Friday, May 28, 2004
10 Reasons Why Juveniles Do Not Belong in Adult Prisons
10 Reasons Why Juveniles Do Not Belong in Adult Prisons:
Some Talking Points for Youth Advocates
by Aaron Kipnis, Ph.D.
Preamble:
Since prison reforms of the late 19th century, youthful law breakers have rightly been understood as more amenable to treatment and rehabilitation than adult offenders. Incarcerated youth cannot buy cigarettes or alcohol, sign a contract, get married, take out a loan, own property, defend our nation at war, or even vote. 21st century changes in our justice system, however, assure that increasing numbers of youth now face harsher consequences with less legal protections than similarly charged adults. Thousands of youth are in adult prisons. No reliable research supports harsh imprisonment of children as an antidote to youth crime or as an effective rehabilitation strategy. Many studies do, however, reveal the negative outcomes that follow referral of youth to adult courts and corrections.
Juveniles sentenced to adult prisons instead of juvenile institutions:
- RAPE – Often must choose between serving a gang or being repeatedly raped.
- DISEASE – Incur higher rates of drug resistant TB, Hepatitis C and AIDS.
- MENTAL ILLNESS – Undergo accelerated deterioration of their mental health.
- INJURY AND DEATH – Suffer higher rates of assault, injury by weapons, suicide and homicide.
- ISOLATION – Experience more rapid disintegration of relationships with family, children and community members.
- NEGLECT – Obtain less education and treatment while gaining fewer skills vital for future success in the outside world.
- RACISM – Youth from minority groups are more frequently referred to adult courts and corrections, often receiving harsher sentences than similarly charged white youth
- CRIMINALIZATION – Become more hardened, embittered criminals.
- RECIVIDISM – Return to custody after release in 9 out of 10 cases.
- CRIME ESCALATION – Commit more violent crimes than similarly charged youth paroled from the juvenile system.
Conclusion
Justice for both victims and juvenile offenders can only be achieved through implementation of a smart and secure treatment plan. Adult referrals do not deter other at risk youth. Adult imprisonment virtually assures most juveniles futures as lifelong burdens on the state. The aggregate fate for many youth is that any sentence to an adult prison is death. We can do better than this in America.
# 5/28/04; 4:17:39 PM
