Identifying Factors that Lead to High Recidivism Rates Among Juvenile Delinquents

1763 Words4 Pages

The purpose of this research paper is to identify factors that lead to high recidivism rates among juvenile delinquents. The factors found were divided up into two separate categories; Dynamic and Static. This paper also looks into the foundations and concepts of juvenile probation departments, and their officers, as well as how the juvenile probation departments work to eliminate recidivism factors. Some ways in which this is done is through specific programs geared towards each offender’s specific needs and opportunities that would not normally be available to these troubled youths.

The American Correctional Association released this statement pertaining to average costs of the Juvenile Justice System on American tax payers, “…A typical stay in a juvenile corrections facility (9 to 12 months at $241 per day) costs $66,000 to $88,000” (Mendel,2011) this includes housing the child as well as feeding and providing therapy and different treatments. By keeping juveniles out of institutions, it creates larger workloads on other individuals working within the Juvenile Justice system in order to keep delinquents under supervision; in particular for this paper, probation departments. Alarid discusses that “Probation is the disposition most often used by judges when formally adjudicating juvenile delinquency cases” (2013). It is important to prevent juveniles from participating in delinquent behavior and recidivating, not only because of the high costs it takes to run juvenile correctional facilities, but also because most convicted criminals as adults start their criminal career as when they are young juveniles (Greenwood, 2008). In order to achieve the goal of preventing delinquents from recidivating, it is important for Juvenile Pr...

... middle of paper ...

...were a perfect place, there would be no such thing as crime, or prison or any ideas of that nature, but unfortunately the world is not a perfect place; specifically when it comes to children. As a result of this, children today are faced with many instances and opportunities at committing crimes. For those who do choose a “life of crime” so to speak, they are given to change for the better if granted the option to be put on probation. While on juvenile probation, the officers of the specific department work with the child and their family to give the delinquent access to a wide range of opportunities and different programs. The purpose of the officers, is to prevent the child from recidivating and the factors that can lead to it. The hope of every Juvenile Probation Department is to allow for successful reintegration of the children that are underneath their care.

More about Identifying Factors that Lead to High Recidivism Rates Among Juvenile Delinquents

Open Document