Reducing Juvenile Crime

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how to reduce juvenile crime through community-based involvement strategies. The paper begins by discussing the first stage of prevention and the need for after-school programs uniquely tailored to the demographic needs of the community. The paper then explains the second stage of reducing recidivism through family involvement and therapy-based programs and the third stage of treating juveniles already incarcerated. The paper emphasizes that the system must treat offenders as individuals and provide incentives for youths to choose a path other than the easy, short-term rewards of a life of crime.

Outline:
Step 1: Prevention
Step 2: Reducing Recidivism
Step 3: Treatment for Juveniles Already in 'the System'

From the Paper:

"As with so many things in life, when it comes to preventing juvenile crime, an 'ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' In other words, the ideal method of containing juvenile crime is to make a life of crime less attractive to potential young offenders. This is important not simply to reduce rates of criminality amongst the most vulnerable population of our society, but also to reduce crime later on, as youthful criminals are likely to become more hardened, career criminals after they age out of the juvenile justice system. Most chronic juvenile offenders are under the age of 15 when they commit their first offense (Sprague 2003:5)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Derryck, Erica Terry. (3 May 2007). "Law enforcement leaders say California is risking lives and wasting money by failing to fully fund interventions proven to cut juvenile crime." Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California. Retrieved 20 Feb 2008 at http://www.fightcrime.org/releases.php?id=305
• Jackovitz, Allison. (2007)."Juvenile Crime Investigated." The Collegian. Penn State University. Retrieved 20 Feb 2008 at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n155/a09.html
• Patten, Peggy & Anne S. Robertson. (2000). "Focus on after-school time for violence prevention. ERIC Digest. Retrieved 20 Feb 2008 at http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-2/focus.htm
• Sprague, Jeffrey, et al. (July 2003). "Juvenile crime prevention program evaluation: Final report." Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. Retrieved 20 Feb 2008 athttp://www.lcd.state.or.us/OCCF/Documents/JCP/JCPEvalFinalReport0703.pdf

More papers on Reducing Juvenile Crime:

• Analytical Essay # 149388 : "Juvenile Crime Programs"
• Essay # 32989 : "The V-Chip, Public Policy, and Juvenile Crime"
• Research Paper # 107703 : "Juvenile Delinquency and Intervention Programs"

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