PURPOSE OF CORRECTIONS (FROM JUVENILE JUSTICE - THE HUMAN DIMENSION - HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROCEEDINGS, 1978, BY LADY BROWN AND JUNE BERRY - SEE NCJ-50131)

• NCJ Number: 50141
• Author(s): A F BREED
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Junior League of Lubbock, Inc; Texas Cmtte for the Humanities and Public Policy; National Endowment for the Humanities
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF FOUR THEORIES OF CORRECTIONS FOR DEALING WITH JUVENILE DELINQUENTS ARE EXAMINED: DETERRENCE, PUNISHMENT, RESTRAINT, AND REHABILITATION. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED BASED ON THESE THEORIES.

Abstract

SINCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE COURTS IN 1899, WE HAVE STOPPED PUNISHING CHILDREN AND HAVE ASSIGNED SPECIAL EUPHEMISTIC TERMS TO DESCRIBE TREATMENT OF DELINQUENT CHILDREN. JUVENILE CODES DO NOT ALLOW A CHILD TO BE FOUND GUILTY, BUT IT IS LOGICAL THAT ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR BE PUNISHED. THIS CONTRADICTION OFTEN MAKES THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM APPEAR DISTORTED TO THE INVOLVED CHILD. THERE IS ALSO EMPIRICAL DATA DEMONSTRATING THAT THE CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT HAS A MODERATE DETERRING IMPACT ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR RATES, BUT POLICE DEPARTMENTS MAKE ARRESTS FOR ONLY ABOUT ONE-FOURTH OF REPORTED CRIMES, AND ONLY ONE OUT OF TEN CRIMES ARE REPORTED. REGARDING THE NEED FOR RESTRAINT, A STUDY COMPLETED IN MASSACHUSETTS SHOWED THAT ALTHOUGH DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION HAS REDUCED THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES IN STATE INSTITUTIONS GREATLY, THE CRIME RATE HAS NOT RISEN. REHABILITATION THEORIES OF JUVENILE JUSTICE HAVE NOT PROVEN EFFECTIVE, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY GIVE RISE TO EXPECTATIONS THAT CANNOT BE MET. THE JUVENILE COURT SHOULD ASSURE THE CHILD OF A NORMAL PERSONAL GROWTH EXPERIENCE, AND AS MANY JUVENILES AS POSSIBLE SHOULD BE DIVERTED OUT OF THE SYSTEM. DANGEROUS YOUTH SHOULD BE INCARCERATED AND MISBEHAVIOR PUNISHED.