Treatment Vs. Punishment Juvenile Justice Research Paper

Treatment vs. Punishment

Treatment Concept

Juvenile crime is often serious because of the ability to represent a significant proportion in relation to the total criminal activity within the community. The normal assumption indicates that adolescents deserve and require special handling during the formative period. Criminal behavior during this stage of life might not continue into adulthood thus the need for integration of special handling by the relevant justice systems within the case of the United States. Theoretically, treatment concepts focus on the correction programs for the juveniles or minor criminals. This relates to the ability of the state and federal governments in enhancing the development of the minors or juveniles in order to reduce the criminal activities within the society. Treatment has high probability to be recidivate in accordance with various research concepts in relation to the juvenile justice system in the case of the United States.

Punishment Concept

In addition to the treatment options in handling cases by the juvenile justice system in the case o the United States, the relevant law enforcing authorities have massive influence in relation to implementation of punishment. This is essential towards minimization of the cases of crimes within the society as well as deterring future crimes among the juveniles as they continue to develop in life. Unlike the case of treatment, punishment seeks to achieve instant or short-term results in relation to the objectives and targets of the juvenile justice system. In the development of the justice system for the juveniles, it is ideal to focus on the elements of punishment and treatment with the aim of detailing the best and most effective approach towards reducing criminal mentality among the minors in the United States. This research exercise will focus on examination of the concepts of treatment vs. punishment with the aim of offering effective and efficient solution to the juvenile justice system in the context of the United States. This is through examination of the juvenile statistics in the case of three cities or states as well as the recidivate indicators in the essential regions.

Juvenile Crime Statistics

Chicago

Racial Breakdown of Percentage of Youth & Arrests by District (2012)

District

% Black Youth

Black % of Youth Arrests

% White Youth

White % of Youth Arrests

% Hispanic Youth

Hispanic % of Youth

Confinement in Illinois: 1997 and 2010

1997

2010

Change 1997-2010

Number

Rate per 100,000

Number

Rate per 100,000

Number

Rate

3,426

2,217

-1,209

-36%

According to the findings by the Chicago Police Department, approximately 22,877 youths under the age of 17 were arrested in the case of 2012 in more than one occasion (Mariame, 2013). This is a reflection of a decrease of 27% in the juvenile arrests in comparison to 2009. The findings also reveal that approximately 79% of the juvenile arrests in the case of Chicago were black youths. This is an indication that for every 100 youth, 7.6 times of arrests were black youth. It is ideal to note that this reflects ten times more frequently in comparison to the white youth (0.7 arrests per 100 youth). This is evident in the district-by-district breakdown of the percentages in relation to racial populations and cases of arrests of the members of the specific groups (Cook et al., 2013).

Michigan

**County

State

Population Served

1,211,335

10,095,643

Sworn Officer Count As Of 10/31/2006

N/A

19,406

Civilian Employee Count

N/A

6,726

MALE TOTAL

1,834

21,227

White

1,100

12,381

Black

8,294

American Indian/Alsk

0

75

Asian/Pacific Isle

12

92

Hispanic

0

0

Unknown

17

FEMALE TOTAL

9,125

White

6,019

Black

2,776

American Indian/Alsk

0

39

Asian/Pacific Isle

11

52

Hispanic

0

0

Unknown

12

GRAND TOTAL - Male & Female

2,782

30,352

According to the statistics for Michigan City, the rate of crime among the male juvenile is higher in comparison to the female in relation to the data obtained in 2006. This information continues to hold ground in 2013, despite the decrease in the case of crime among the youth in the region. It is ideal to note the disparities in the data with reference to race, gender, and age as the rate of crime in the Michigan City is spread across various ethnic races.

Boston

According to the data by the end of 2012, the juvenile crimes in the case of Boston were on the decline because of the reduced number of arrests by the law enforcement entities.This is through a representation of about 20% in the decline in comparison to 2010. According to the similar reports, there has been a massive reduction in the violent and property offences by juveniles in the city of Boston. This is through a representation of about 8% and 5% respectively relation to the 2010 findings. The rate of crime among the juveniles relates to critical factors in the region. Some of the factors determining the case of juveniles crimes in the city of Boston include age, race, sex, and gender. For instance, for every 10,000 juvenile crimes in the region, 800 are black youth. This data indicates that the integration of the juvenile justice system and strategy has been effective and efficient towards realizing the goals and objectives (Stoddard-Dare et al., 2011).

Prevailing thought in the city/state

In the city of Boston, the prevailing thought in relation to management of the juvenile crime activities is the aspect of treatment. This is through development and integration of correctional facilities and rehabilitation centers in order to enhance the humanistic development of the juvenile criminals within the region. This is an option towards minimization of the use of punishment, which is ineffective in deterring crime within the region. The treatment concept or thought has been essential in the correction of the criminal habits by the youth in the city as they seek to eliminate what comes out as a social problem affecting the United States and its environ. It is ideal to note that the treatment thought has also been critical in relation to improvement of the behavior of the juvenile criminal. The main objective o the juvenile justice system in the region is to enhance the psychological development of the youth with the aim of reducing their involvement in relevant actions such as drug addiction and peer influence. The juvenile system also focuses on enhancement of the productivity levels of the juvenile criminals through integrating them into correctional facilities for the psychiatry lessons and sessions. This has been crucial towards achieving the goals and objectives in relation to reduction in the rate of crime in the case of Boston as well as across the United States.

In the case of Chicago, the juvenile system focuses on the integration of both punishment and treatment in attempts to eliminate juvenile crime within the region. This is because of the diversity of the crimes and intensity with the aim of reducing crimes or deterring other society members from committing criminal activities in the future. Correctional facilities play a critical role in realizing the goals and objectives of the treatment thought within the juvenile justice system in the case of Chicago. This thought is mainly applicable in the case of drug addiction or abuse in order to offer quality living style to the youth as they develop. The main objective of the region in relation to implementation of the treatment thought towards minimizing juvenile criminal activity is to focus on holistic approach in handling crime. Punishment is also applicable in the case of severe crimes such as murder, theft, and robbery with violence. In these cases, the juveniles have to serve jail terms or severe fines as well as serve the community in relation to probation. This is critical towards enhancing the ability of the city in handling juvenile crime in the region. Integration of the two thoughts continues to play a critical role in minimizing criminal activities among the youths.

Finally, in the case of Michigan, the overriding thought in relation to handling criminal activities among the youths is treatment. This is through utilization of the correctional facilities in the region to offer psychological assistance and social support to the juvenile criminals with the aim of managing their developmental attitudes. In addition to this overriding thought, the city also focuses on the integration of punishment on selective cases. This is because of the diversity and intensity of criminal activities by the youths within the region. It is ideal to note that the punishment is applicable in severe cases such as murder, robbery with violence, homicide, and other crimes of relevant nature. The juvenile structure and system in the region focuses on the achievement of crime-free city through incorporation of the two thoughts strategically among the juvenile offenders. As in the previous cities, it is ideal.....