National Bar Association.
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Rehabilitate Rather than Incarcerate.
When juveniles are transferred to the adult criminal justice system, the decision is justified to ensure public safety. However, the American Bar Association recognizes flaws in this current ideology. Trying juveniles in the adult criminal justice system is a temporary fix to maintaining a safe public. While the juvenile justice system provides “skill development...[addresses] treatment needs, and successful reintegration of youth into the community”, children tried as adults are not provided the same services. As a result, when charged with the same crime, delinquents tried as juveniles are less likely to reoffend than delinquents tried as adults. Although most juveniles in the adult system are released, they are not provided the resources to successfully assimilate back into society. Therefore, juveniles prosecuted in adult court are “rearrested 82 percent of the time”.
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The adult criminal justice system provides programs most effective for preventing recidivism among adults. Rather than developing skills to be successful adults, minors are placed in institutions where their only exposure to adult behavior is through criminals. Although, there is already a system that minimizes the risk of juveniles to the public by providing them the necessities to function in society, the criminal justice system continues to operate under the false pretense that trying juveniles as adults deters them from committing future crimes. While current policies may take juvenile criminals off the streets, trying them in the adult criminal justice system does not prevent them from becoming adult criminals. Instead, they re-enter society and return to criminal behavior.
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The Story of Chavez:
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This video highlights the struggles of Chavez, a young offender in an adult prison. Chavez constantly fears for his safety and questions who he can trust to prevent being preyed on by seasoned offenders.
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