The Standard Rules That Juveniles Follow on Probation - Coursework Example

? number] Juvenile Justice Define probation and describe the standard rules that juveniles follow on probation. Discuss the different types of probation supervision. Explain why probation can be different in different communities. Probation is a court dispensation wherein a juvenile offender is tentatively released from the court but are placed under the care of an agency or the community so that they can integrate back to the society as a mature and more responsible individual. When under probation, juveniles have to follow standard rules, e.g. obeisance to all laws, including traffic laws, attendance to probation officers as mandated by the court, attendance to all school sessions and abeyance to school regulations, disassociation with codefendants or other probationers, prohibition on the possession of any weapon, among others. Failure to follow these standard laws can lead to the probationer’s arrest and return to court. Standard supervision includes meetings with probation officers or community workers for the implementation of a case plan for first time, low-risk juvenile offenders. Over the years, however, intensive supervision programs including home confinement and electronic monitoring are being used for offenders who have high levels of recidivism. Different courts offer various probation programs. Probation officers different abilities and willingness to work with probationers. Moreover, communities offer different services for rehabilitation of offenders. One community may focus on educational programs while others utilize job training and placement as a way to prevent re-offense. 2. Discuss the six basic roles of a probation officer. What do you think consumes most of their time? If you were a juvenile probation officer, what do you think would be your favorite role? Explain your position. Probation officers (PO) perform six basic functions: (1) They act as social investigators in the hope of providing juvenile judges with information on whether the juvenile will be given conditional discharge, probation or passed on to the juvenile justice system; (2) POs act as counselors or rehabilitators in that they ensure that the juvenile under probation will follow court orders; (3) POs are protectors of the society or the community in that they are mandated to arrest juvenile probationers in case they are violating the conditions set by the court, or are endangering the security of the society or community; (4) POs write and administer case plans based on the juvenile’s social history. Through these case plans, POs can ensure that offenders will no longer return to court; (5) POs act as collector of court-ordered monies or other sanctions. If the juvenile is sanctioned for community service, POs ensure that this duty is performed by the probationer. (6) POs act as brokers for community resources in that they organize resources so that it serves the needs of both the probationer and the community. Through this function, POs are able to ensure that juvenile offenders are able to seamlessly integrate with the society. My favorite role is that of an investigator because of my natural curiosity. Through this function, I can learn more about a person, and be able to determine what is causing that person to exhibit a specific behavior. 3. Define the different types of restitution and discuss the operation and effectiveness of this sanction. Explain the findings on research into restitution effectiveness.  At present, there are three kinds of restitutions utilized by the juvenile justice system: community service restitution, victim service restitution and monetary. In monetary restitution, offenders are ordered by the court to earn income so that they can pay back the victim. The rationale behind this is that the court wants the offender to realize the economic effects of his or her act and be responsible for his/her behavior. Victim service restitution requires the offender to pay the victim back in kind. By doing this, the court is an effort to make the offender see that his/her victim is also a human being. Meanwhile, community service is designed for the juvenile offender to understand that his/her actions can affect and impede the workings of the community. Researches show different results on the effectiveness of restitution types. For example, in a study conducted in Utah, it was discovered that traditional probation programs produced higher recidivism rates compared to programs in Washington and Clayton County. Meanwhile another study showed that juveniles who were randomly assigned to a restitution program had lower recidivism rate compared to offenders who were placed on probation or incarcerated. 4. Discuss the operation and effectiveness of two types of out-of-home community-based corrections programs for juvenile offenders. What are the major problems encountered with these programs? Foster homes provide care to children with unstable home lives. In cases when the parents are in conflict or the juvenile is abused, the court places offenders in foster homes to provide them with a more caring and supportive environment. Foster homes are used as halfway programs wherein the youth is returning from an institutional placement and is being transitioned back to the society. The problem with foster homes is that research shows that it is ineffective as at reducing delinquency and children place in foster care may exhibit behavioral and emotional problems compared to youths raised by their own families. Group homes or halfway houses are like foster home, but juvenile offenders are placed in larger communities. Group homes are beneficial for juveniles who are seeking for emotional support from adults who can act as parental figures. These institutions are less restrictive and may offer educational and entertainment activities. Like foster homes, however, group homes have not been proven effective and the high cost of maintaining group homes can sometimes affect the quality of service provided by the staff. Moreover, there have been incidents of victimization of residents where a youth residing in a group home has been abused or victimized by other residents or by the staff. 5. Explain the difference between aftercare and parole? Why is aftercare important in juvenile justice? What is intensive aftercare? Aftercare refers to the range of programs designed to assist juveniles to successfully integrate with the society. Aftercare empowers offenders so that these juveniles can become mature and responsible citizens. Aftercare can include foster home placement, home placement, job opportunities and many others. Intensive aftercare allows organizations offering juvenile aftercare services to overcome institutional barriers to service provision. Meanwhile, parole is one form of aftercare wherein the juvenile offender is released from incarceration. When under parole, juveniles have to adhere to certain conditions such as the avoidance of illegal activities. If the offender fails to adhere to any of the conditions presented under the parole contract, he or she may be referred back to probation staff or other institutions offering aftercare. 