthful offenders due to their level of emotional and intellectual development, immaturity, and inexperience. (Seiter, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005). There are not enough suitable resources within the community, or within the detention facilities to aid in helping these young offenders. A portion of the mental health conditions they suffer from, revolve around drug and alcohol abuse. There is also a lack of mental health services provided in this area as well. Young offenders need these types of resources to aid them in becoming productive citizens. Without these types of resources, they are prone to becoming repeat