Juveniles in Adult Prisons

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the practice of incarcerating juveniles (persons below 18) in adult prisons had been a common practice in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries when no formal differentiation was made by the society in the response to crimes committed by juveniles and adults. It analyzes various aspects of the problems caused by this scenario of retribution over rehabilitation and suggests solutions.

Outline
Extent of the Problem
Minority Youths Disproportionately Affected
Why is Incarcerating Juveniles in Adult Prisons a Problem?
Solutions
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Not many people would agree with the notion that retribution is better than rehabilitation. Placing the juveniles in adult prisons and treating them as adults for crimes is a punitive approach that places more emphasis on punishment rather than rehabilitation. Since younger people are more susceptible to rehabilitation (because their behavior can be molded by the environment in which they are placed) the rehabilitation approach is obviously the more suitable option while dealing with youth crime. There is overwhelming evidence that youth placed with hardened criminals in adult prisons are more likely to come out as hardened criminals, and placing juveniles in adult prisons benefits no one--the victim, the community or the offender. The only thing it does is to satisfy an unreasonable desire to get even. (Rousch and Dunlop, 21) It is unfortunate that the politicians and the legislature have chosen to ignore history and evidence to the contrary in order to satisfy a public outcry for "get tough" measures for youth crimes."

More papers on Juveniles in Adult Prisons:

• Persuasive Essay # 103948 : "Juvenile Offenders in Adult Prisons"
• Persuasive Essay # 133404 : "Recidivism Risk: Juvenile Offenders in Adult Prisons"
• Analytical Essay # 3537 : "Juveniles and Adult Incarceration"

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