6. What types of juveniles are housed in detention centers? What are the basic operating procedures and major problems encountered in detention centers? Detention centers are institutions where juvenile offenders are incarcerated. Offender below 18 are detained in these centers so that they do not mingle with hardened criminals in prisons, hence enabling them to change their ways and become more responsible members of the community. Detention centers are reserved for juveniles who have committed serious offenses, or if the youth’s safety is threatened. Some probationers who fail to comply to the standard rules of probation may also be detained. While in detention, juveniles have to follow strict rules and they have to adhere to interventions designed to educate and control resident behavior. Residents of detention centers may earn rewards for good behavior. According to research, token economies such as those implemented in detention centers are effective but they can increase conflict among residents and staff if not implemented properly. It can also serve as a punitive program wherein residents can readily lose points but no explanation is given as to how they can gain back points. Detention centers have to deal with the most problematic of youths, hence their staff have to be skilled at counseling as well as managing the household. Unfortunately, most staff of detention centers are unskilled at dealing mental and emotional outbursts from residents. Moreover, detention centers often lack basic health services which can lead to uncontrolled outbreaks of diseases among the population. 7. Discuss the placement of juveniles in adult jails. What are the major problems with this practice? Do you feel there are any appropriate circumstances in which juveniles should be placed in jail with adults? Explain your answer. Over the years, juvenile courts have prevented passing on juvenile offenders to the criminal justice system in the hope of providing a “second chance” at life. Moreover, studies have shown that juveniles placed in adult jails have experienced physical and sexual abuse, exploitation and injury. In some instances when abuse has already been reported to the authorities, children are isolated from adult offenders, which could affect the child’s mental health. Adult jails expose youth offenders to an emotionally unstable environment. Once incarcerated, these youths are labeled as criminals, and are treated as such in the society. Often, these youths succumb to a continued life of crime because of the trauma they have experienced in adult jails and the rejection they may feel in the community. Putting juvenile offenders to adult jails is like sentencing them removing all their hope for a better life. Placing young offenders in adult jails is like curtailing the juvenile’s potentials for a better future and categorizing him/her as a reject. 8. Describe training schools. What are the basic operations and programming? What are the major problems associated with training schools?  Training schools serve as a last resort for offenders who have repeat offenses and are unable to prevent themselves from conducting illegal activities. Training schools resemble adult prisons in that residents are detained in high security facilities. Misbehavior are punished by solitary confinement. Unlike adult prisons, however, training schools are pretty secure in that they have a homelike environment. Facilities are not fenced in but the staff are responsible for maintaining security in the facility. Training schools are composed of various programs including academic or vocational education opportunities, recreation, counseling, and behavior management. The problem with these institutions is that educational opportunities are subject to sex typing wherein males can take carpentry, automotive, agriculture, etc. courses, while females take secretarial or cosmetology courses. These courses do not ensure employment, hence, incarcerated youths have to contend with other job applicants. Moreover, training schools do not provide instruction on personal development so many juveniles are unable to deal with the pressure and culture outside of the institution. Another problem of training schools is that they only offer basic counseling which is inadequate since many incarcerated youths are victims of parental violence, drug or alcohol abuse, and depression, among many others. 9. Describe 2 others types of institutional correctional programs for juvenile offenders. Which do you think would be the most effective and important for a state to implement?  Forestry camps and outdoor programs are long term correctional facilities for juvenile offenders which are typically located in remote areas. These facilities are not closed off, but its physical location serves as a barrier between residents in these camps and the community in general. Forestry camps are more informal and one may say that they are more lax compared to training schools. Boot camps are offered for juveniles who have performed serious offenses. Because of its military-style training where everything has to be done at the exact time, according to its schedule serve to recreate a person’s habits and hone a person’s discipline. If I were to choose between these two types of correctional programs, I would choose forestry camps because it seems like life there is more at ease there than those who are in boot camps. Moreover, forestry camps can be pretty fun especially to individuals who love to have adventures. 10. What are the major challenges facing juvenile correctional institutions? What should our legislators do to alleviate these problems? Explain your position. Some of the major challenges that a correctional institution has to deal with include the following: (1) little to no information about how to deal with juvenile offenses. Often, social institutions treat offending youths like adults and they are unfamiliar as to how the court rules when it comes to cases involving juvenile offenders. Because of the unfamiliarity of dealing with youth offenders, juvenile facilities may not be running in optimum speed and can lead to security breaches and overcrowding; (2) disproportionate confinement of minorities. Research shows that racial minorities are often referred to the criminal justice system which white offenders are often referred to probation or aftercare. It seems as if correctional institutions are still practicing racial discrimination in a different form; (3) most juvenile correctional facilities do not have the right environment that promotes positive behavior change. Staff of facilities may look at youth offenders as convicted felons which can in fact affect a person’s self respect. Meanwhile, inmade code promotes norms and values which stand against the desire values and norms of the society; (4) lack of relationship between the staff and residents of the institution. Most staff would like to avoid contact with an incarcerated individuals, and in a sense, they are already looking down on the youth offenders. I believe that there is much to be done in order to address the issues of juvenile correctional institutions. It requires the assistance of various experts, particularly those who truly care about youth offenders and their potential to lead a happy, self fulfilled future. Research on juvenile delinquency and its factors have to be addressed in order for legislators to create a proposal that will address the issues mentioned above. Juvenile corrections is a sensitive topic because it can potentially affect a whole generation, hence it cannot be dealt through whim alone. Changes in the system has to be evidence-based and are proven to have huge effects on the rate of recidivism. Read More