Bratland1

SummerBratland
Mr.Rudebusch
ResearchPaper
7January2016

ANewBeginning

Ibelievethechildrenareourfuture,teachthemwellandletthemleadtheway.Show
themallthebeautytheypossessinside.WhitneyHoustonsfamouslyricsareeasyto
nonchalantlyhum,buttheyaremuchhardertoaccomplish.In2015,GovernorDaugaard,inhis
StateoftheStatespeech,astoundedhisaudiencebyinformingthemthatourjuvenile
incarcerationratewasembarrassing.Hesaid,Wearethesecondhigheststateinthenationfor
lockingup,orputtingjuveniles,intothehandsoftheDepartmentofCorrections.Asaresult,
theSenateandHousepassedSenateBill73inhopesofimprovingtheJuvenileJusticeSystemin
SouthDakota.Althoughthiswasagoodstartingpoint,moreneedstobedonethanwhatSenate
Bill73hopestoaccomplish.Itisourresponsibility,asastate,totakemattersintoourownhands
andhelpmoldtodaysyouthintoresponsible,productivecitizens.Oursystemwillimproveif
ourstateprovidescasespecificprogramstofirsttimeoffenders,offershealthyrelationshipsto
thejuvenile,andprovidesprogramstoeachyouthinordertoleadthemtosuccess.
SenateBill73,mentionedabove,hasthreeprincipalgoals:One,improvepublicsafetyby
improvingoutcomesinjuvenilecasestwo,effectivelyholdjuvenileoffendersmore
accountablethree,reducecostbyinvestinginprovencommunitybasedpractices,whilesaving
residentialfacilitiesformoredangerousoffenders.Thestatecanaddressallthreeareasbygiving

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thejuvenile'simmediatehelpthefirsttimetheyviolatethelaw,ratherthanslappingthemonthe
wristandwaitingforthemtocommitamoreseriouscrime.
Itisimportanttobeeducatedonhowthecurrentjusticesystemworks,inordertoseethe
problemsthatliewithinit.Currently,onemustcommitacrimeinordertobesubjectedintothe
courtroom.Afterarrest,achildisbroughttothelocaljailbylawenforcementfromthere,the
lawenforcementwilldecidewhetherornottogoforwardwithformalcharges.Ajuvenilewhois
chargedwithacrimeisbroughtinfrontofthejudgewithin48hours,thatjudgedecideswhether
thejuvenileshouldremainlockeduporifthejuvenilecangohomeuntiltheformalhearing.The
nextstepisthattheyaregivenapetitionstatingthecrime(s)committed,andtheymustappearin
courtandadmitordenythepetition.Ifthepersondeniesthepetition,ahearingisscheduled
wherethestatemustprovechargesinthepetitionbeyondareasonabledoubt.Ifthejuvenile
admitsthepetitionorisfoundguilty,thejudgethenmovestothesentencing,whichiswhereI
believetheproblemsoccur.
Itisatthispointwhereourfirstmajorproblemoccursandchangesshouldbemade,
becausecurrentlywhathappensisthatthejuvenileisoftentimessentbackhome.Inthemajority
ofcases,firstoffendersarecurrentlysentbackintotheexactstructurefromwhichtheycame.
Thecourtsystemfailsinthisaspectbecausethereisnosupportsetwithinthesystem,and
therefore,itgiveshe/sheachancetocommitthesamecrimesalloveragain.Thisleadstotheir
committingmoreseriouscrimesbecausetheywereneverequippedwiththerighttoolstolearn
fromtheirfirstmistakes.Whyarekidsreleasedfromjail,onlytoreturnwithinafewmonthsor
yearsdowntheroad?Thisisaredflagandshouldtellourcourtsystemthatsomethingneedsto
bechanged,inordertobettertheyouthofourstate.Theyouthalreadyknowthatthereisnoreal

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punishmentforthemaftertheirfirstcharge,unlessitisamajorcrimecommitted.Oftentimes,
juvenilesgetcaughtwithillegalsubstances,suchasdrugsandalcohol,buttheyareabletoshow
upincourt,pleadguilty,getasmallfine,andgobacktotheirsameroutinewhichleadthemto
thisposition.AccordingtoastudyattheUniversityofDetroitonjuvenilejustice,between
23%55%ofalljuvenilesreoffendbeforetheybecomeadults.Thisstudyprovesthatsomestates
areabletodomuchbetterthanothersintreatingfirsttimeoffendersthemostsuccessfulstates
arethosethataddresstheproblemimmediately,withoutsendingthechildbackhomewithout
anydirection.Thechangethatneedstobemadeisthatthecourtsystemneedstotreatevery
singleoffenseasseriousandgivethesupportneededtothejuveniletoavoidhimcomingbackto
courtforadditionalcharges.Thiscouldbeaccomplishedbyrequiringaprobationofficeror
counselortoassistthejuvenileandthefamily,evenonthelessseriousoffenses.
Thenextprimaryproblemwithourjuvenilejusticesystemisthelackofrelationshipour
youthsreceivewhileincarcerated.TheheaddirectorattheCenterofEarlyAdolescence,Tom
Dischion,explainshowputtingtroubledyouthintoalongtermenvironmentwillnothelpthe
situation,andwillnotallowthemtogrowandlearnnewskillstobecomeamorepositive
behavingperson.Bylongtermenvironment,Dischionmeansextendedtimeinjail,orplacement
toanotherfacility.TomDischionprovidesagreatexampleastowhyourjuvenilesneed
relationshipsintheirlife,eveniftheyareonabadpathand/orservingtime.Atypicaldayinjail
oftentimesleavesthejuvenilewithnobodytotalktoexceptthoseinchargeofthejail.Insome
casesjuvenilescangoweekswithouttalkingwithothers,eventhen,mostcommunicationis
doneintwoseparateroomswithawindowbetweentheparties.Thebestwaytofixtheproblem
ofalackofoneononetimeforourjuvenilesisbycreatingprogramstoofferpositive

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relationships.
Thestateshouldlessentheemphasisonincarcerationandpunishmentandgivethe
troubledjuvenilesachancetotrustsomebodyandworkproblemsoutwithanadultwhoisan
experiencedandprofessionalcounselor.

