Restorative Justice

Restorative justice has gained momentum and support throughout the juvenile justice field in recent years. Restorative justice focuses on repairing the harm done to victims and to the community and stresses that offenders must contribute to the repair. Crime control at the present time has shifted from the medical model to the justice model.

Since the turn of the juvenile Rights movement 1960-1980 there had been in 1980 an increase in violent juvenile crime with the proliferation of gangs and spread of drug use.

The attention in the past was given to rehabilitation of youth with some blame given to the parent’s of the youth in regard to their behavior. As of the Puritan movement of 1646-1824; parents of said youths were considered capable and responsible of controlling their child. In 1824-1899 the refugee period of juvenile justice had foreseen the child as helpless and in need of state supervision. The family was considered to be a major cause of juvenile deviancy. As far as the periods of juvenile court 1899-1960 and juvenile rights 1960-1980; there were no real rights or wrongs within the systems.

The best programs and policies within the court system involved rehabilitation of youth at an early age; at least the concept was right but the plans didn’t work. Lack of proper housing, health hazards in institutions, and lack of funding to support the needs of juvenile youths; thus the plans failed.

The deinstitutionalization program period became a focal point that encouraged the development of a delinquent orientation promoting community-based correctional programs. These programs included foster care and group homes to normalize social contact s and reduce the stigma of being institutionalized. The uniform Juvenile Court Act (1968) provided for the care, protection and development of youths, without the stigma of a criminal label by a program of treatment, training and rehabilitation in a family environment when possible.

I don’t feel the policies in the past were more effective then the policies today. There is more available for the youth to get into trouble. There is more breakdown of the family unit. There is an increase in drug availability on the streets, and enterprise world crime continues; despite the FBI’s continual efforts to ban such activities and bring to justice to the law.

The State and County probation department with their structured programs are unable to properly supervise the youths which are need of supervision. This is due to lack of staffing and funding within the counties and state. Some youths are tried as adults depending on the severity of crime. Some youths who commit nonviolent crimes end up in the web of the court system and spend unneeded time in jail cells while the violent gangs and illegal drug revolution continues. Where is the justice? It starts at home. It starts in the family unit and the environment.