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Rehabilitation over Punishment

In: Social Issues

Submitted By cstinale
Words 1401
Pages 6
Rehabilitation Reduces Incarceration

Christina Le

CJS/240

05/10/2013

The debate as to how to properly handle juvenile delinquency has caused quite the predicament amongst society. There has been an ongoing debate as to whether the best ways to handle deterrence against juvenile delinquency were to be punishment or rehabilitation. As the time changes, the views have switched their focus going from believing in the value of punishment to seeking the importance of rehabilitation. Without taking away punishment altogether, I believe that society should have a stronger focus on rehabilitation. Contributing factors such as psychiatric evaluation, therapy, work options, community volunteering, and education can help the dynamics of handling juvenile delinquency. Without those things, our society would not be deterring crime for the future but rather we are focused on just the simple solution for the ‘right now’. The cost that is needed to incarcerate anyone is expensive enough as it is. Why would we make society pay more to keep juveniles incarcerated rather than just use that money to help them become the normal outstanding citizens that can in turn help society? Not to mention the overcrowded problem that we have within the jails and the prisons. The proper program given to the appropriate youth can help cut the cost that is spent on incarceration. An article that has mention the proper using of rehabilitation for juvenile delinquents stated, “Developmental issues are also likely to influence the types of problems juvenile offenders experience. Younger adolescents facing the transition to high school and the onset of puberty, for example, have different developmental needs to older adolescents facing the transition from school to work. Relationships with, and dependency on, family and caregivers are also likely to change with age. Disentangling the

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