The article for this thursday is "Juvenile Junction", from The Nation and the original may be found here
Here is the summary: This article is about juvenile crime and how the Senate is dealing with the problems. Girls at the Mississippi detention center were tied up for weeks at a time and where cuffed and chained while they ate or used the bathroom. The boy was beaten and restrained by guards on his first day at a juvenile boot camp, suspected of faking an illness to avoid exercise. He died from his injuries the next day at age 14. Nearly 80,000 people under the age of 18 are held in juvenile detention and residential facilities around the US each day. Zachary Norris thinks that no one sees the human rights violations that are occurring in our country. The Senate is in the process of reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. This bill can also work towards reducing racial and ethnic inequalities. A new version of the JJDPA passed Senate on July 31 and they are trying to work with it.
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Here is the summary:
This article is about juvenile crime and how the Senate is dealing with the problems. Girls at the Mississippi detention center were tied up for weeks at a time and where cuffed and chained while they ate or used the bathroom. The boy was beaten and restrained by guards on his first day at a juvenile boot camp, suspected of faking an illness to avoid exercise. He died from his injuries the next day at age 14. Nearly 80,000 people under the age of 18 are held in juvenile detention and residential facilities around the US each day. Zachary Norris thinks that no one sees the human rights violations that are occurring in our country. The Senate is in the process of reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. This bill can also work towards reducing racial and ethnic inequalities. A new version of the JJDPA passed Senate on July 31 and they are trying to work with it.
I found the article interesting and I feel that it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure their kids don't get in trouble and juvenile detention centers should only be used on people who do really bad things.
Personally, i find this article very indicative of how little people know about the many abuses throughout the nation. In general context, this article exposes the lack of concern that many citizens have towards domestic issues. With the article, i find it interesting that "juvenile centers" supposedly has more pleasant connotation but this wording masks the abuse in the facilities. I think that these facilities are ineffective in changing criminals but i don't see how they can turn offenders into repeat offenders.
I think it's ridiculous how guards can treat kids like that. They don't deserve to be treated that way no matter what crime the teenager committed was.It is unjust and I think its horrible. This article affected me strongly because I don't understand what kind of people can treat others that way, especially with kids in there for merely skipping class.
I think it's horrible the way the guards treat the kids at the centers but I also think that it is important that the kids learn from their mistakes so that when they are actually in the real world they will not do the same things. That being said, I also think that the responsibility lies with the parents to keep their kids in check. Only crimes for which an adult would be put into jail should be the ones that land a kid in a detention center.
I found this article extremely disturbing. I had no idea that juvenile detention centers were so cruel in their methods of "disciplining" these young prisoners. It was eye-opening, as well, to learn that the punishments for such seemingly minute, trivial offenses are so inhumane: How can a youth learn from his or her mistakes by having his physical and physcological health so severely battered??
Our society puts so much emphasis on the human rights abuses of other countries, and yet we fail to recognize and rid of our own.
It is really surprising that these violent atrocities still occur when this country prides how advance it is in the aspect of the basic inalienable rights and freedoms. This article made me aware of how horrendous violence like this still occurs every day. The JJDPA bill sounds promising and I hope that it will better the conditions for teens in juvenile detention centers. I also think that the media needs to place more publicity on these problems so that we can all do something about it.
1. What crimes do you think are worthy of being sent to a juvenile detention center for? any crime that would send an adult to prison is worthy of being sent to a juvenile detention center
2. Do you think that juvenile detention centers help to prevent crime in society by taming offenders, or help to transform youth offenders into repeat criminals from abuse? I don't think that it "tames" offenders, more so that it teaches them that even though they are underage, there are consequences to their actions. That minors are parts of society, and for it to function, it is necessary for them to follow and abide to the law.
3. If you are opposed to juvenile detention centers, what type of plan do you suggest to replace it? I am not opposed to juvenile detention centers; merely the way that they are being used. It seems that even with the most simple of misdemeanors, minors are being sent to the detention centers. That is not the purpose for them. It is not supposed to be a time out. Detention centers are supposed to be a substitute for prison, only in a safer environment seeing as the people there are still young. In cases where students are truant or commit other minor crimes, detention centers are not the answer, small acts of rebellion such as these should not be faced with such a consequence. That aside, the reported beating of the delinquents as well as other mistreatment is completely unorthodox and shouldn't be tolerated in the least. If the officers in charge of the centers are having such a negative and violent inclination towards them, then their reform will be modeled after the only "good" people that they come in contact with. overall their entire system needs a reformation.
