The criminal justice system of the United States is a phenomenon.
Thousands of young people are incarcerated for minor drug charges.
According to the Juvenile Law Center, “Tens of thousands of children are
incarcerated in youth prisons every day; thousands more are also locked
up in adult prisons and jails.”1%The American Civil Liberties Union expresses
that they are engaged in multiple state-based drives to reduce youth
incarceration and help redirect funds to community-based options to jail
and prison.
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According to a Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic
Research (EDR) report, Miami-Dade County, known as Florida’s most
populous county, with 13.3% of Florida’s population has 906.5 per
100,000 juveniles 10-17 incarcerated, that is about one-third of the whole
state population.2%A Miami-Dade County 2019 year juvenile report asserts
that “Juvenile arrest continue to decline. The report shows that there was
a whopping 85% decrease since 1998. Out of 2,446 arrests in 2019, 42%
were between 13-15 years of age; 51% were between ages 16-17, and
various Zip Code locations seemed to attract particular crime categories.
Part of this decline appeared to have come from the collaborative efforts
of Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department Juvenile Assessment
Center, Public Defender’s Office, the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil
Regional Counsel (RC3), State Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Probation, or
court staff. Per the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, “In response to the
growing number of Juvenile arrests and drug abuse, the Juvenile Drug
Court (JDC) was established in January 2001. The JDC embraces an
alternative therapeutic approach rather than a traditional and
confrontational process. JDC is a voluntary six- to twelve-month, court-
supervised program for nonviolent juveniles charged with a crime
between the ages of 13 to 17 who suffer from alcohol and/or drug use.”3
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It is a piece of great news to hear of such initiatives. As a Christian
response to this epidemy, youth leaders and pastors ought to educate the
youth and their parishioners of the consequences of drug use and staying
out situations that would lead to jail or prison. People who commit
whatsoever crime must understand the sinful aspect of a crime. McQuilkin
and Copan propose, “The greatest contribution the Christian and the
church can make toward deterrence is to faithfully teach God’s holy
standards and God’s holy judgment.”4%The student would also add God’s
grace and mercy.
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In light of the whole spectrum of crime and punishment within the bubble
of the justice system, there should be a profound overhaul of the justice
system to effect proper rehabilitation, deterrence, protection of the
innocent, and just punishment. For one, the violator must understand the
impact of his or her criminal act while receiving punishment or mercy.
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1. The Juvenile Law Center,%Children in Prison%(https://jlc.org, 2020).
2. Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research,%Miami
Dade County%(http://edr.state.fl.us, 2020).
3. Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida,%Juvenile Drug
Court%(https://wwww.jud11flcourts.org, 2021).
4. Robert McQuilkin and Paul Copan,%An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in
the Way of Wisdom$(Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013).
