Rehabilitation

Kareema
Youth Court is a great solution to petty crimes committed by youth. Instead of being locked up, youth are actually learning from their mistakes and growing from the sentence they've received from the court. In Youth Court sentencing hearings, the judge punishes the teen according to the crime committed. Often the sentence is one that the youth will learn from, and it may be an activity that the youth continue in. One such sentence is with the Conservation Corps; some teens even continue in it and then go on to the Job Corps. Youth Court is an essential tool in the justice system because it provides youth with help and provides structure and focus to their lives. Youth Court is the right solution for teens that are starting on the wrong path!

Kristina
Youth courts are important because they provide a way for teenagers to experience what it is like to run a court. It is also important for youth to have a voice and know what it is like to be the decision-maker and know the responsibility behind being a decision-maker. For the youth in trouble, youth courts work in their favor because their peers are more likely able to relate to their problems. And instead of locking up troubled youth, the Youth Court offers a chance for rehabilitation. I would imagine a youth court to be a good experience -- teens are acting as lawyers and jurors. But the sentences and what goes on in the court are real and legal. I think it is good to offer this kind of opportunity to teens and I would like to see more youth courts develop throughout the Bay Area and the rest of California.

Find out more in an interview with two Donald P. McCullumYouth Court members.

DeMarcus
"Youth in the Adult Prison System"
The idea of segregating youth and adult inmates who are both in the adult prison system somewhat helps the situation. By putting them together, the juveniles are exposed to so much negativity that when they get out they'll be worse than they started off. Also, the factor of possibly being raped, beaten or killed comes to mind. Even when youth are separated from adults in adult prisons, the youth are not given a chance to change themselves mentally or get an education while they're in prison. But if youth are instead put in juvenile centers, they can be rehabilitated and go to school, so when they do get out they can be less criminal-minded and want to better themselves.

Torre'
"Adult Prisons Pregnant with Juveniles!"
In some states youth are incarcerated with adults. This is a very crazy and insane idea. Children can be raped and mentally wronged for the rest of their lives because of the torture and horrible experience that they had in prison. Even worse, they can communicate with the adult inmates and become even harder and smarter criminals. Most jails try to lighten up on the youth by separating the youth from adults. This idea also is very unintelligent. A lot of adults have connections inside of a prison with guards, etc. All guards cannot be trusted and might be as criminal as the inmates in the prison.

A reason why California's Proposition 21 law was created is not just to crack down on youth, but also to make money off of the youth that are going into these prisons so that they can build more prisons and that is more money out of the taxpayer's pockets. They are building walls to separate youth from the adults in adult prisons, but that money could instead be used for better schools, counseling, and rehabilitation. Besides, youth already have a place in the justice system called juvenile hall. Why waste the extra money when we already have by building separate youth grounds at adult jails? Juvenile hall is the place were the inmates want pizza instead of parole because they are BIG KIDS, a place where they could be rocked and cradled instead raped and rocked in a casket. Put the money toward education, rehabilitation, counseling, tutoring, and therapy for children. These approaches will help youth to have a better future and be a better person. Or do you want better and greater criminals ruling your future because they were trained at a young age by seasoned criminals in adult prisons?

Kareema
The juvenile justice system is one that is supposed to rehabilitate the teens in it. But now with California's new Proposition 21, younger and younger youth are being put into adult prisons for petty crimes. From being put in prison with rapists, murderers, etc., the youth leave (and some never leave) educated in violence and forever scarred emotionally, mentally, and most often physically. They come out knowing things that no child or young person should ever know. The punishment for youth should be one in which they learn and realize their wrongdoing.