Essay on Juveniles in Detention Facilities and Prison

Essay on Juveniles in Detention Facilities and Prison

Since the 1990s the number of juveniles confined in detention facilities has been increasing. Though the population of children between the ages of 10 and 19 only increased by 3% the number of juveniles confined in detention facilities increased from 51,000 in 1979 to 104,000 in 2001.

There is also a steep increase of juveniles in adult prisons. It is estimated that 107,000 juveniles are incarcerated on any given day Out of the 107,000, 14,500 are housed in adult facilities, approximately 9,100 are placed in local jails, and 5,400 are housed in adult prisons.

These statistics reflect the "tough on crime" policy being imposed in the United States. The lawmakers who enacted laws designed to make it easier for juveniles to be tried and punished as adults see that the only solution to juvenile crime is to detain more children to make the society safer. It seeks to incapacitate the offender by placing him in detention facilities.

However, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice Report states that majority of these juveniles who spend their time in detention facilities while awaiting for their hearing pose no risk to the community. The same is true for juveniles who have been convicted as adults and serving their sentences to adult prisons.

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 33% of the juveniles detained in detention facilities were status offenders or those individuals who have been considered delinquent because of their status as a minor. It was also found that only 22% of the juveniles detained in detention facilities committed violent offenses.

Because of the tough on crime policies being imposed, many juveniles who do not pose a risk to the community are being detained in facilities which exacerbate the situation of the juvenile offenders. Since many of these detention facilities are overcrowded and ill-equipped to handle the needs of the juvenile offenders, the situation for these juveniles only gets worse as they are exposed to increased levels of violence and suicides.

Thus, different groups which advocate reform in juvenile detention are proposing that instead of relying on detention to make the streets safer the state should push for stronger connection with family, school and community. They are suggesting that the state government should look into the possibility of using community-based alternative to detention which is not only more cost-effective but could also be a more effective solution to juvenile crimes.

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