Help with peer responding to classmates discussion post

The Redding paper states some of the most important findings on juvenile incarceration, with a focus on the effects of taking juveniles through the criminal court procedures (Redding, 2003). While the intention behind the prosecution of juvenile in the adult courts is stated to be for deterrence and holding the accountable, the evidence shows that this does not always work, with it highly showing that there are major backfires. This is because the juveniles that are taken through the adult courts are more likely to face harder sentences, as well as be expected to be hardened criminals, and this might make them worse than they were when they were going into jail. The adult court procedures do not rehabilitate the adolescents but rather exacerbate criminal behavior, and this has led to a lot of questions on whether or not this helps and if it benefits society or even the youths.

One of the most concerning outcomes of placing the youths in the adult court system is the increase in the recidivism rate (Mendel, 2023). Instead of reducing the rate of future crime, it might make the adolescents, as they interact with the older criminals, see crime as a normal behavior, and this might make it harder for them to be rehabilitated. This is why it is important to implement programs that are directed towards reforming these juveniles, such as a restorative justice approach that is based on holding them accountable and rehabilitating them to be better people in the community. These programs are built on counselling, education, and help increase skills in the youths, and this helps in redirecting their behavior and making them better community members.

Some issues are ethically based when it comes to housing juveniles in adult prisons. There are also safety and mental concerns, especially with the fear of the juveniles being exposed to sexual violence and physical violence (Child Crime Prevention Center, n.d). There is also the risk of them being at a development stage, as they are yet to achieve maturity and therefore need or deserve to be protected from anything that might affect their growth. There is a need for the justice systems to ensure safety for them and keep them in an environment that allows them to grow and reform and protect them from abuse, regardless of the crime committed.

Punishment and abuse are not the same, and therefore, society must understand the difference between holding someone accountable and putting them in a situation that puts them at risk of being abused. Therefore, juveniles are better off placed in rehabilitation centers and community-based centers than in adult court procedures and prisons. There is a need for there to be a balance between accountability and humanity, and to give the young ones a chance to change.