Week 8: Juvenile Offenders and Preventative Strategy
Hello, and welcome back, readers! Last week’s dissection of Norway’s criminal justice system drew my attention towards something I have not yet touched upon. My blog posts thus far have primarily been focused on reactive programs, meaning programs that are implemented after an individual has already recidivated. However, Norway drew my attention towards preventative programs that start before individuals even commit multiple crimes. For this reason, I’ve researched youth incarceration and effective prevention strategies this week.
Juvenile crime is often rooted in broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment, discrimination, poor health, and lack of education. Real, lasting change requires improving the social systems that shape adolescents’ lives. Recidivism has been shown to be reduced by protective factors including involved and supporting families with stable finances and schools with strict rules and dedicated faculty that encourage student achievement. Communities with structured support networks of prosocial peers and adult supervision are also essential in steering adolescents away from delinquency.
Even after a crime is committed, community-based solutions are often more effective than institutional confinement in decreasing recidivism rates. Juveniles who are frequently incarcerated experience setbacks in their development, a disconnect from their lives before incarceration, and increased exposure to violence and trauma, making it difficult to escape the cycle. Studies have shown that activities that involve youth in organized community settings are more effective at deterring future crime than confinement, and recidivism rates among youth in correctional facilities are often greater than those of youth in community-based programs. Despite this research, many youths remain incarcerated in the United States.
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/youth_pie_2019.html
Community-based programs such as mentoring and Functional Family Therapy have been seen to reduce recidivism instead of perpetuating it as isolation through incarceration does. All in all, I’d say that the key takeaway is the importance of a strong community, one that promotes the growth and positive development of our youth.
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