Juvenile Detention and Desistance from Offending - Coursework Example

Student Name: Instructor’s Name: Title: Juvenile detention and desistance from offending Course: Institution: Table of Contents Juvenile detention and desistance from offending 3 Introduction 3 The Australian juvenile justice policy 3 Family support to young offenders 4 Positive peer groups 6 New peer groups 6 Management of negative peer groups 7 Group-based programs 7 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 Juvenile detention and desistance from offending Introduction Juvenile have a high likelihood of committing offenses as compared to other age group and they have a higher percentage within the justice system and this is as a result of inter-related aspects (Halsall et.al 2001). Adolescence is regularly typified as the age of major change s and development and as a stage of experimentation whereby restrained level of risky behavior can be developmentally essential as well as psychologically fitting. Although a big number of young individuals do not graduate to addictive crimes to rise from “experimental” ones, young individuals normally commit offenses as way of adventuring, fighting back against systems and affirming their autonomy (Abrams 2006). Second, for some political and social reasons, youth’s adolescence is greatly scrutinized and limited through legislation which criminalizes behaviors that are regarded are proper by the youths. Third, youths have a higher probability of being caught while offending since they usually commit them in groups, publicly and in ways that cannot escape attention. Their criminal activities are sporadic and unplanned and thus they are at higher surveillance levels and have a higher probability of being caught and jailed when compared to adults (Stubbs 2010). The Australian juvenile justice policy In most jurisdictions within Australia, children below 18 years can enter the formal criminal justice system after committing a crime. In the Australian juvenile justice process, young individuals might or might not be brought in the court, be proved guilty, receive sentence, need juvenile justice engagement or get community or imprisonment. The Australian juvenile justice policy has tried to avert young individuals from the criminal justice system and lower the numbers of the young individuals being imprisoned. This can be attributed to the evidence indicating that imprisonment lacks positive effects over recidivism rates (Mackenzie, 2000). Even though this change has been commended, the manner in which how the young individuals are treated while in prisons and how the imprisonment impacts them negatively and how they will be re-integrated back in the community is essential. Since most justice systems have a system isolating duration of imprisonment from post-release duration, little exploration about the relations of these two components of wider justice system or how this separation may impact criminals during their involvement with the system and beyond. Even if such allied to the efficacy of the wide system being able to meet the requirements of young individuals during this process, it is restricted and fails to indicate that the effectiveness of interventions usually depends on offenders being in a position to integrate back to the community (Borzycki & Makkai, 2007). Family support to young offenders During many surveys, juveniles have identified family as the main support throughout their duration of incarceration and this indicated that their families in many cases are the only individuals from visiting with them while they are incarcerated, offering them support and encouragement as well. The care as well as protection system has undergone notable changes gulfing the young individuals’ childhoods and today, but there is a need of equipping such service in order to connect families to supports that may reduce effect of static risks and respond to criminogenic requirements (Halsey 2008b). The changes that may be made in order to facilitate improvements in levels of desistance from crime include strengths-based approaches to working with families. More training is required for developing the tools that capture and strengthen the ecology of the young individuals, especially in their families. Constant skilled monitoring can also be valuable to workers since it will make them ponder on the challenges faced while adopting a strengths-based approach and thus in the long-run the challenges will be may be prevailed over (Halsey 2008a). Family counseling and restitution can also be important in improving desistance levels from crimes. According to a study carried out by Moore, et.al, (2008) parents and young individuals called for increased family counseling, intermediation as well as support and indicated that this help required to be offered in a respectful and suitable manner in case the families of the young offenders were to engage and retain their engagement for a given duration. Accordingly, such support can be helpful to young offenders in decreasing family conflict, and in solving interpersonal matters that may be disturbing and in negotiating how they can work best jointly during post-release. Families’ restoration following imprisonment periods as well as facilitation of constructive re-engagement is not within the present framework (Halsey 2007a). Positive peer groups It is also important to assist young individuals to maintain contacts with established positive peer groups. Community agencies can be important role in assisting constructive peers retain contact through bringing the peers to the centers where these juveniles are incarcerated and assisting them maintain those relationships. Positivity of the peer relationship can help young individuals in several ways, for instance the young individual and their positive peer friends can discuss about post-release and talk about any challenges. As a result, the young offender will always feel free to seek constant support from such a friend whenever faced by any challenge and such peers can help these young people in crime desistance since they are a positive example to them and they have established a trustworthy relationship and hence the young people are likely to listen and follow their positive peers’ advice. Chances for working interactions such as these if nurtured and developed can be valuable in supporting the constant relationship as well as in accomplishing desirable results post-release (Murray 2009). New peer groups Another change can be assisting young persons establish new peer groups. According to Moore (2008), the present system lacks the ability of supporting young individuals to establish and develop positive peer networks during the duration of imprisonment, even though young individuals are aware that being “locked-up” means that they cannot connect with positive peers, during Moore’s study they young people who were interviewed felt that improved and better results can be accomplished like new acquaintances in case they were linked to activities before they were released. In addition due to imprisonment, young people experience difficulties in making new friends and mostly they do not have self-assurance and confidence to make friends. Giving them with openings for developing and practicing such skills before and after they are released may be valuable in assisting them to