Problems Facing the juvenile justice System
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Problems Facing the juvenile justice System
According to Zajac, Sheidow, & Davis (2015), the United States sees more than two million young people and adolescents registered in the juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system is a vital component of the American justice system, which shields young people in the United States from the negative and cruel punishments provided in the criminal courts. However, the juvenile justice system faces several challenges such as mental health illness among young adults and racial disparities in the system
One of the founding philosophies and principles of the juvenile justice system was to enact changes in the justice system, which pave the way for the rehabilitation of adolescents and young people. However, the quest to create a justice system for young adults and adolescents, which aids in rehabilitating them and reintegrating them into society, has faced several challenges.
One of the main problems which are affecting juvenile justice today is the impact of mental health illnesses in the rehabilitation processes of young adults and adolescents. According to Underwood & Washington (2016), 40 to 80% of the youths, children, and young adults who are admitted under the juvenile justice system are faced with at least one mental health disease. Also, more than two theirs of young people incorporated into the juvenile justice system develop mental health problems. Mental health is a major problem for the juvenile justice system. The lack of assessment of the mental health conditions of the young adults paved under the system affects not only the victims but also those placed alongside them in the system. There is an urgent need to address the mental health aspect of the juvenile justice system to help understand and improve the health conditions of the victims.
Racial issues are another major problem that is associated with the juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system is part of some of the institutions in the United States, which unfairly treat individuals from minority ethnic groups. Ethnic and racial disparities in the American juvenile justice system have greatly undermined its responsibility to fairly rehabilitate young adults who are convicted of criminal activities. The racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system are laid bare through the figures of persons under the juvenile justice system. A comparison between the population of young adults from different racial groups with the number of young adults in the juvenile justice system indicates disparities that question its operations. For example, the 2010 American census indicated that white youth formed a majority of young adults under 18 years, with 76.5% (DeLone, & DeLone, 2017). American Indians comprised of 1.9%, Asians 5.5% and African Americans 16.6% (DeLone, & DeLone, 2017). However, the difference in the figures is not represented in the justice system. The minority ethnic groups comprise the highest number of young adults in the juvenile justice system. While white young adults who were arrested in 2012 comprised of the highest percentage of arrestees (64.3%), they were underrepresented in the juvenile population. Instead, African Americans represented the majority of the juvenile population, amounting to 33.1% (DeLone, & DeLone, 2017). Overrepresentation of minority ethnic groups and underrepresentation of the white young adults is an indicator that there is a major problem in terms of how the law is applied in the juvenile justice system. The high figures recorded in arrested persons among white young adults are not reflected in the juvenile population. It indicates that actions of key figures in the juvenile justice system are deliberately sabotaging the free and fair rulings which the system should rely upon. The disparity in figures along the racial lines is also an indicator that different justice systems apply for people depending on their race.
Understanding the problems facing the juvenile justice system is a crucial aspect of the fight towards creating a system that seeks to benefit society by turning stray young individuals into better people. Understanding the mental health conditions of young adults under the juvenile justice system will help improve the ability to rehabilitate the behavior. Therefore, stakeholders in the juvenile justice system should provide professional help to young people under the system. The issue of racial disparities and discrimination is also important in creating an effective juvenile justice system. It is crucial to audit the juvenile justice system to help introduce new measures and personnel who will help advance equity and fairness. Also,
Conclusion
The formation of the juvenile justice system was a significant step in the United States. Its formation helped to create a platform where the adolescents and the young adults would be provided an opportunity for rehabilitation, instead of facing the cruelty of the criminal court. However, problems such as mental health conditions and racial disparities have negatively affected the ability of the juvenile justice system to dispense its mandates. Young adults in the systems are struggling to cope with mental illnesses. The juvenile justice system is also being used to adverse racial inequality as minority groups are more punished compared to white young adults.
References
DeLone, M. A., & DeLone, G. J. (2017). Racial disparities in juvenile justice processing. The Encyclopedia of Juvenile Delinquency and Justice, 1-5.
Underwood, L. A., & Washington, A. (2016). Mental illness and juvenile offenders. International journal of environmental research and public health, 13(2), 228.
Zajac, K., Sheidow, A. J., & Davis, M. (2015). Juvenile justice, mental health, and the transition to adulthood: A review of service system involvement and unmet needs in the US. Children and youth services review, 56, 139-148.
