Juvenile Justice Reform

5 Pages 1229 Words

Juvenile justice reform is a big issue in today’s juvenile justice department. The fact that more and more juveniles are getting into more serious crimes today has become a problem. The key factor is what is the government and society going to do about the problem that must be taken care of? In this paper the fact of the matter is what is the cause of this problem and what methods are being taking to end it. Certification is a method of trying to stop delinquency. But is it right to send children who are fourteen years old to prison? Where and when does violent behavior begin? It will be discussed in this paper on what signs to look for in a delinquent.

Mary Craft, Judge of the 314th District Court in Houston says, “The juvenile justice system in Texas actually is progressive, compared to those in other states.”(Houston Chronicle Magazine 2) In Texas children as young as fourteen can be certified. In some states there is no age limits, and children of any age can be certified. Craft says that she would actually prefer other forms of punishment rather than certification in many cases. Craft states that, “ No question; I see it every day,” Craft says. “ The reality is this: There are more Anglo families that are middle class and have middle-class values and supervise their kids at home than there are in the minority community.” She says that judges are not penalizing people because they are minorities. Crafts says that she is very sensitive to the issue.

High-crime neighborhoods are characterized by high rates of families abandoned by fathers. “The type of aggression and hostility demonstrated by a future criminal often is foreshadowed in unusual aggressiveness as early as age five or six.” (Congressional Digest p.201 1) Behavior that is demonstrated at an early age is beginning abusiveness to siblings and animals. Not getting alone with other children could be a good example of behavior that co...