triumph over such intricacies and that continuing social support post-release is equally important (Halsey 2007b). Community bodies visiting the rehabilitation centers can be helpful in linking young individuals social-wise. For such networks to be effective, workers from these community bodies might be required to work actively with young people in order to forge positive relationships (Halsey 2007a). Management of negative peer groups In order to facilitate desistance from crime, the young people should be helped to manage negative peer groups who are likely to lure them into committing crimes. Therefore, they should be helped in developing strategies of declining their negative peers’ luring and what they can say in order not to take part in crime. Additionally, young people need to develop firmness and negotiations skills as this will enable them manage these difficult relationships better. For example, they can be provided with chances of having peers who influence them positively and attaching them to workers act as role models (AIHW 2008). Group-based programs There is rising evidence supporting availing of group-based programs for young individuals, more so those within juvenile justice environment. The importance of such programs is that they are able to prevent negative subcultures from being developed amongst people whereas offering young individuals with a setting whereby they can positively take part in their rehabilitation (Kapp, 2000). One common type of group rehabilitation for kids and young individuals is known as Positive Peer Culture where the negative peer influence of negative peers is countered through giving young individuals opportunities of developing efficient social skills by resolving the social problems taking place. According to Smith& Reside (2009), young individuals taking part in such activities get support from workers who ensure they accountable for taking care of themselves as well as their age-mates and who strengthen efficient habit, model caring behaviors in addition to providing them with experiences where their skills are improved in a safe environment. These positive results go back to the community via volunteer activities carried out with young individuals while imprisoned and then post-release to make sure that what they learnt is reinforced and any early challenges overcome (Cunneen & Luke 2007). Furthermore, young people should be provided with support through the transition and this is particularly important in helping them cope with their going back into the society. This can be done in a designed and organized manner where personnel from the rehabilitation centers along with Department of Education can assist the young individuals in securing places within mainstream schools or within substitute educational settings. Teachers, youth workers in addition to case workers can help in establishing connections for the young people with vocational training, with specialized programs as well as with ongoing learning openings (Mclister 2008). Efficient responses entail acknowledgment of the inter-relationship that exists between physical and social planning, development in the community as well as capacity building. The existing challenge for different levels of government is aimed at understanding and responding to these in as far as diversity of people is concerned and is usually based on duties available (Crane, 2000). Finally, programs should be established that will enable the young people to take part in education post-release. Even though such place has been taking place within the current system, it has not been all inclusive. Some have been left out because of their presumably old schooling age, while others chose to find a job instead. In addition, some young people feel that they do not want to be caught at school since they do not perceive to value of taking part or because they have not been in Quamby for a long time to re-engage fruitfully. Nevertheless, the system needs to encourage and implement ways of ensuring young people go back to school and doing away with barriers that hinder them from positively re-engagement following former releases (Prior & Mason 2010). Conclusion In conclusion, programs working with young individuals should openly articulate their objectives, their roles, their ability, their restraints and the how the young individuals can access support. The programs should enable young individuals to develop trustworthy and reverent relationships with others as this fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance. Programs should support young individuals in achieving and continually acknowledge their success in desisting in crime as well as accomplishing their set objectives. Services should facilitate stability and predictability through reducing workers handling the young individual and through developing efficient handover procedures to make sure that young individuals are able to establish new relationships prior to reassigning. Finally, service that young individuals provide during imprisonment should be represented within the community to make sure that results are continuous. Bibliography AIHW. (2008). Juvenile justice in Australia 2006-07, Australian Government, Canberra. Abrams, L. (2006). From corrections to community: Youth offenders' perceptions of the challenges of transition. Journal of Offender Behavior, Vol. 44/2/3. Barker, J., 2008, Homeless young people and living skills training. Youth Coalition of the ACT. Borzycki, M., & Makkai, T. (2007). Prisoner reintegration post-release Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. Cunneen, C & Luke, G., 2007, Recidivism and the Effectiveness of Criminal Justice Interventions: Juvenile Offenders and Post Release Support, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Vol. 19/2. Halsey, M., 2007a, On confinement: Resident and inmate perspectives of secure care and imprisonment, The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice. Halsey, M., 2007b, Assembling Recidivism: The Promise and Contingencies of Post-Release Life, Criminology, Vol. 94/4. Halsey, M., 2008a, Pathways into Prison: Biographies, Crimes, Punishment, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Vol. 20/1. Halsey, M., 2008b, risking desistance: respect and responsibility in custodial and post-release contexts, Risking desistance. Mclister, S., 2008, Predictable Pathways? Negotiating Risk in the Context of Marginalization and Social Exclusion, Current Issues In Criminal Justice, Vol. 20/1. Moore, T., et.al, 2008, Little voices and big ideas: Lessons learned from children about research. International Journal of Qualitative Research Methods, Vol. 7/4. Murray, C., 2009, Typologies of Young Resisters and Desisters, Youth Justice, Vol. 9/ 115. Prior, D & Mason, P., 2010, A Different Kind of Evidence? Looking for 'What Works' in Engaging Young Offenders, Youth Justice, Vol. 10/211. Stubbs, J., 2010, Re-examining Bail and Remand for Young People in NSW, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Vol. 43/485. Crane P., 2000, Young People and Public Space: Developing inclusive policy and practice School of Human Services, Queensland University of Technology. Smith, B. & Reside S., 2009, Boys, you wanna give me some action? Intervention into Policing and Radicalized Communities in Melbourne. A Report of the 2009/10 Racism Project. Read More