Adult Crime, Adult Time - Essay Example

Number and Number Adult Crime, Adult Time Introduction As a result of havinga broken family or suffering from traumatic childhood experiences such as a negative peer-pressure, poor quality of child-rearing, and violence that are present within the family circle (Humphrey; Wasserman, Keenan and Tremblay), most of the commonly committed juvenile crimes are theft-related, drug abuse and alcohol violations, or sexual offenses. Other non-violent offenses include skipping classes, violating the curfew laws, and running away from home (Stahl).

The US crime law requires the juvenile offenders who are below the age of 18 should be treated rather than be punished. I strongly support the idea that juvenile offenders should not be treated the way adult criminals are being punished. In line with this, several reasons will be provided in order to strengthen this argument. Reasons behind the Argument There is a negative psychological impact associated with the idea of mixing the juvenile offenders with the adult prisoners. Several studies revealed that most children and young adolescents have not yet fully develop their critical thinking abilities.

Since the adult offenders can easily influence and affect the emotions, attitude and behavior of the juvenile offenders, the act of mixing the juvenile offenders with the adult offenders could only worsen the situation. According to Siegel and Welsh, “social issue related to racism and despair could lead to the development of juvenile delinquency” (118). It means that the act of labeling a juvenile offender as a criminal offender could make the child accept the idea that he or she is a criminal.

When this happen, there is an increased risk wherein the juvenile offender could continuously do illegal actions which will make the child re-enter the juvenile detention center. The US correctional institutions that are directly managing the juvenile offenders have an important role to play when it comes to controlling and positively improving the social behavioral problems and relationship of the juvenile offenders with their own family members. Before giving the juvenile offenders with parole, it is necessary on the part of the US correctional institutions to provide the juvenile offenders the opportunity to learn from their publicly unacceptable social behavior.

Using the financial support that comes from the US government, the US correctional institutions can make it compulsory for the juvenile offenders to attend and participate in a positive reinforcement program before allowing them to leave the local juvenile detention centers (Wyoming Juvenile Justice Continuum of Care). Depending on the individual case of the juvenile offenders, DSHS reported that correctional institutions could select from “family integrated therapy (FIT), mentor program, functional family therapy (FFT), aggression replacement therapy (ART), and/or therapy for substance abuse”.

Conclusion It is unwise to give unjustifiable punishment in the case of some juvenile offenders. Since most of the juvenile cases is triggered as a consequences of having a broken family or suffering from traumatic childhood experiences such as a negative peer-pressure, poor quality of child-rearing, and violence that are present within the family circle, it is advisable for the US correctional institutions can make it compulsory for the juvenile offenders to attend and participate in a positive reinforcement program before allowing them to leave the local juvenile detention centers.

By implementing this strategy, the US correctional institutions could help minimize the risk wherein the juvenile offenders would commit the same mistake in the near future. *** End *** References "DSHS." 8 October 2010. Parole Services. 21 February 2011 . Humphrey, Alecia. "The Criminalization of Survival Attempts: Locking Up Female." Hastings Women's Law Journal 165 (2004). Siegel, Larry J. and Brandon C. Welsh. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. Stahl, A. "Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention." 2008. OJJDP Fact Sheet 2004: Petitioned Status Offense Cases in Juvenile Court 1.

21 February 2011 . Wasserman, G., et al. "US Department of Justice." April 2003. Child Delinquency: Bulletin Series. Risk and Protective Factors of Child Delinquency. 21 February 2011 . "Wyoming Juvenile Justice Continuum of Care." 2011. Type of Effective Services. 21 February 2011 .