Juvenile Detention Centers Essay

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Juvenile detention centers are places kids are sent to that are up to eighteen years old because they have done some act that violates the law. These facilities are small and designed to look like a school setting rather than a prison and it insures that the juveniles pose no harm to the outside world. Their ability to harm themselves or others are limited since there are teachers, officers, councilors, and other staff within the facilities. The detention centers are necessary and helpful because it provides adolescents with variety of services, helps change their behavior, and it helps develop insight. In 1899, the first juvenile court was created in Illinois to ensure the separation of children from adult criminals because the kids are still …show more content…

What’s to say that their behavior doesn’t get worse? That is true but that can be said about any type of solution to juvenile delinquency. It is better to try and help rather than just letting them walk away and continue what they are doing. Instead of going back to the same bad environment, it is good to get away for a while. When the kids are in the detention center, they are away from whatever toxic thing were effecting them to act upon delinquent thoughts. With that time away, they have a chance to take a step back and think about their actions and try to change their ways with the help of the teachers, counselors, and other staffs. They also see other peers going through the same thing and seeing something from a different perspective can help a ton. So being in the center, it can help change their attitude and behavior overall. Even though those are great ways the detention centers can help, one problem that keeps coming up is the fact that overcrowding can happen. When there are too many people in the center, it gets hectic plus it is harder to help and have that one on one with each of the kids. One solution to the problem can be opening a community center instead of sending all delinquent youths to the centers, just send the ones that commit a serious crimes like armed robberies, sex offenses and homicides and the ones that don’t fall into the category of “serious” crimes, can be sent to

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