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Juvenile Detainees

Shanna Davis

CRJ 303

Ashford University

Instructor Jamie Smith

November 14, 2011

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Juvenile Detainees

Juvenile offenders are individuals usually under the age of 18 who are convicted of a crime. One major issue surrounding juvenile offenders and correctional officers is the sentencing of juvenile offenders as adults. The increased violence among youth has caused many legislatures to enact laws allowing serious juvenile offenders to be tried as an adult and placed in adult prisons (Parent, Dunworth, McDonald, & Rhodes, 1997, p. 1). These changes are affecting both juvenile detention facilities, where many youthful offenders await transfer to adult prisons, and the adult prison as well, where administrators must find was to incorporate this different population (Parent, Dunworth, McDonald, & Rhodes, 1997, p. 1).

Juvenile violent crime such as murder and aggravated assault has significantly increased over the past several decades. Due to the serious nature of juvenile crimes, waivers to adult courts were granted to allow juvenile to be charged as an adult for serious crimes. Issues arise when youthful offenders are place in adult correctional facilities. Many such juveniles pose serious management problems for training staff, perhaps because they believe they have nothing to lose by misconduct in the juvenile facility (Parent, et al., 1997, p. 3).

There are three types of incarceration in adult prisons for juvenile offenders. Straight adult incarceration is where juveniles are placed in prisons with other adult offenders (Seiter, 2011, p. 281). Graduated incarceration is the placement of juvenile offenders in juvenile facilities until age 18, at which then they are transferred to an adult prison

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(Seiter, 2011, p. 281). Segregated incarceration is the placement of juvenile offenders in adult prison but they are separated from adult offenders (Seiter, 2011, p. 281). There is currently no fully supportive approach to housing juvenile offenders in adult prisons.

One issue with juvenile offenders in adult prisons is programming. Juvenile inmates need special education programs, rather than adult educational programs. In addition, young inmates have dietary needs different from those of adult inmates, yet their food allowance (in caloric value and type of food) is likely to be the same as that of adult inmates (Parent, et. Al., 1997, p. 5). Youth need more exercise yet are likely to be given the same amount of time to exercise as adult inmates (Parent, et Al., 1997, p. 5).

Adult correctional facilities staff fined some juvenile offenders more aggressive and difficult to deal with compared with the adult offender (Austin, Johnson, & Gregoriu, 2000, P.72). Correctional staff may respond to juvenile misconduct in the same manner as adult offenders are likely to be less effective in managing juveniles (Parent, et Al., 1997, p. 5). Naturally, correctional staff is trained to deal with adult inmates, rather than juvenile inmates, therefore making it difficult to manage these juvenile effectively. Austin et Al. (2000), states Training should prepare staff to recognize and respond to the particular issues faced by a juvenile offender housed in an adult prison, such as the potential for victimization, the emotional effect of incarceration on younger populations, and the way in which substance abuse, education, health, and mental health needs are manifested among younger offenders (P. 74).

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Juvenile mental illness is a major concern for juvenile correctional systems. Between 50 to 75 percent of all juvenile who enter the justice system has diagnosable mental health issues (Underwood, Phillips, Dresner, & Knight, 2006, p. 107). Juvenile offenders are at high risk for mental health issues, which may be a contributing factor to their criminal behavior (Underwood, et al., 2006, p. 108-109). Juvenile offenders with serious mental illness require various services, such as medications, substance abuse treatment, and educational services. Juvenile mental illness may be the greatest challenge to juvenile correctional administrators and staff (Underwood, Phillips, Dresner, & Knight, 2006, p. 112).

Juvenile offending undoubtedly points out the extent of family and environmental risk factors. Such risk factors include poor parent-child relationships, lack of discipline, parental or family conflict, absence of a father, child neglect, coercive child-rearing, lack of warmth and affection, inconsistent parenting, sexual abuse, violence, disrupted attachments, and parental substance abuse (Underwood, et. Al., 2006, p. 119). Juveniles who live in high crime neighborhoods are even more at risk for engaging in criminal behaviors.

According to Underwood, et Al., (2006),

Without proper interventions, these individuals run a high risk for future development of problems that may lead to further emotional deterioration and delinquency. Proper interventions must be administered to juveniles that focus on risk factors that can be changed (i.e., behaviors, attitudes).

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Research suggests that explanations of delinquency and other emotional and behavioral outcomes may be similar among juveniles with emotional and behavior problems than with juveniles who do not have emotional and behavior needs (p. 118). Sending a juvenile to prison certainly serves a specific deterrent purpose and might protect society from dangerous individuals (Worrall, 2008, p. 334). However, what is the cost to the juvenile offender and the correction facility? Adult prisons are not equipped adequately to handle juvenile offenders and juvenile offenders show little effective rehabilitation from serving in an adult prison. It has been discussed that juvenile may suffer more mental instability from serving sentences in adult prisons. Correctional officers are trained to deal with adult inmates, not juvenile inmates.

When juvenile offenders commit serious crimes they are sent to adult courts where it is decided if they will serve time in an adult prison. The decision to send juveniles to adult prisons affects the offender, juvenile detention facilities, and adult prison correction officials.

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References

Austin, J., Johnson, K., & Gregoriou, M. (2000). Juveniles in adult prisons and jails. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from U.S. Department of Justice website: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/182503.pdf

Parent, D., Dunworth, T., McDonald, D., & Rhodes, W. (1997). Key Legislative Issues in Criminal Justice: Transferring Serious Juvenile Offenders to Adult Courts. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from U.S. Department of Justice website: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/trans.pdf

Seiter, R. (2011). Corrections: An introduction (3rd ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Underwood, L., Phillips, A., Dresner, K., & Knight, P. (2006). Critical Factors in Mental Health Programming For Juveniles in Corrections Facilities. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 2(1), 25.

Worrall, J. (2008). Crime control in America: What works? (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.