This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Special Announcement: State Rep. Lewis Keys in on Juvenile Justice

State Rep. Jason Lewis announces his plans for redefining juvenile justice.

Editor's note: The information below is from a press statement issued by State Rep. Jason Lewis' Office.

As adults, we take it for granted that children should not be allowed to drive a car, purchase firearms, consume alcohol or engage in numerous other activities that are not considered appropriate for them.

We know that young minds are still developing and maturing, and lack a full understanding of the consequences of their behavior. In fact, researchers have found that the adolescent brain continues development well into an individual’s twenties. Even more important, the pre-frontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for regulating behaviors such as impulse control and moral reasoning, is the last part of the brain to fully develop.

However, when it comes to juvenile delinquency we have often followed the same “tough on crime” approach -- with an emphasis on punishment and incarceration -- that we use for adult offenders. According to a recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, our country’s reliance on juvenile incarceration is unique among developed nations. Although juvenile violent crime arrest rates are only marginally higher in the United States than in many other nations, our youth custody rate is much higher. As of 2002, the United States had 336 out of every 100,000 youths locked up in detention or correctional custody, as compared to 69 in South Africa, 46.8 in England, 23.1 in Germany, 18.6 in France, and 4.1 in Sweden.

Our criminal justice system is based on four objectives: deterrence, punishment, incapacitation and rehabilitation. We put criminals in prison to both punish them and protect the public, and also to deter other potential offenders. However, evidence from numerous studies over the past three decades about what works and doesn’t work in combating juvenile crime, makes it abundantly clear that youthful offenders should not be treated in the same manner as adult offenders.

With the exception of those children who have committed violent crimes and present a clear danger to society, the punitive approach of removing children from their homes and families and locking them up is both expensive and leads to worse long-term outcomes than home and community-based supervision.

Juvenile offenders are much more receptive to rehabilitation than adult criminals. Missouri, the national leader in juvenile justice reform, asserts that 70% of the juveniles placed in their rehabilitation program do not recidivate. In contrast, nearly 70% of youths across the country incarcerated without rehabilitation go on to commit crimes later in life.

The problem is even worse for children who are committed to the adult criminal justice system. Nearly every state allows 13 or 14 year old children to be tried as adults, even for nonviolent offenses. These children are more likely to repeat criminal behavior, and are less likely to become integrated, productive members of society. According to studies in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, the re-arrest rate for children sentenced in juvenile court was 29% lower than the re-arrest rate for juveniles sentenced in adult criminal court, and children who were transferred to the adult system were more likely to recidivate than those children who stayed in the juvenile system.

Prompted by lawsuits, revelations of abuse, and/or budget pressures, many states have taken steps in recent years to reduce their population of incarcerated youth. Interestingly, according to the Annie E. Casey report, those states where juvenile confinement has been sharply reduced in recent years have experienced more favorable trends in juvenile crime than states which have maintained or increased their number of incarcerated youth.

Today, we understand better than ever how to provide the assistance and support that families and juvenile offenders need to get back on the right track. Juvenile justice reforms that embrace these proven strategies and appropriately balance punishment and rehabilitation are the smart, cost-effective and just approach to dealing with juvenile crime.

I welcome your feedback on juvenile justice or any other issues. Please visit our website at www.RepJasonLewis.com. You can also reach me at 617-722-2017 or by email at Jason.Lewis@mahouse.gov.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?