Crime Causation and Diversion Paper - Report Example

Running Head: Crime Causation…. Topic: Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Order#: 324135 Topic: Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Introduction: Crime and intoxication are alternative beats of the same heart. Investigate what is intoxication-- one gets the answers for the various types of crimes. In which an iota of happiness and peace doesn’t’ exist—that is intoxication. The wrong thoughts resulting though intoxication, lead one to wrong destinations. Intoxication, the root cause of crimes, in reality, is essence-less! When an individual arrested or convicted for crime is constantly nagged and abused, condemned and ostracized by the society, one turns into a viler and biter individual. Heartfelt care and concern, an understanding approach and tender regard for one’s feelings are necessary pre-requisites to heal the inner wounds. Coupled with this one needs to learn to forgive and forget the past in order to help one build a new identity. The inner core of every individual is essentially good, even that of the worst villain. One’s downward march to destruction can be replaced by an upward march, making one a worthy individual and citizen, by reformation and rehabilitation interventions. Such interventions are highly effective as for the impressionable minds of the juveniles. The gravity of the problem and the possible solutions: “In 2001 there were an estimated 2,273,500 juveniles arrested in the United States of America (Juvenile, 2001). Almost 100,000 of these arrests were for crimes of a violent nature such as murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. It is clear that there will always be a problem with juvenile delinquency in this country.”(Ball….) So is the situation in Miami-Dade County. But the people and the administrators have realized the gravity and have taken tangible steps to avert the disastrous consequences of the youth population going astray. “Together we do make difference,” believe the Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers. “Crime Stoppers is a community action program that gives citizens the opportunity to become involved in the fight against crime in Miami-Dade County and make our community a better place to live, work and go to school. Crime Stoppers is comprised of three segments (the community, law enforcement and the media) working as partners towards one goal - reducing crime.” (Crime….) Horse killings/mutilations are on the increase in Miami-Dade County. The animals are butchered for their meat, which is sold clandestinely, as buying and selling hoarse meat is illegal in South Florida. The horses are butchered in a savage procedure, by giving steroids, tranquilizers and antibiotics and the result is the meat becomes toxic. The general pubic is encouraged to participate in prevention of such crimes, and generous cash rewards are offered. The name and identity of the information-provider will be kept secret. This body was created in the year 1981.The mission Statements of the Organization is, "Working together for a safer, more secure living and working environment for all Miami-Dade County residents." (Miami…) By nature, the younger generation is combustible. The directionless and destination less youth population is a dangerous liability to a country. This is the period when an individual, succumbs to negative tendencies. Collectively, this becomes the terror generation—the generation that is in a hurry to achieve the materialistic goals! Means are of no consequence to them; they must achieve the ends. This generation acts before thinking and operates disregarding the consequences and often breaks the law of the land. This is the root cause of juvenile delinquency! Miami-Dade Country Juvenile Assessment programs are unique for their qualitative value of aiming to reform and rehabilitate the juvenile delinquents. The important arm of this program is the Clinical Unit. Qualified mental health professionals oversee prevention and diversion services for youth. Juvenile Services Department (JSD) takes care of the juvenile offenders as prescribed interventions. Services provided by the mental health professional staff include: “Evaluating children in crisis and initiating Baker Act procedures, Providing clinical assistance to JSD staff working with children and their families, Clinical review of Treatment Alternative for Safer Communities (TASC) psychosocial assessments, which are completed on children who are classified as being moderate or high risk of having mental health and substance abuse issues …Supervision of prevention and diversion services.” (Miami…)JSD works in close collaboration with Law enforcement agencies and takes care of the pre-arrest component aimed to provide assessment and intervention services to children who are on the verge of becoming youthful offenders. The aim is to save them from the stamp of Juvenile Justice System. This risk population is normally responds well, amenable for correction and after the completion of the correctional procedures, it is easy for them to get assimilated in the mainstream of the society. JAC has established several alternative routes to prevent the juveniles from being branded as offenders. The Post-Arrest Diversion Program (PAD) is an imaginative program initiated in the year 2000. This is for the first-time arrested juveniles for minor offences before the legal arm reaches out to punish them as per the traditional system. “It also provides a format to apply best research practices at the earliest point of entry, identify risk factors and, including the family, apply a personalized diversion program that addresses the issues of the child and not the offense.”(Miami…) The Program is so helpful, with the passage of Florida Statute Language, the juveniles successfully completing the program, can avail the benefit of the mechanism to eliminate their arrest record. Move a step further, and The Young Offenders Process (YOP), a diversion program comes to the rescue of the arrested children under 12 years of age. Children are admitted to this program by taking three factors into consideration-- Age, gender, psychological assessment. “Based on the client and family interviews, the arrest charge, and school records, sanctions and services are put into place for the youth and family, often to include counseling and community service for the youth.” (Miami….) There are three more initiatives; Juvenile Alternative services Sanctions (JASS), The Juvenile Alternative Services Program (JASP), The Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services (IDDS) that are run successfully in Miami-Dade. Causes of juvenile delinquent behavior: Each individual is of different temperament, and each crime is different. Why a crime happens? The precise reasons are not known. Many crimes are committed in a fit of anger, when an individual loses control over his senses and power of discrimination. “When criminal justice personnel think of why a criminal commits the crimes they did, it is called crime causation. They take the crime that was committed, the background of the criminal, as well as their present situation and the criminals state of mind and then compare it to the different criminological theories that make up the theoretical school of crime causation, in other words, they are finding the cause for the effect.”(Ball….) The justice system for the juvenile offenders has to perform its legal role and no amount of reformation activities can replace it. Crime prevention and the justice system have to move like a train that speeds on two parallel tracks. Each authority, private or government has to carry on with the respective functions. Private initiatives are also governed by rules of law; but the human element works more to the advantage and defense of the juvenile offenders. This is the difference. No private agency has the power to ignore or condone the legal offence committed by an individual. The law has to take is own course. Conclusion: Majority of the juvenile offenders are from broken homes, abusive families, single mother homes etc. In the absence of role-model adults, children become juvenile delinquents. They are not told about the profound lessons of life, and grow directionless. Such children take up the path of crime easily. There are genuine difficulties in running a juvenile reformation/ rehabilitation program in the prison environment. Prison authorities have also to cope up with many other competing and compelling priorities. But the show must go on amidst all challenges and adverse circumstances. The non-governmental organizations have to take up more initiatives. The ship of reformation must plough through the sea of juvenile offenders. Spectacular results can be expected in due course. ***************** References: Ball, Christina: Article: Crime causation-Determining the cause of crime: www.helium.com/.../426594-determining-the-cause-of-crime-a-theory-on-the-making-of-a-psychopath - Cached - Retrieved on October 4, 2009 Crime Stoppers of Miami Dade in Miami, FL | 1030 NW 111th Avenue . ... Retrieved on October 4, 2009 -Retrieved on October 4, 2009 Miami-Dade County - Juvenile AssessmentThe Post-Arrest Diversion Program (PAD) is an innovative program at the Miami-Dade Juvenile ... Miami, FL 33054. 305-622-2572 ext.16. 305-622-2576 Fax... - Retrieved on October 4, 2009 Read More