Effects Of Recidivism On Juveniles

At what impact does society face or will have to face for allowing a juvenile to be transferred and charged in an adult court? Should the society allow the juvenile to be charged as an adult? If the answer is a resounding “Yes” society will see the court handle the horrendous crime committed from said juvenile with a harsher punishment with a slim chance of a way out. Violence is met with the punishment it deserves. Also, this punishment will also be a deterrent and set the precedent for others to see and understand the implications of violence. On the flip side with a resounding “No” answer, the court sees and focuses on the intellect and moral capacity of said juvenile. Laws are in place to protect the vulnerability and the lack of moral

There is a high probability that the society will have to deal with recidivism from our juveniles. What about redemption? Let us redeem our juveniles while they are still young and impressionable. “According to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, juveniles who are tried as adults are 34 times to recidivate than their counterparts in juvenile jurisdiction.” Society needs to see our youth as redeemable – worth the effort. It is better to rehabilitate when they are still young than to lay down the harsh consequences and throw away the key. Our youth do not need to be forgotten. They are our future, and they need our inputted morals, values, maturity, and an honor system to adhere for guidance. Originally, the origin of juvenile courts was because society recognized the differences between the cognitive development of juveniles. Eventually, society shifted attitudes by their motto, “tough on crime” which led to transferring more frequently more juveniles to adult courts. The results of these policies have shown the recidivism rates for juveniles have increased when prosecuted in adult court versus juvenile court. Society has failed the system. Because of this failure, reforms needed to quickly be put in place so that we change the importance back on the best interests of the youth. Focusing on the youth instead of the crime with resources for the purpose of equipping them to succeed will help our juveniles reenter society. Inputting structured programs and guidelines is much more promising for succeeding rather than face the devastating effects of being housed in adult prison systems. Juveniles should not be treated as adults. They are juveniles in our court system. Revealing their errors of their ways with proper guidance and showing them the correct path to follow, an awareness is being shown of their wrongful actions. This awareness guides the youth to the correct way of living. Society needs to