Drug War Effects On Juveniles

The purpose of the juvenile system is to focus on the reasons for their behavior rather than focusing on the being guilty or innocent, like how the adult court system works. Having community based restorative justice is one of the main targets the system should focus on with juveniles. Community based restorative justice focuses on the harm that was caused and what needs to happen in order to be better. I also believe that getting juveniles involved in community service will only do good for the kids as well. Another statement mentioned in the article “Juvenile InJustice: Charging Youth as Adults Is Ineffective, Biased, and Harmful” they write, “When we lock up young people, they are more likely to be exposed to extreme violence, fall prey to abuse, and suffer from illness.

People argue that some juveniles are “too young and they don’t understand” but either way, they still broke the law and should be fairly punished. A fact stating “There are approximately 6,000 juveniles in adult jails and prisons in the United States” shows that people who have broken the law with felonies have been confined by law, no matter the age. People need to learn before they act in a similar manner, again. A similar case is a boy named Craig Price from Rhode Island who had committed multiple felonies, such as four murders and was charged as a minor, meaning he was arrested around age 16 and would get out and have his criminal record sealed at age 21. Because of this, a law was changed so that juveniles could be tried as adults with serious crimes.

1. Title of Research Topic - Juvenile substance abuse: A comparison of effectiveness and recidivism rates among offenders within drug-court programs and those sentenced to traditional sentencing. 2. Introduction of Topic – The late 20th century witnessed an alarming increase in substance abuse in the United States, and today, it still continues to rage on, coupled with a continuously expanding inmate population. Therefore, in order to battle this disastrous obstacle, the first ever drug court was established in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 1989.

Not all juveniles do drugs for a straightforward reason. Take Fernando Ellis, a young man who ended up taking drugs everyday. Fernando life took a turn for the worse when his mother died when he was only 12 years old. For children like Fernando, drugs are a mean of escape. Fernando’s father introduced him to drugs and alcohol at a young age and they were just the norm to him.

I do not think it’s a good idea to incarcerate juveniles because there is a large amount of evidence that shows the negative effects this has on the juvenile. This incarceration can stunt their growth not only physically but also mentally. There is also evidence that shows that incarcerating juveniles can cause them to become more criminal. However I also believe that it is important to create a safe community for everyone.

I. Thesis For generations, the argument whether juveniles should be waived to adult courts or not has been a prevalent one in our society. Some agree that waiving the juveniles to adult courts will reduce their recidivism rate, due to the harsh sentences and a lifelong record next to their name. However, in light of the argument these individuals fail to consider that the level of maturity of the juvenile is not the same as an adult. The cognitive development of the juvenile is still in process when they are underage, causing them to act impulsively without thinking about the consequences of their actions.

Many people have disregarded the fact that children too can commit despicable crimes; crimes that not even adults would think about committing. Juveniles have had their era in in being able to manipulating courts to give them a lighter sentences for their so-called “mistakes”. These juveniles have made puerile excuses to try and exonerate their actions by blaming their impulses, rather than taking accountability for them. Juveniles should be tried as adults due to being aware of their crimes and having an intention to kill, however, brain development and maturity can play a role into the reason why teens kill. With being tried as an adult juveniles should be granted the opportunity of freedom pending on their rehabilitation status and if requirements

Juveniles in prison face increased violence and sexual abuse, and are at much higher risks of committing suicide than juveniles in juvenile prisons. In addition, the number of released prisoners that turn back to crime is much higher for those that were juveniles in adult prisons. Juveniles will face the consequences of their actions in juvenile prisons, but will also be given a second chance to change their lives through rehabilitation. It is time to stop failing this nation’s juveniles and build a system that benefits not only these children, but society as a whole through the end of a vicious criminal

In Sarah Stillman’s article, The Throwaways, she mentions multiple cases in which we see how young adults today are treated when they have minor drug charges held against them. Stillman specifically elaborates on four unfortunate

In the name of fighting drug abuse, governments unleashed a war on drugs that continues to rage today. Drugs have numerous negative consequences that can result from an addiction, but some can have positive effects when used appropriately and under the care of a healthcare professional. The War on Drugs is a government-led initiative aimed at stopping illegal drug use, distribution, and trade by issuing increased prison sentences for drug-related offenses, and it increased federal funding for drug-control agencies and treatment efforts. Instead, it has resulted in a disproportionate amount of incarcerations of minorities.

Why should teen felons get to spend their jail time in juvenile detention centers for committing the same crimes as adults? In today’s world, teens are increasingly committing violent crimes and being put in juvenile detention centers. Teens need to be tried as adults because it helps to bring justice to families of victims, and it also teaches the teens accountability. Charging teens as adults will also help reduce crime in the United States. Although many people feel that teens should not be given severe punishments because they are immature and innocent, they have not considered the problem teens are creating by committing these crimes..

I do believe that the youths committing crimes should be punished, but there is a reason for the existence of a juvenile corrections system. Using the prison system to enforce this law is an example of the dominant culture using tools that they have to maintain their dominant position. Additionally, this is an example of social location having a large impact on ones day to day life. My friend got caught selling marijuana on school grounds, and only received probation, he is a white male, upper middle class, etc. But this is an example of treating those who are socially located in the poor, or minority groups, much harsher than those located in a different social

In today’s world there are countless crimes committed every single day. “In 2015, there were 1.42 million total arrests, at a rate of 3,641 arrests per 100,000 residents” (State of California, Department of Justice). Grown adults are not the only people being arrested every year, there are also juveniles, children, being arrested every day. One topic of controversy today is whether or not juveniles who commit these crimes should be tried as adults in criminal court. There are many differences between the justice system for adults and the justice system for juveniles.

Should non-violent drug offender go to prison? Can you imagine how tragic our society would be if the laws were not enforced and maintained? All laws are put into place to protect people from harm, and shouldn’t be overlooked. If we make concessions for non-violent drug offenders then we are saying “it’s acceptable to break the law”. You must know the "nonviolent" offenders populating our prisons are not college students caught with dime bags.

The U.S. leads all nations in opioid usage. Another 8 million use cocaine in the U.S. this number is 3rd overall across all nations. These statistics have lead me and many others to believe the war on drugs is anything besides a success. Opposing views claim, that the war on drugs has been rather successful.