Several studies conducted to determine impacts of transfers of cases from juvenile courts to adult criminal courts for trial and potential sentencing indicate higher recidivism rates among the offenders. This is because of the notion the youth possess on the strictness on the adult courts. They believe trials on these courts end up in harsh punishment for offenders. In a way, adult punishments scare youth away from committing major crimes. However, studies show that short term punishments imposed on young offenders in adult courts propagates the offenders to commit even more crimes that are serious after their sentence terminates.
Jacoby declares that the prison system is terrible; he uses accurate and persuading evidence. According to Jacoby, flogging is faster, cheaper, and a more effective alternative to prison. Many young criminals would be less likely to become career criminals if punished through public embarrassment than through prison. Prison can be a sign of manliness or a “status symbol” (Jacoby 197). He says “prison is a graduate school for criminals”, providing evidence that criminals want to be convicted and be in prison, to strengthen their status (Jacoby 197).
A juvenile commits a crime for the attention and bad boy reputation. Personally, my opinion of this in fact, the more severe punishment a juvenile receives is a better chance they learn their lesson. Juvenile sentencing is a joke. There is no way an easy sentence changes any juvenile’s mind to commit a crime, instead, they just take advantage of it. Whether or not it sounds right, young teenagers are just as dangerous as adults when it ... ... middle of paper ... ... best way to settle this problem is to treat young criminals as they deserve to be treated; like adults.
This shows how instead of having kids get rehabilitated in an a jail it is actually harming them. In adult prisons, “they are also kids that are in for minor crimes. They should not be in adult prison but instead in juvenile facilities where they can be rehabilitated”(Bechtold). This might be linked to the color of skin of a kid because judges think they are dangerous. “Out of all the juveniles, 32.1 percent of them in adult prisons reported being attacked with a weapon while being incarcerated.
Prisoners who have committed the same exact crimes do not always get the same time serve. Prisoners get humiliated besides being punished. When these prisoners are released, they must rebuild their self-esteem and families. Plus, if imprisonment was meant to be a deterrent against crime, why are there so many other criminals ready to take over for the criminal who is incarcerated.
likely to reoffend with a more serious offence than their initial conviction (Neminski, 2013). Neminski makes it apparent that if youth are entering into the prison system at a young age they are even more susceptible to the negative influence of other inmates, are more likely to reoffend, and as a consequence are more likely to return to prison instead of becoming a contributing member of society (Neminski (2013). Bell (2014) includes an interesting first-hand experience of how drugs can make there way into prisons, the key to this anecdote is that the older offenders would force a ‘kid’ to get the drugs because they would not be expected to be a drug carrier. The juvenile would do it out of fear that they would be badly beaten if they disagreed
In the past, the main topic concerning the Criminal Justice System (CLJ) was, if the type of crime fits the degree of punishment an inmate will receive. Now we are struggling with the best ways to punish criminals. Some people recognize a criminal as defiant and need harsh disciplinary actions. Most correctional officers treat offenders like they are not human beings with remorse. Most of the prison population will be released into the free populations and have a high chance of recidivating.
Many police forces are set up with numbers in mind, and in order to be successful a certain amount of arrest must be made. The War on Drugs spurred this ideology as the higher amount of arrest led citizens to think that crime was being lowered. Additionally, those with high-class status can afford to be represented properly in the criminal justice system and do not have to fear the extra fines placed on prisoners or even those just convicted of crimes. VICE – Fixing The System showcased stories of returning citizens who faced the stigmas of jail, the fines of the court, and were lead back into a life of crime just to make ends meet. This vicious cycle leads back into the criminal justice system with these returning citizens being rearrested or by violation of parole/payment, due to financial
Up until today, there has been an increment of youthful offenders being cased in criminal courts for usage of weapons. The physical and mental suffrage a youthful offender has gone through in the past, are leading factors that cause them to commit crimes. But when they are taken to be cased at a criminal court, their lives are put in danger to all dangerous risk factors. Youthful offenders get treated as adults when they have committed a crime and are sentenced for years depending on their case. Therefore, the criminal courts will not see the consequences when they put youthful offenders in adult prisons.
I do agree with Zimring, but I also have a few thoughts that don’t agree with Zimring. A decline in crime does correlate with imprisonment, but depending on the way the prison system runs. For example; the way imprisonment prepares the criminals for the world, how the families of the inmates are affected and reasons why Norway’s prison system is more successful than the U.S system all give evidence to the negative side of prisons. Putting someone in prison is done to increase public safety as well as to punish the criminal. The criminal is locked due to their poor actions, but the criminal needs to receive excessive support and learn life skills while in prison.