PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

Juveniles committing crimes is not a new topic of discussion. This has been a topic of discussion for many centuries. Should juveniles be tried in adult courts? Before answering, we must take into consideration every possible scenario that could have led that youth to commit the crime. For instance, was the juvenile the leader in the act committed? Did youth participate in the crime? Was the juvenile even aware of what was taking place? Were they peer pressured? Did they have any other choice at the time? There are so many other questions we could consider when making a harsh decision like that.

In addition, think about how those youth will be affected if tried as an adult and convicted. Let us remember, the United States has the Juvenile Justice System, which is solely for juvenile delinquents. This is supposed to protect them from receiving longer sentences, and harsh punishments, which is the opposite of adult courts. Also, the Juvenile Justice System is supposed to help rehabilitate the juvenile. These are all the reasons why our 17 years old should not be placed in the adult system at 17. They should be tried in the juvenile jurisdiction circuit, to ensure that they get the services that they need, decrease their chances of re-entry, and increase their chances of positive outcomes. 

"NASW promotes, develops and protects the practice of social workers and seeks to enhance the effective functioning and well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its work and advocacy."

• Service
• Social Justice
• Dignity and Worth of Person
• Importance of Human Rights
• Integrity
• Competence

"NASW recommends that the processing and treatment of children and youths who enter the juvenile justice system be differentiated from the treatment of adults throughout every phrase of contact, including prevention, early intervention, formal diversion, detention, probation, residential care, incarceration, and post-release care"(NASW, 2009).

"Services"

Many of the circumstances leading to conflict with the law are of a social nature. Research shows that children who offend often live in families facing difficulties such as poverty, substance abuse, or without a stable income, etc. (Hay et al., 2006). The main goal of juvenile systems should be to enable them not to re-offend.

"Social Justice"

Despite the impressive decreases in the youth held in juvenile facilities, racial disparities still persist nationally. It is imperative that those of us that are in the social work field become more cognizant of the variables that contribute to juveniles being charged as adults. The rise in the number of heinous crimes committed by these juveniles illustrates the need for social workers to provide meaningful research, practice, training, and advocacy for this population.

"Dignity and Worth of Person"

Treating children as adults in the criminal justice system is wrong and ineffective. Youth incarcerated in adult facilities are more likely to suffer physical and emotional abuse. By raising the age of adult criminal responsibility to 18, it can reduce crime, lower recidivism rates, save taxpayer dollars, and provide young offenders with access to services to help get them back on track.

"Importance of Human Rights"

Automatically servicing 17 years old is out of line with the rest of the country. It exposes youth to harmful conditions and practices and increases the likelihood that youth will return to the criminal justice system in the future. We are setting them up for failure.

"Competence"

Staying abreast of the trends, attending ongoing training and creating individualized treatment plans for this population of youth, will help ensure effective and efficient services to help produce better outcomes for our youth.

Most importantly, I believe our role is the empower, inspires, advocate, motivate, and educate our clients.

Our Congress plays a major role in decision making. Their primary role is to pass laws. These laws start off as bills. Bills can only be introduced by members of Congress. Although these bills only come from Congressman, there are many people who influence these bills, such as the governor, regular citizens, offices in the executive branch, and many others. The bills right off the bat do not have a very good chance of passage. Only 1 out of every 10 bills even gets any attention at all. This is because they must go through many tests and hearings before they even have a chance of landing on the governor's desk. The steps it takes for a bill to become law are very important, as well as making sure that all bills passed into law are in the best interest of the people.

"I am grateful to have had this chance to follow a bill, attend hearings, etc."-

W. Thompson