Juvenile Criminals

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The issue of young offenders is not dealt with conscience. When a juvenile criminal commits a felony, he or she is usually punished right away without even being helped first. They are often punished in a very wrong way that can sometimes aggravate the situation and create negative consequences. For example, they are frequently sent to adult courts where they are judged and sentenced as adults. According to studies, juvenile criminals (even non aggressive ones) whom the states chose to send to adult courts end up in adult jails where they are exposed to growing up into violent criminals leading a life of a delinquent (“The Right Model for Juvenile Justice”, 2007). Some people even blame the juvenile justice system for the change of young offenders into expert criminals. So choosing the wrong sanction as prison is not helping young criminals: when they are sent to prison, they get mixed up with adults criminals and they are exposed to aggressive behaviors, thus increasing the chances of becoming serious criminals. This shows that the country is not seriously taking the issue of juvenile criminals. The youngsters are not taken care of but sent to adult jails, which aggravates the circumstances. “The Right Model for Juvenile Justice” (2007) reports, “Part of the problem lies in the juvenile justice system, which is doing a frighteningly effective job of turning non violent childhood offenders into mature hardened criminals” (p. C11). Hence, punishing young offenders the wrong way has negative effects on them, putting them and the society in danger.

Fortunately, juvenile criminals can be saved from taking the wrong path. A very effective solution for the young offenders has proven its strength by its success: the reeducation program. A rehabilitation program may be able to show them the right path and prevent them from committing such acts again. This program is a way to awaken to teenagers and show them the consequences of their acts, while helping them to solve their personal issues. Its objectives are very specific: it restores the youngsters’ confidence, helps them change their point of view for the better, and it encourages to change their behavior. Ryals (2004) points out that “Programs have been developed to enhance cognitive skills, build moral development, enhance motivation for change, and have an impact on environmental issues” (p.18). The purpose of these programs is to boost the juvenile’s ego, to give him or her some hope and aspiration to start pursuing a goal to achieve, and try to transform his or her unhealthy environment into a healthy and favorable one. A rehabilitation program can save a young person’s future: “Extensive evaluations of the program’s intervention model have produced consistent evidence that lives are changing”, report Brown and Teigen (2014, p.24). A reeducation center not only helps the youngsters build self-esteem but also encourages them to develop their potential, know their own skills and be able to live a fulfilling life. According to Ramsey (as cited in Brown & Teigen, 2014), rehabilitation programs have successfully helped juvenile criminals develop abilities and talents that will allow them to build a well-constructed life as citizens. Most of the programs offer a certificate to the youngsters who have worked enough. The secret of keeping them away from crimes is to keep them busy: they will have to take courses, become aware of the basic elements of education, and learn how to be economically independent. They are offered a variety of vocations: carpentry, culinary… According to Betts (as cited in Brown & Teigen, 2014), “Employment is the real key” (p.25). Through this program, juvenile criminals will finally be able to surpass their past lives and begin a new one with a job, an education, a culture… Many youngsters have gone out from a rehabilitation center stronger and calmer. This center helps restore a balance in the juvenile’s life because of the many therapies they follow, and essentially family therapies. It is important that juvenile offenders stay close to their parents and relatives and follow a therapy all together, because if the cause of their acts comes from a family issue this problem will be solved. Besides, having their family close to them while they are in rehabilitation encourages them to pursue the program with confidence and helps them restore stability into their lives (“The Right Model for Juvenile Justice”, 2007). Professionals should always watch juvenile criminals from a close angle. Furthermore, when complete the rehabilitation program, these teenagers are not left on their own: they will be taken care of by professionals. They do not face the real life alone: supervisor helps them to get on the right track by getting a job, dealing with personal issues (family, health…) and guiding them into a stable life (“The Right Model for Juvenile Justice”, 2007). So a rehabilitation center helps them get back on their feet (education, diploma, job…) and changes their lifestyle by overtaking new problems in their lives. That way, they will finally live in a healthy and stable environment.

People often think that teenagers are not very mature or responsible. Those stereotypes are not totally false. Youngsters can sometimes show irresponsibility through their acts, they are not as aware as adults about the results of their own actions. This is why young offenders sometimes don’t understand the magnitude of their crimes and tend to continue, because of their ignorance about the risks and consequences. According to Furby and Beyth-Marom (as cited in Grisso & Scott, 1997), “They calculate the probability of risks differently, or they value them differently”. Some of the young offenders commit such crimes to blow off some steam without being aware of the consequences: they don’t know the danger that they are exposed to. Teenagers usually take more risks than adults because they don’t have any experience and don’t know what to expect as a result of their acts. So sometimes juvenile criminals commit felonies without even knowing that it is wrong, and are not familiar with the repercussions that they are exposed to.

However, opponents do not believe in giving young offenders a second chance. Some people are convinced that juvenile criminals will never change because of the strong impact of the hostile environment in which they have lived. They strongly believe that once someone commits a crime, he or she cannot become different and learn from this mistake. But, those people are forgetting that youngsters have the capacity of change and it is actually a lot easier for young people to change than adults. In fact, if society started to limit one’s capacity of changing for the better, people will start to live in a world of where no one can learn from their mistake.