Why Juveniles Commit Crimes

There are several reasons why juveniles commit crimes. These reasons range from an unstable family to peer pressure. According to the Juvenile Forensic Evaluation Center there are also a plethora of psychological disorders that contribute to juvenile crime. These disorders include; Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Dysthymia, Conduct Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (Sheras). The center claims that these disorders can lead to aggressive behavior in adolescents. Familial risks also play a large role in contributing to delinquent behavior. Children that are products of divorced parent or who have suffered abuse within the family are more likely to commit crimes. Lack of parental supervision and involvement has forced many children to fend themselves. Many of these adolescents are left alone for hours and begin to commit crimes.

Other factors that are related to juvenile incarceration include low levels of income, drug and alcohol dependency and lack of education.

In low income neighborhoods, there are fewer jobs available and a lack of social programs. This leaves kids with no activities to engage themselves in which can lead to delinquent behavior Drug and alcohol dependency often leads to stealing so that the adolescent can support its habit. In addition, many children who commit these crimes have dropped out of school or do not attend school regularly. In fact, “A Rand study found that a $1 million investment in graduation incentives for disadvantaged students could prevent 258 serious crimes” (Juvenile Justice Fact Sheet).
New York offers both secure and non-secure facilities to juveniles who have committed crimes. The state provides the juveniles with many different services while they are being held in these facilities. It cost New York millions of dollars a year to maintain these

facilities.
Secure facilities house both violent and non-violent criminals. In recent years, the Department of Juvenile Justice has found that many of the children held in secure facilities should actually be held in non-secure facilities. However, the secure facilities are necessary for the violent juvenile offenders that may cause harm to the community. According to the New York Department of Juvenile Justice, juveniles ages 10-15 are held in secure facilities as they await court (Secure Detention). For many years there was only one secure facility in New York City, the Spofford Juvenile Center which was closed in 1998 (Secure Detention). However, in 1998 two new facilities opened the Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx and the Crosswords Juvenile Center in Brooklyn. The Spofford Center was consequently renovated and reopened in 1999 and renamed the Bridges Juvenile Center (Secure Detention). Bridges Juvenile Center was shut down in 2011 due to poor conditions and the brutality against children.
Secure facilities provide juveniles with case workers who give the juveniles individual attention and aid them in adjusting to their new surroundings (Secure Detention). The case workers also maintain contact with the juvenile’s lawyer, family and stay up to date with the individual’s court date. Additionally, the case worker ensures that the other services provided by the facility cater to the juvenile’s individual needs (Secure Detention). Secure facilities also ensure that incarcerated juveniles receive dental, health and mental health screening within 72 hours of arriving at a secure facility (Secure Detention). They also provide counseling to those struggling with mental health issues. Juveniles are thoroughly screened and monitored. Sixty-seven percent of juveniles only spend about five days in a secure facility and the remaining spends no more than thirty days in a facility (Secure Detention).
In addition, to health services juveniles that are incarcerated in these facilities have access to education, chapel services, and recreation (Secure Detention). Each of the detention facilities has three schools that are fully staffed and provide juveniles with a tailored education. These schools are collectively known as the Passage Academy (Secure Detention). There are also full time chaplains who are available for spiritual counseling in each of the facilities. Chapel services are held during the week and on holidays. Juveniles are also given access to recreation, including outdoor yards and game rooms (Secure Detention).