The Pros And Cons Of Juvenile Offenders

Offenders Under 17 To Be Offered Limited Sentencing

Introduction

The increased number of juveniles committing serious offenses is creating a worrying trend. In 2010 alone about 1.6 million juveniles below the age of 18 were arrested, among those arrested approximately 1.4 million of these cases were handled by the court (Sickmund and Puzzanchera 118,151). Many of these juveniles end up being incarcerated in juvenile facilities, while some are transferred to criminal or adult’s courts where they are likely to end up in adult prisons. In the recent past there have been calls for tougher punishments for juvenile offenders. The call for tougher punishment has resulted from a trend of an increasing number of “super predators”, brutally remorseless

Such perception may also interfere or affect cooperation between juvenile offenders and correction services or the justice systems, which may lead to negative outcomes. Tough punishments may also expose juvenile offender to harsh conditions, which may encourage recidivism. Usually, when placed in institutions such as adult prisons, juvenile offenders may be exposed to other vices including drug abuse, which can encourage their involvement in criminal activities in future. As such, giving them tough punishments that would lead them to end up in prison may work against the intention of rehabilitating juvenile offenders (Sickmund and Puzzanchera 151;

Supporters of tough punishments believe that juveniles will be discouraged to commit offense if the know that there will be dire consequences. However, evidence suggests that tough punishment encourages recidivism. Furthermore, regardless of the type of approach or intervention most individuals desist from engaging in delinquent behavior as they transition to adulthood. Therefore, heavy handedness would be unnecessary