WK5: Assignment: Application of Restorative Justice to Juvenile and Adult Crimes/Replies

STUDENT REPLY #1 Kyle Ragland

The difference between the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems in terms of correcting behavior is that for Juvenile, it is more rehabilitative, and for adults, it is ultimately just “serving” your time. The reason I say that is that usually, in the juvenile systems, they are on more of a schedule. They must get up at a certain time, still go to school, and more programs/privileges are implemented due to behavioral status, which motivates some juvenile offenders to behave. While in the adult system, there are schedules and timelines, productivity is optional. What I mean by that is that whatever program, school, or job you are interested in is not forced upon you. You can sleep all your time away. No one will come and bang on your cell to self-improve. If the most productive thing you do all day is play cards, that is on you.

I think the restorative justice program works better in the juvenile atmosphere. As I mentioned, even though they are offenders, they are still children, which means even though things are met with resistance at times, they ultimately cannot make logical decisions for themselves at times due to lacking maturity and rationale. An adolescent mind is more pliable. As Frederick Douglas once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” I am not saying that restorative justice does not work for adults, but I think the success rate for juveniles would be higher.

As the author writes, “Among these 15 studies, that included approximately 9,200 juveniles, concluded that participation in VOM accounted for a 34% decrease in juvenile recidivism relative to those who did not participate in these programs.” (Bouffard, J., Cooper, M., & Bergseth, K. 2007) As you can see, when the Victim Offender Mediation program was used, an almost 40% decrease in recidivism occurred. That shows that a well-groomed program within restorative justice is the key to limiting juvenile recidivism.

I know my post has leaned more towards the success of juveniles in restorative justice, but that does not change the fact that both juveniles and adults will benefit from justice. As I mentioned in previous posts and assignments, it is not to commit a crime and go to jail. The real work and reward come in when you can take an offender, have them stand before themselves and be accountable for the crime or crimes they committed, face their demons, and begin to grow. Both juveniles and adults can benefit from that.

References

Bouffard, J., Cooper, M., & Bergseth, K. (2007) The Effectiveness of Various Restorative Justice Interventions on Recidivism Outcomes Among Juvenile Offenders

STUDENT REPLY #2 Skeye Soll

There are many differences between juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. I think the juvenile system focuses more on rehabilitating, while the adult systems aim more to punish. I feel, at least in my area, those in the justice system don’t think that adults can be rehabilitated. It’s like Einstein’s definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. A lot of our arrests are repeat offenders. Mostly low-level drug charges and driving under the influence. Putting these people in jail, over and over is clearly not helping. Restorative justice could be effective. What lesson are they currently learning? None. They need access to the resources that can make them successful. Juvenile justice system seems more apt at rehabilitating from the beginning. Youth offenders do tend to commit less serious crimes, making restorative justice easier to implement. Success rate can be higher for youths as well. More time and energy are put into juvenile justice programs, because we want the world to be better for our children. So, the more we do when they are young, the better they are set up for the future. At least that’s the goal. With the right support juveniles can benefit tremendously from restorative justice, but the same can be said for adults as well. I would advocate for both. I think they each can have positives and negatives, and sometimes the outcomes might not work but it's always worth trying for.

There are numerous differences in procedures and terminology used for offenders in the adult and juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system focuses on the rehabilitation of the adjudicated delinquent rather than just merely sentencing him as punishment (Hafrida, 2019). This enables them to reform and prevents future crimes that they would have committed. The adult justice system punishes the criminal mainly by incapacitation, this approach does address recidivism, and the criminal may likely commit a crime after receiving the punishment. The juvenile justice system is more suitable for restorative justice because it offers open communication between the victims and justice-involved youths. Victims' participation in the restorative programs has enabled the victims to have more trust and satisfaction in the justice system. A study on restorative justice to reduce recidivism was conducted on 551 youth offenders, proving to be more effective (Gal, 2021). The offenders underwent intervention which included face-to-face mediation with the victim. Adult recidivism in restorative justice is reduced through rehabilitation, where they can reform or severe punishment to ensure that they will not commit the crime again. I would advocate for the continued use of restorative justice programs in both juvenile and adult systems, for it helps repair damages caused by offenders and offers them a chance to reform.

 

Reference

Hafrida, H. (2019). Restorative Justice in Juvenile Justice to Formulate Integrated Child Criminal Court. Jurnal Hukum dan Peradilan, 8(3), 439.

Gal, T. (2021). Setting Standards for Child‐Inclusive Restorative Justice. Family Court Review, 59(1), 144-160.

STUDENT QUESTION FROM YOUR WEEK 5 DISCUSSION THAT I HAVE REPOST UP ABOVE PLEASE ANSWER BACK TO THESE QUESTIONS WITH 150 TO 200 WORD COUNT WITH OUTSIDE REFERENCE THANKS….

STUDENT QUESTION Lydia Kelly

Why do you think that the legal system gives up on rehabilitation for adults faster than children? Would you focus on restorative justice for certain issues only for adults or would you be open to it for almost anything? Do you think a juvenile who commits a serious crime should be tried as an adult and not given the chance for restorative justice or do you think that is when restorative justice would be even more beneficial in this case? I really struggle with kids younger than 16 to 18 understanding what they really did to hurt someone and comprehend the responsibility restorative justice has for them.