IfSouthDakotawouldcreateaprogramthatoffershelp
beforestartinginthecourtroom,wewouldseegreatimprovement.Thisprogramshouldoffer
help,advice,alisteningear,andaroutineforthejuveniletofollowtogethimorherontheright
track.Byofferingoneononerelationshipstojuveniles,ourjusticesystemwouldsee
improvementinthepresentandfutureactionsofthesetroubleddelinquents.Notonlyshould
weeklymeetingsbeacommitmentbythecounselor,butalsotheoffendersandtheirfamilies.
Familyisahugepartinthisjourney,andatleastoneparentorfamilymembershouldbepresent
atoneormoresessionsperweek.Itisextremelyimportanttobuildtherelationshipbetweenthe
teenagerandhisorherfamily,withacounselorandthejuvenile,sothatthefamilyisconstantly
reinforcingtheplanproducedbythecounselorsprogram.Thejuvenilecannoteveradaptto
positivebehaviorsiftheirfamilyisnotconstantlyreinforcingthemthecourtshouldrequirethe
parentstocooperate.Notonlywillthisprogramhelpthosewhohavenotyetbeenenteredinto
thecourtroomsystem,butitcanhelpthosewhoarealreadyservingtimeinthecountyjail.This
programwouldshowgreatsuccessbymeetingwithacounseloroneononeandcontinuingto
followthesameplanasmentionedbefore.Othersarguethatthecostmaybetoomuchforthe
countiesandstatestobear.Ifexpensesbecameanissue,volunteersfromthecommunitycould
stepuptomentorandmeetwiththejuvenilesandreportbacktothecourtsystemwithprogress
reports.
Othercountrieshaveshownthatpunishmentisnottheonlyanswerinsolvingrepeat
offenders.Forexample,Norwayhasshowngreatsuccessbyfocusinglessonpunishmentand

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moreonrehabilitation.InNorway,prisonersareofferedoneononecounseling,positivepeer
groups,andtheyaregiventhepropertoolsinordertosucceed.Eventhoseconvictedwiththe
mostseriouscrimesinjuvenileandadultcourtarenotlockedup,butinstead,aresentencedto
whatonemaycallavacationresort.Peoplegettheideathatitisavacationbecauseprisonersare
notlockedinajailcellorkeptfromsociety.Norwaysrecidivismrateisanastonishing23%
comparedtotheUnitedStates,whichisupto55%.
ThelaststeptocreatingabetterJuvenileJusticeSystemistooffermore,specific
programsforjuvenilestoattendafterorduringtheirincarcerationperiods.SouthDakotais
fortunateenoughtoalreadyhavetwoprograms,theQUESTandSTARprogram,butwewould
seegreatimprovementbyofferingacouplemore.TheSTARprogramisofferedonlytogirls
whohavebeenphysicallyorsexuallyabusedandisonlyopentothosewhoarenonviolent
offenders.TheotherprogramofferedinSouthDakotaiscalledtheQUESTprogram.This
programisonlyofferedtomenwhohavealreadyexhaustedtheirowncommunitiespriorto
thisprogram.QUESTisagreatprogramthatoffersspecialtreatmentplansforeachguyentered
intothesystemtheyalsodevelopaspecificplanandwritedowngoalsinordertoobtainthat
plan.AnotherpositiveinfluencethatQUESToffersisthattheydonothaveacertaintimetable
fordischargefromtheprogram.Asyoucansee,thesetwoprogramsshowgreatpromise,but
theydonotpertaintoeachindividualthatisincarcerated.TheSTARprogramisonlyofferedto
nonviolentwomen,specificallywithahistoryofphysicalorsexualabuse,whichleavesoutall
othergirlsinthejuvenilesystem.SamewiththeQUESTprogram,butdealingwithmen.
Althoughbothoftheseprogramsarebeneficial,thesystemwouldbebetteriftheyweregiven
thepropertoolstosucceedthefirsttimetheyviolatedthelaw,ratherthanwaitinguntiltheyhave

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exhaustedalloftheirchanceswithintheirowncommunity.Thecourtsystemwouldbetterserve
thepublicifprogramslikeQUESTandSTARwerenotlimitedtospecialtypesofoffenders.
Inconclusion,SouthDakotasjuvenilejusticesystemisinneedofseriousreform.
Todayssystemlacksinthedepartmentofearlyprevention,oneononerelationships,and
programstobetterourjuveniles.Theproblemisnevergoingtogoaway,butwiththerightsteps
wewillgrowclosertolesseningcrimescreatedbyjuvenilesoneteenageratatimeandpreparing
themforadulthood.Bybreakingthecycle,wegivethesejuvenilesthechancetostartoverand
onedaybegoodparentsthatwillactasrolemodelsandcreateresponsiblechildren.Withthe
changesabove,Ibelievewewillnotonlyseeadifference,butwewillmakeadifference.

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SouthDakota
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