The American Juvinile Justice System

The American Juvinile Justice System is a system filled with problems, complications and confusion. The children are put into a fearful world where they don't understand everything that is going on and where their lawyers are telling them what to do and how to act, dictating thier every move. This process often leaves the youth confused with what is going on. Alot of the time thier lawyers will not fully explain something to them or they are simply told "you wouldn't understand." What are we to do about the Juvinile Justice System, and how can we fix the problems that are apparent in the system.

First we should start with whats wrong with the system. In america, you are taken to Juvinile detention center if you have either commited a crime and are under the age of accountability, usually 18, or if you are going into the foster care system and are waiting transfer to a foster home. Here is the first issue I see, we are grouping children criminals with foster kids, who most of the time haven't done anything wrong and are being taken from thier parents. What they should have is a group home that Foster kids in transit can be taken to where they will be in a positive atmosphere instead of one that creates an air of "your a criminal" to them. Another issue I see with the system is that the lawyers treat the children as if they are stupid, instead of knowing how to deal with children, alot of the times these lawyers are not specified Juvinile lawyers with background in childhood therapy, counseling and care. Instead they are lawyers who are only after getting paid, they don't care about the children or thier futures because they see them as lost causes. This is something that must be ended. We must realize that if a child is commiting crimes especially ones that are extremely violent in nature that thier should be counselors and lawyers that have background in counseling troubled youth.

So what are we to do to fix these problems. Are we to simply ignore them and let the beuaracrats and congressman deal with it. I don't think that is enough. We need to act, as a people for the youth of America. To give the troubled youth a chance at life, even if they have messed up. To not pair foster kids with criminals and tell them that its the only thing they will ever amount to be. We must act on what we think. We need to demand that law makers require all juvinile defense lawyers to take classes on youth counseling and youth psychology. It needs to be done and the only way it will get done is if we the people do something about it.