The problem of over populated prisons and other types of penitentiaries has caused the criminal justice system to be overburdened. Individuals, who violated the law, were given sentences, sent to prison, and served their time. During this time, they were not offered any means or services that might help them to reform and not repeat the crimes that were the cause of their incarceration initially. Research has shown that incarceration alone may not be a solution to the incidence of crime resulting in jail time. Just jail time alone hasn’t done anything to help change the mindset of someone who has committed a crime resulting in a jail sentence. Evidence was gathered to support the idea that treatment and programs may help create a more positive …show more content…
The Honorable Judge Gerald Weatherington believed that the new drug court would help reduce prison overcrowding. Prison space would be available for the worst offenders, and drug related criminals might have a chance at rehabilitation and not return to prison. Since then, the establishment of drug treatment courts has spread quickly and widely. Currently, there was more then a two thousand spread across the United States serving adults and children alike. In the article, “ How Drug Courts Reduce Substance Abuse Recidivism”, Seth W. Norman explains how a drug program works: “ It is an option available to all non-violent offenders, most of whom have a long history of drug-related arrests. It is completely voluntary. The only requirements are that the offender must plead guilty to the charge, must have the prosecutors consent, and must be willing to participate once admitted to the program”. Interestingly, the participants are told they are free to escape; however the maximum prison sentence for their crime will be reinstated and they may face prosecution for the escape. Norman goes on to state that few attempt to …show more content…
Participants can be housed, fed and receive treatment for less than it costs the state for one day of an incarcerated inmate. This savings equates to substantial savings per year. When weighing the pro’s against the con’s, which I don’t see many con’s except for the occasional escapee or the drug addict that can’t be rehabilitated, these types of courts are necessary. The reality is, many of these abusers face further problems than just their addiction. Problems with unemployment, extremely low levels of education, and homelessness are just a few. The participation in a drug court program is so much more than just becoming clean from drugs. It’s about getting your life in order. Without this assistance, it’s pretty clear that the prisons will become a revolving door for many drug users; costing the states and tax payers millions. Having drug treatment courts and drug treatment programs are beneficial in many ways. Continuing growth and the addition of programs is paramount in the fight against drugs. Treatment programs which assist with addiction, reform, and re-entry into society, will help decrease prison overpopulation, decrease demand for drugs and illegal trafficking in this country, and assist in the creation of contributing members of society. All this while helping to save money with the use of lower cost treatment
Juvenile Justice (Punishment for Teenagers) To this day, juvenile justice is among the most controversial disputes throughout society; mainly because if an adolescent decides to the make the senseless decision of committing a vicious crime, and in result causes the death of an innocent person, brings the question whether or not to prosecute the juvenile as an adult. This question is at the center of the debate in regards to juvenile justice systems. According to the New York Times, There
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
maturity, juvenile offenders are often treated by the criminal justice system in the same manner as adults which can have negative effects on them in the long term. The focus of the detention of juvenile offenders is often weighted towards retribution and incarcerating offenders. Instead, it would be more beneficial to use rehabilitation as a means of preventing re-offending juveniles and helping put a stop to juvenile crime altogether. It is important to first understand why youths commit criminal offences
The Youth Criminal Justice Act, enacted in 2003, has had considerable implications for youth offenders, especially in sentencing procedures. However, in 2012 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his administration made significant punitive amendments that changed the application of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) to youth sentencing procedures in Canada. This essay will first discuss a brief history of Canadian legislation regarding youth offenders, and the general characteristics and effectiveness
Here is a quick statistic, juveniles which were under the age of 18 were involved in about 1 in 11 arrests for murder in 2012, 1 in 7 arrests for aggravated assault, and 1 in 4 arrests for robbery. Do you feel like all of these juveniles deserve punishment for their actions? Or treatment and a second chance to life to turn things around. In our society the criminal justice system is expected to handle the individual that committed a crime by either punishing them or rehabilitating them. Punishment
opportunities and second chances to better ones life, yet some over others are born into a life full of set backs. In today’s society, committing one mistake against the law is too many and what follows can change a life. In the United States, the criminal justice system holds accountable for those who commit a crime in efforts to discipline disorderly behavioral acts and to protect society from such danger. For the inmates who are eighteen and younger that have a life ahead of themselves, post-prison life
between conservatives and liberal policies advocated by the national crime commissions. The conservative model originated in efforts to reexamine fundamental assumptions of the adult criminal justice system by a series of special study groups that began with the American Friends Service Committee publication “Struggle for Justice.” The committee’s desire to improve the predicament of prison inmates led to a report in 1971 that suggested that indeterminate sentencing and decisions about parole were conflicting
In most states juvenile delinquency are criminal acts committed by minors’ ages 10 to 18 years old, the crimes are categorized as status offenders or delinquent offenders. Offenses committed by status offenders can only be committed because the offender is a minor, such as running away from home, truancy and underage drinking. (Mooney, pg 115) then there are delinquent offenders whose offenses would be a crime if they were committed by an adult. Depending on the nature of the crime, minors are tried
this effect victims of crime and deter or not deter future criminal misconduct. Punishment is seen as a way for the offender to pay for their crimes. The most common form of punishment is incarceration. It is believed that punishment acts as both a specific and a general deterrence, since the effects of the punishment are thought to be generalisable. The factor of incapacitation has the positive effect that it is thought to prevent recidivism and crime for at least the time of incarceration or in
legal authority to enforce sanctions” at a significantly lower cost than incarceration (Community Corrections (Probation and Parole), 2015). Although statistics vary, it is believed that approximately two-thirds of the people who could be incarcerated for a crime or offense committed, are actually given a positive alternative option. Typically the people who are given the opportunity to partially or completely bypass incarceration are non-violent offenders who in the long run will be better off if he/she
the crime drop was due to “increased incarceration, community policing, a decline in the use of crack cocaine, a stronger economy, and so on” (p. 5). America’s two crime problems is one that affects mostly whites and middle-class Americans and that effects African Americans, including the young, and the poor. Walker discussed that the war on crime is biased and has drained tax money from other social needs. The Crime Commission
There is ongoing debate as to what should be done with juvenile courts. Should juvenile courts be abolished or just reformed? There are a number of reasons offered for each viewpoint, and the ultimate goal is trying to figure out which option would be most beneficial for juveniles. Juvenile delinquency is a continuous problem in the United States. It is also considered an issue that all of society needs to take part in trying to solve or at least diminish. Despite the number of social controls
Juvenile Justice, Homelessness and Remand YOUTH ACTION ADVOCACY AND POLICY ASSOCIATION By Andrew Kyu Sun Choi “Youth Action Advocacy and Policy (YAPA) is the peak organisation representing young people and youth services in NSW. YAPA works towards a society where all young people are supported, engaged and valued (Youth Action Advocacy and Policy Association, n.d.)” Executive Summary Young people have increasingly been subjected to remand when navigating through the juvenile justice system
students with disabilities can become frustrated and angry. This can place them at a higher risk for involvement with the juvenile justice system and what is called the “School-to-Prison Pipeline.” In order to help students with EBD, strategies need to be in place like creating ways to reduce the number of students with emotional behavior disorders from entering the Juvenile Justice System. We must learn how to best address issues of reentry for students with EBD and implement research-based strategies
Juvenile delinquency is one of the major social issues in the United States today. Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is when “a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment” (Merriam-webster.com). Although we have one justice system in America, the juvenile system differs from the adult juvenile system. Most juvenile delinquents range from as low as the age of seven to the age of seventeen. Once the delinquent or anyone turns