Whoa! This reminded me of a bad version of "Scared Straight." While I'm not opposed to the concept of juvenile detention centers, there is a problem if that power is being abused by the adults who run it. Daniel, great comments about this! I especially agree with the idea that the centers are supposed to be a consequence for wrongdoing, yet keep minors safe from the dangers of regular prison.
What do you guys think of Missouri's solution (which appears to be working)?
Also, what biases does this author bring to the piece? It clearly begins with that shock value attention getter--the anecdotes are meant to scare us into believing there is a problem.
I think it's outrageous that the kids are treated so poorly in the detention centers. While I knew that the conditions ideal, I had no idea that the treatment was that bad. It's crazy to know that running away from home can get you put in a place that basically tortures you. I was shocked to learn that a boy was beaten so bad that he died the next day from injuries. It isn't fair for children to be put in such a terrible environment, no matter what type of crime they committed. However, I feel like this author has a bias, even though he isn't directly linked to this ordeal,it's clear that he feels strongly about this problem. He obviously feels that these detention centers should be regulated more efficiently, and the treatment that occurs within should be monitored so they can prevent more events, like the boy's, from happening in the future.
I don't think that anyone deserves to be tourtured or punished so harshly. Missing out on your childhood because you are are spending it in a detention center is enough....no one deserves this kind of treatment...no matter how serious their crime was.
I don't think Missouri is handling the situation in a harsh enough manner. To me the fact that they are being kept close to home just makes the whole ordeal more similar to an ISS than juvenile detention center. I reiterate that it is meant to be a substitute for prison and the only thing keeping them there is the fact that they are underage. And in response to Ary's post: if a fifteen year old intentionally hurt someone or destroyed public-possibly your- property, would you not be in favor of showing them the extent of their behavior. There are some cases where simple 'community service' is not enough. Actually I find the whole idea funny that they hand out community service when it is expected of all students. If your point was however, to emphasize that no one should be treated in the vehement manner that has been the norm in the detention centers outlined in the article; then yes,I do believe that nobody, regardless of crime, should be treated that way. Especially if it results in death, there is a reason that they are in juvi' and the fact that the child's life was cut short is horrific.
A juvenile detention center is supposed to be a form of law enforcement, a way to keep our communities safer, and defiantly not a way to abuse minors. In my opinion this is harsh and unusual punishment and the Senate should work with the updated law in order to protect juvenile rights. I do not think, however, that juveniles should be treated like royalty, but I also don't think they should be neglected of medical help or subject to unnecessary beatings.
Well I've heard about boot camps before, and seen a few TV shows where there were guards yelling their heads off at the detainees, but I didn't think they'd go so far as to beat them to death. My mom has told me stories about how parents sent their children to boot camps when their children weren't listening to them, but I always thought they would come home as nice reformed people. I never knew the same juveniles that get sent there by their parents are going to the same place that police send underage criminal offenders, where they may be abused for no reason.
At these detention centers, they are "treated" with physical and mental abuse. I think rather than determining a prisoner's treatment as how much abuse they'll be put through, they should be made to do such things as community service or social reform classes, because, clearly, the solution doesn't come from beating them.
I also find it surprising how little the average American knows about this. I myself did not know that such a thing still existed in the United States. Maybe, similar to Nazi Germany, the guards of such places are careful to let information seep out, but I'm sure there have been many political activists who discovered it and that have tried to protest. Perhaps we Americans just turn our backs to their efforts as a problem that everyone else can take care of.
Then there's also my question concerning what could motivate a guard to treat his interns like that. I can only think of a mentally violent criminal that found such a job to be able to hurt victims legally. I do not think under normal conditions that a guard would purposely attack his subordinates, unless they presented some sort of threat to him.
