A problem of fixing the parole system for juveniles

According to Ryan Haggerty, a Chicago Tribune reporter, “ More than half of the people released from the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice facilities are later incarcerated again in the juvenile system, according to the study by the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission” (Haggerty). This shows that the juvenile justice system is not rehabilitating teens offenders like they should. The juvenile justice system was created to assist teens to transition back into their communities. But, as Haggerty’s report states, “ the state’s juvenile justice system ‘ is, in many ways, the ‘ feeder system’ to the adult criminal justice system and a cycle of crime, victimization and incarceration” (Haggerty). This means that the juvenile justice system is adding more people into the adult criminal justice system. Therefore, the juvenile justice system is not meeting its goals because the adult criminal justice system is a more advance punishment for juveniles, and the juvenile justice system is not fulfilling it goal which is to have juvenile transition back into their communities. According to Haggerty, “ Incarcerating a juvenile offender for one year in a state youth facility costs more than $86, 000, according to the report. In contrast, community-based rehabilitation programs that the report says are more effective cost $3, 000 to $8, 000 per person a year” (Haggerty). This shows that because more juvenile are being incarcerated, more money is being spent. Spreading awareness about the juvenile justice system in Chicago is important because the juvenile justice system is failing teens who are not posing any type of threat to the safety of communities; therefore, the parole system needs to fixed in order to address this issue.

The juvenile justice system show it’s failure when juveniles crimes are being compared. Juveniles offenders are being treated unfairly with juveniles who committed similar crimes. According to Alex Usher, the Executive Editor for the Research Briefs, she states, “ The authors’ most conservative estimate for recidivism rates, taking into account the offender’s background characteristics and the severity of the crime committed, shows that incarcerated juveniles are 22 percent more likely to be incarcerated as an adult, as compared to other youth their age. More ominously, when comparing incarcerated juveniles to juveniles who were also charged with the same crimes but were not detained, those incarcerated are 15 percent more likely to be incarcerated again as an adult. This suggests that for juvenile offenders, time in a correctional facility may have a criminogenic effect” (Usher). This quote shows juveniles are being punished unequally and being reincarcerated again as they get older.

Juvenile offenders being incarcerated is expensive for the state; however, more and more juveniles are being incarcerated. The purpose of juvenile detention centers are suppose to have teens transition back into their communities. According to Haggerty, “ Incarcerating a juvenile offender for one year in a state youth facility costs more than $86, 000, according to the report. In contrast, community-based rehabilitation programs that the report says are more effective cost $3, 000 to $8, 000 per person a year” (Haggerty). The most logical conclusion one can draw from this data is that due to more juveniles offenders are being incarcerated, more money is being spent to keep them in an facility. But, the cost of rehabilitation programs are less than the facility, but it is not being used. However, due to more money is used to keep juveniles in facilities, that money also affect on communities. According to Elizabeth Clarke, the President of the Juvenile Justice Initiative of Illinois, she says, “ Finally, study after study shows that keeping youth in the community saves money in both the short and long term; it costs nearly $225, 000 a year to incarcerate a youth in CCJTDC, community-based treatment costs a small fraction of that” (Clarke). This means that there has been studies about saving money for the communities. And based on those studies, it came to a conclusion that the only way to save money is to keep juveniles in their communities and out the cell. In addition, due to the increase of teens being incarcerated; it also affects the capital. According to Alex Usher, “ In their 2013 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, authors Anna Aizer and Joseph J. Doyle, Jr. examine data on 35, 000 offenders in Chicago and find that juvenile incarceration more seriously effects human capital than does adult incarceration and greatly increases the likelihood of both dropping out of high school and of incarceration as an adult” (Usher). This proves that juvenile incarceration does not only hurt the communities, but it also hurts the human capital. Also, due to juveniles being incarcerated it affects their future as of schooling and being reincarcerated as an adult.

The juvenile justice system puts juveniles in a health risk situation by following an adult surveillance model. The adult surveillance model is for adults offenders. According to Saddler, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services, she states, “ Adults and juveniles on parole are monitored by the same parole system run by the Department of Corrections – a system designed for adult parolees. The parole system acts as a surveillance-only system, primarily ensuring that adults and juveniles on parole do not engage in prohibited behavior. Focused on compliance and calibrated for adults, this system fails to assist juvenile parolees with locating and obtaining necessary services” (Saddler). This quote supports my thesis that the juvenile justice system is failing because the parole system is a part of the juvenile justice system. This proves that the parole system follows the adult surveillance system, but it does not support juveniles. This is a problem because the current parole system will not provide necessary support services for juveniles, it only watches them.

One may think that teens do pose a threat and should be punished more due to their actions. However, by focusing on the time of teens punishment, one overlooks the deeper problem of teens being incarcerated, and that is teens’ health. But, according to Sarah Hammond, the President of the NCSL’s Criminal Justice Program, she states that, “ Youths may experience conduct, mood, anxiety and substance abuse disorders. Often they have more than one disorder; the most common “ co-occurrence” is substance abuse with another mental illness. Frequently, these disorders put children at risk for troublesome behavior and delinquent acts” (Hammond). The most logical conclusion one can draw from this is that many incarcerated teens’ have an mental illness, but as a result from their release they have a more likely chance of doing a troublesome act again.

To make sure juveniles can be treated right. A possible solution can be to insure that rehabilitation programs are being utilized for juveniles once they are released from being incarcerated. This idea will benefit the economies and communities by saving money. A summary of Haggerty statement about rehabilitation center are less expensive than facilities, and Clarke statement that communities saves more more when juveniles are in it instead of in facilities are true. The usage of money to keep juveniles in facilities will increase if juveniles are being incarcerated or if rehabilitation programs are not being used.

In addition, a possible solution can be to fix or to sanction the youth parole system. As stated previously the youth parole system, for incarcerated youth is similarity to the adult parole system, which is to advance for youth. This idea will help bring youth back into their communities. This should be forced because the adult parole system is effecting incarcerated youths mental state. And, this solution can help youths to fix their lives by being put back into their communities.

Fixing the parole system for juveniles who are being incarcerated multiple times will be the best solution. An endorsement of the youth parole system will fix the juvenile justice system by allowing teens to transition back into their communities, release tension on youths mental state, and saving the economies money by decreasing the rate of incarcerated juveniles in facilities. If more juveniles are being incarcerated, how do we make sure that juvenile justice system despite of juveniles crimes, money, or youth parole system follows it’s goal of juvenile transition back to communities.