The modern juvenile justice system is criticized for harsh punishments and its failure to address the problem of crime prevention. Detention centers are used to isolate young offenders from society instead of focusing on their rehabilitation and integration into education and employment. The proposed reform is based on the idea of involving families and communities in the system and setting children’s rights as one of its priorities.
First, the juvenile justice system should focus on protecting children’s interests and educational rights. The critiques of the current system argue that modern youth custody centers are essentially prisons masked under the names of ‘training schools’ and ‘correction centers.’ Children sent to juvenile facilities often suffer psychological traumas and are subject to physical abuse from both staff and their peers (McCarthy et al., 2016). Detention centers should be reformed to focus on children’s education and their integration into society. Special attention should be given to therapy sessions and individual consultations.
Second, the proposed reform suggests that families and local communities should be involved in juvenile rehabilitation programs. Schools, businesses, and organizations can provide job and education opportunities for young criminals, and families can act as a support system to help them return to society. Treating juveniles not as adult criminals but as kids who need special attention is an essential part of an effective crime prevention program.
The juvenile justice system should be established on the principles common to children’s education, welfare, and mental health systems. In order to decrease youth crime rates and reduce the potential of future criminal behavior, it should be aimed at integrating children into society rather than punishing and isolating them. With the help of their families and local communities, young criminals can return to normal life.
Reference
McCarthy, P., Schiraldi, S., & Shark, M. (2016). The future of youth justice: A community-based alternative to the youth prison model. New Thinking in Community Corrections, 2.