These detention centers need to be monitored to make sure that the activities inside are not exceeding the law. The government should legislate for schools for reform, and leave such detention centers as a last resort, when the offender clearly has no chance of reforming, in which case we have psychiatric hospitals for the mentally unstable.
I think I sound like biased protester who's ranting will amount to nothing anyway. haha
I think that the punishment and the crime don't match. These kids are getting very harsh punishments like being tied up and beat for minor things like skipping school or a minor theft charge.
I feel that it is absolutely farcical that the guards take such ludicrous and serious actions to children that are committed of a juvenile crime. I personally think that the miniscule offenses that these children are accused of do not deserve such torture. Like Meenu said," How are children to learn from mistakes through psychological and physical abuse?" Well ,they can't. All that the guards are doing is inflicting psychological and physical trauma on the child. This will not solve anything. The reason juvenile detention centers are created is to correct those who have done wrong in society in a safe stable environment. If the guards can't even understand this, then they are not qualified to even work around children. In order to run smoothly and effectively, the juvenile detention centers should be monitored more closely and more legal action should take place ensuring that guards do not abuse their power and perform malicious and inhumane acts to children.
Clearly I think punishment should be relative-- in all cases. I do not think that a kid who is late to school and a kid who committed robberies should have the same punishments.
Of course, I also believe that NOBODY should be treated this way. It goes against everything America is supposed to stand for (aka fair and just treatment under the law, etc). It just seems wrong to me that this can happen and it can go unnoticed for some time?
I also think that getting across to kids who clearly have problems should be with things such as therapy or positive rewards, not like this. How is this going to deter the kids away from crime/ acting out? Usually people do this if they are having problems... and problems do not just go away if one is abused (I'm guessing it creates more?)
Also, the author I think has a bias because he has not mentioned detention centers that have helped children, or what provoked these incidents. When a writer just shows one just shows one side of the story, isn't that being biased?
I think that we should keep in mind that these children are just that - children. They are not adults, nor hardened criminals. I've been told lots of times that my judgment skills will not be fully developed until I'm well into my twenties. There are exceptions to every rule, but I would assume that most of the kids who were sent to these centers didn't premeditate the crimes that they committed.
However, I'm sure that not all detention centers are run like the ones the author was describing. There are probably many that act within the law and reform the children that are sent to them, like Missouri's centers.
I think that the way the kids are being treated is immoral and unjust- they don't deserve to be beaten so severely and treated so harshly. In my mind, except for the incidents with the Iraqi prisoners, I've never thought that prisoners get beaten, just that they have to spend time in prison, where they can't do anything to hurt anyone else, or the general public. I mean, do adults in jail get treated like this as well? I don't think anyone deserves treatment like this, especially minors. This also makes me realize how apathetic people are- this is one of the few times I've ever heard of abuse in prisons. There are probably many people throughout the US that have not heard about this, so I think there should definitely be more media coverage. It seems like people just aren't aware of things, they don't do anything about it, or they just don't care.
Also, kids convicted of minor crimes such as truancy and running away from home definitely don't deserve to be sent to a juvenile detention center, especially if they're going to be beaten and mistreated. I actually think beating the kids would have the opposite effect, and make them more rebellious-at least for the ones with less severe crimes-because adolescents are already rebellious as it is, and adding on maltreatment at these detention centers just makes it worse. I think that those who committed minor crimes probably have a similar mindset to ours right now, like "I didn't even do anything" or "My crime wasn't bad enough to deserve this," so I think mistreating them would make them angrier and more against the "rules of society." I really hope more people become aware of this situation throughout America and that the new bill will change things and regulate what goes on at these detention centers properly.
I think that the way the kids are treated is supposed to set an example of what happens if juveniles do bad things.
Ok, sure, the things they do to get into juvie is all different, ranging from skipping school to robbing someone. That doesn't mean that they should get treated differently
THe way that the kids are treated, however, is completely and utterly unjustifiable.
In the article, it says that the states are planning to sign a plan to reduce the brutality. Instead of thinking about how to take care of things in the juvie place is, why not instead try to reduce teenage crime instead?
at first glance, most people would probably be disgusted at hearing how they are treated, but if you read this article , you'll wanna puke.
http://tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article750838.ece
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