The Juvenile Justice System Should Focus on Rehabilitation Research Paper

The Juvenile Justice System Should Focus on Rehabilitation - Research Paper Example The aim is fundamentally to control violent juvenile and put them in reformatory institution as effective rehabilitative measures before they will be reintegrated back into the society as responsible citizens or human resource of a state (Office of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2012). Under the law, juveniles are those young residents of the America aging between 15-17 years old that have committed a criminal act against the state, person or to property (OJJDP, 2012). Some states made some statutory exceptions on age as requisite in the acquisition of jurisdiction on these cases. Others have put concurrent jurisdiction to juvenile and criminal courts while leaving to prosecutors the discretion to decide which of these judicial body should handle the preliminary investigation of each case (OJJDP, 2012). Juvenile justice system is a policy inspired by the doctrine of parens patriae which accord authority to the state to assume the parental role of enforcing legislati ons that promote, protect, and provide child-friendly custodial terms under its jurisdiction (True Crime & Justice, 2012). It is deemed as the best resolve to dilemma posed by children who have committed heinous crimes with corresponding life sentence as penalty without possibility of parole (True Crime & Justice, 2012, p. 1). ... 1). Legal advocates assert that juvenile justice system should opt for rehabilitation instead of punishment. The latter is considered as unpleasant and may impact on the psychosocial make-up of a child, thus, causing stigma or isolation as they are left alone to handle their emotional setbacks while meting out punishment following a court decision declaring their guilt. Psychologists infer that punishment does not support rational processes that could address their delinquency nor those necessities to achieve desired behavioral reform. Advocates concern on child rights and welfares wanted the juvenile justice system to delve on mental health assessment of the young offenders by providing necessary services to change them into better persons and to help them conform to social norms (OJJDP, 2012; True Crime & Justice, 2012). They contend that as young offenders are also child undergoing developmental stages and constant adjustments to social norms, the intervention with the participati on of family members could help assuage traumatic impacts as consequence of committing offense. The family has been the most influential agent in shaping a child’s behavioral reform to discourage them to become recidivists whilst motivating them to responsibly care for themselves or their future. Moreover, the family also help provide advises and inspirations to the child, along with social experts within rehabilitation centers, as they knew best the historical causes and factors that led a child to commit socially unacceptable acts. Experts empirically posit that 95% of the juveniles that went to the rehabilitation program reformed and avoided re-arrest (OJJDP, 2012; True Crime & Justice, 2012). Such