Lawmakers and professionals in the criminal justice field face significant issues with regards to the status of the existing juvenile justice system and its effectiveness in dealing with crime among juveniles. Given the prevailing circumstances in this sector, many state agencies have been forced to scale back on their programs. The juvenile justice system has been affected with this trend despite the role it plays in handling future generations. As a result, the juvenile justice system is faced with the need to revamp its courts in order to save money and manpower. This need comes at a time when there is a severe increase of juveniles with mental illnesses, anger issues and behavioral problems who are in jail/detention centers that would benefit more from an effective therapy program. In this regard, I propose the inclusion of effective therapy programs in the juvenile justice system through Youth Opportunity and Treatment framework.
Youth Opportunity and Treatment Juvenile Justice System
The proposed new juvenile justice system for addressing the current problems while handling future generations is Youth Opportunity and Treatment Juvenile Justice System. This system is proposed on the premise that the current system is costly, complex, relatively dysfunctional, and hinders the future growth and development of juveniles (Gandy et al., 2017). Youth Opportunity and Treatment Juvenile Justice System will help address the current needs of juveniles through incorporating customized treatment, therapy, and life coping skills programs for the individual and their overall success in society. In essence, the new system will incorporate effective treatment programs that are customized depending on the individual needs of the juveniles. The customization of programs will help ensure that the system is tailored to meet the various needs of juveniles by addressing the specific factors that contribute to their involvement in criminal activities.
The incorporation of such programs in the new juvenile justice system is attributable to the fact there are multitude of factors that could trigger criminal behavior that makes it difficult to pinpoint just one influence....
References
Bonnie, R.J., Johnson, R.L., Chemers, B.M. & Schuck, J.A. (2013). Reforming juvenile justice: a developmental approach. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Gandy et al. (2017, March 13). Proposed Bill Looks to Reform Juvenile Justice System. CBS Chicago. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/03/13/proposed-bill-looks-to-reform-juvenile-justice-system/
Get Legal. (n.d.). Status Offenses. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://public.getlegal.com/legal-info-center/status-offenses/
National Institute of Justice. (n.d.). Juvenile Boot Camps. Retrieved from Office of Justice Programs website: https://www.crimesolutions.gov/PracticeDetails.aspx?ID=6
Underwood, L.A., Washington, A. & Shelton, D. (2016, February 18). Mental Illness and Juvenile Offenders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(2), 228.
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