Second chances: transforming incarcerated juveniles' lives

Second chances: transforming incarcerated juveniles' lives   

This petition aims to give incarcerated juveniles a second chance at redemption. Allowing youths to learn from their mistakes rather than get punished emphasizes rehabilitation and will enable them to succeed in society. Incarcerating juveniles leads to long-term mental health issues, and others do not address the issue of helping juveniles learn from their mistakes. Rather than being incarcerated alternative restorative-based programs should be taken into consideration when dealing with juveniles. These programs help juveniles overcome the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis and focus on giving them a better life outside of crime.   

These individuals should be encouraged to participate in therapy and rehabilitation courses that allow them to learn from their mistakes and develop better coping strategies. Second chances are important, and people deserve the opportunity to redeem themselves and take accountability for their actions. “An invigorated commitment to the rehabilitation goals for all ju­veniles would profoundly affect their sentences and their chances to one day reintegrate into society as productive citizens”. (Darden,2014)  

People learn from their mistakes and giving them a second chance allows them to grow and change their behavior. Many individuals who commit aggressive actions do so while they are younger as their prefrontal cortex is not fully developed. These acts of aggression are impulsive and often stem from a lack of intelligence and self-control. Additionally, an individual's environment greatly impacts an individual's behavior. Growing up in lower-class neighborhoods filled with crime and gangs can highly influence someone to act aggressively as they may feel a sense of pressure to be accepted by their peers. “Too many at-risk minors, instead of attending middle- or high-school classes and extracurricular activities, find themselves in maximum-security prisons without a support system. Most juvenile delinquency sto­ries demonstrate that governmental systems in place to protect these chil­dren fail to ensure their safe upbringing...” (Darden,2014) The current systems in place are ineffective and do not meet the needs of the juveniles within the system. Offering new opportunities for rehabilitation enables individuals to learn from their past mistakes and make positive changes in their lives. However, the support they receive within the prison system will only be effective if it continues after their release and throughout their reintegration into society. The months following a youth's reintegration into society are critical since their risk for recidivism is the highest as they go back into their communities. “Florida youth who recidivate, over half do so within the first 150 days after release. Among Illinois youth who recidivate within 4 years after release, 70% do so within the first year”. (Liberman et al.,2021) Understanding the factors contributing to criminal behavior highlights the importance of second chances. As the number of juveniles being incarcerated increases it is important to create new systems that allow these youths a second opportunity. 

 Darden, T. N. (2014). Juvenile justice's second chance: Untangling the retroactive application of miller v. alabama under the teague doctrine. American Journal of Criminal Law, 42(1), 1.  

Liberman, A., Hussemann, J., & McKeever, B. (2021). Juvenile second chance act participation in virginia: Impact on rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 60(3), 196-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2021.1887426 

Victoria Delgado Martinez    Contact the author of the petition