Juvenile Secure Facilities

Placing a juvenile into a secure facility is not advantageous to the juvenile and has nor proven to be to be beneficial to society either. Statistics show that almost half of the juveniles in custody have not committed a violent crime or one that was against another person (Elrod & Ryder, 1999). Secure facilities resemble prisons where offenders are locked down and kept away from the public, but provide no real systematic approach for helping the juvenile down a path that will lead them to being a successful member of society. Secure facilities also have a growing problem with violence within their walls and escapes attempted. Although the majority of the juveniles who are incarcerated in a facility came in for a non-violent reason, the method
Facilities that are not secure however, will not be a good placement for a juvenile who is a violent offender. Home confinement will allow the juvenile to remain in their home environment with their family as well as continue attending their assigned school. They will be required to wear an electronic tracking device that can alert the police when they have passed beyond their allowed boundary or out of the house beyond their curfew. Group homes will provide a home like environment for the juvenile offenders; it will just not be the home that they are accustomed to. These homes have individuals who staff them throughout the day and night and are there to provide a support system to the juveniles in the house, along with counselors brought in to meet with the youth. Juveniles in this setting also have the advantage of being with others that are in the same boat as they are and being able to rely on each other for support. A strong support system will go a long way in helping the juvenile offender to become a beneficial member of society and moving past their