Accordingly, your task will be to identify a topic of interest, and write a paper on your ideas for reforming it for the better. Examples of topics include (but are not limited to): Foster Care, Child abuse prevention, school safety, community safety for juveniles, Programs for Violent juveniles, juvenile detention, State or Federal statutes, etc.

Job and skills training are two of the most important elements that require emphasis within the criminal justice reform system. American society is predicated on a system of capitalism whereby individual citizens are rewarded based on the skills they can provide to others. Those with skills that are rare and in high demand can command higher salaries as companies compete to utilize their skills. Math, science, and technology positions typically leverage this concept as their skills are highly specialized and are therefore highly demanded within growing industries. This is in stark contrast to the fast-food industry, where more individuals have the required skills and therefore wages tend to be at the minimum wage. Proper jobs and skills training are beneficial for individuals within the criminal justice system as the skills learned must earn through proper commitment and dedication. Individuals must work hard to learn, retain, and master a skill in order to become competitive within the market place. This, in and of itself indicates that the offender has learned the error of their prior ways and is attempting to make a better life for themselves. This desire increases the likelihood of success as the individual must first look within him or herself and develop the resolve to make a change in their life. In addition, because this concept is earned, the individual also develops soft skills that will allow them to be successful on the job. Aspects such as overcoming adversity, defeat, and how to handle success will also be useful to the individual as they matriculate through the job and skills training program. Finally, if successful, the individual can then come back to the program to help and mentor others who have made similar or illegal mistakes in the past.

To mitigate the cycle of crime which permeates throughout society, criminal justice systems need to teach juveniles and adults the skills...

This will first break the cycle of dependance that many young offenders have related to drugs and violence within their communities. For some, this environment is all they have every known and as a result never were accustomed to skills training that would allow them to leave a better, more fulfilling and productive life. It will also provide them with a livable wage that allows them live and function properly in society without the assistances of government programs thus lowering the tax burden on society. Even more importantly, it allows the young offender to set an example for his peers that can be mimicked and potentially duplicated throughout their community, thus helping to save still further lives. Through proper job and skills training, former criminals can live a much more productive and fulfilling life away from many of the unproductive activities that landed them in jail or in the criminal justice system to begin within with. Eventually, armed with their new found knowledge, these individuals can then return to their communities to help illicit change to prevent others from landing in the criminal justice system at all.

To begin, research has shown that minorities are typically prone to the criminal justice system. They often account for the majority of inmates. Recent high-profile death of minorities at the hands of police has showcased many of the traumas and worries minorities face within the criminal justice system and the interactions with it. Likewise, from an economic perspective, Hispanics and African Americans tend to perform poorly in nearly all indicators of wealth and income. They typically have the lowest wealth figures, the lowest incomes, and the highest incarceration rates. These three elements of wealth, income and incarcerations rates should be addresses though proper job and skills training.

The first element will be jobs training. This will allow criminals to earn an income that is not dependent on illegal activities. The idea here would be to train individuals for the jobs and skills of tomorrow recognizing that they may not have the educational background for many of the specialized trades in math, science, and technology. Thankfully, many jobs and industries have a small labor supply and require specialized skills that through time, an individual within the criminal justice reform program can learn. Industries such as truck driving, welding, construction, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters all require a specialized skill set. They each pay reasonable wages and have a strong possibility of wage growth in the future. They also have strong benefits which can be used to further mitigate…