Juvenile Delinquents In Prison

Growing up can be a difficult time for any child, especially when going through their adolescent years. Children are still becoming acquainted with the concept of what differentiates right and wrong. These children can be easily influenced by the people around them, such as: parents, relatives, siblings, friends, teachers, neighbors, or people, in general, of whom they are accompanied with on a daily basis. But what happens when children are surrounded by neglectful, abusive parents, or are always with a crowd of seditious delinquents? The programs that are presented to children on television, on the radio, or articles and blogs on the internet can tremendously affect their thought process on the way they view the world. It has become evident

“Each juvenile is placed in a facility that provides the appropriate level of programming and security…several factors—such as age, offense, length of commitment, mental and physical health—are considered when making placements” (BOP). Adolescents are the most common minors that are imprisoned in adult penitentiaries and the most common crimes that they are convicted for are homicide, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, or other serious felony. “The Justice Department estimates that about 10 percent of all homicides are committed by juveniles under the age of 18” (Khan). Juvenile offenders are only tried as adults if they are arrested and charged for a severe crime such as homicide or rape or if they have a past criminal record. Any other crime that a minor might commit will be handled in a juvenile court, which focuses more on rehabilitating the young convict rather than sentencing them harshly and serving hard time in prison with the dangerous adult

Wanting to be independent can make a child want to rebel against their parents and thus disobeying their will. The more rebellious they become, the more serious their actions can be and can result in them committing a crime. Even though they start out small, without proper punishment or a reality check, these young individuals can end up committing a hideous crime that can lead them in prison with older more dangerous criminals. Inside prison is a whole different world and does in fact change them, whether or not these juvenile criminals are ever let out of prison depending on their