Attached.

Treatment versus Punishment - Outline

Thesis Statement: While some individuals advocate for specific punishments for
juvenile offenders, others advocate for treatment of the same in a bid to rehabilitate
them. It is also evident that the youth engage in a wide variety of offenses, ranging
from crime, drug abuse, and violence of different magnitudes. Treatment is a better
remedy for the prevention, deterrence, and management of the vice in the region
compared to punishment.

I.

Differences between the treatment and punishment concepts and the case for
treatment

II.

Juvenile crime statistics between three states in three different parts of the
country.

III.

Prevailing thought in the city or state: Treatment and differences in the
recidivism rates between the cities or states selected.

IV.

Is recidivism the best indicator of success or failure or should we use a
different indicator?

V.

Biological, psychological and sociological theories to help explain juvenile
delinquency

VI.

Support for treatment as the juvenile justice intervention strategy that would
be effective to counter the crime or criminal justice issue based on your
research?

VII.

Conclusion


Running head: TREATMENT VERSUS PUNISHMENT

Treatment versus Punishment
Name
Institution

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TREATMENT VERSUS PUNISHMENT

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Treatment versus Punishment
Introduction
The persistence and gradual increase of juvenile delinquency across the United States of
America over the last decades has presented a universal problem for all members and processes
of the social, political, and criminal justice structures. It is imperative to highlight that
delinquency is a broad term that incorporates both illegal activities and unacceptable conduct by
youths (Jones, 2014). As such, various heated debates on the most effective way to deal with
juvenile offenders have been evidenced in many platforms, ranging from academia to
administration. While some individuals advocate for specific punishments for juvenile offenders,
others advocate for treatment of the same in a bid to rehabilitate them. It is also evident that the
youth engage in a wide variety of offenses, ranging from crime, drug abuse, and violence of
different magnitudes. However, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (2016), the
prevalence of juvenile involvement in violent crimes is the most popular and rampant criminal
offense among young people. Juvenile violence in different states of the country has been on the
rise since the 1980s, a situation, which has become a major national concern as evidenced by the
continuous increase of juvenile arrests (U.S. Department of Justice, 2016). To successfully and
effectively deal with the increasing problem of youth violence in the U.S, the paper will argue
that treatment is a better remedy for the prevention, deterrence, and management of the vice in
the region compared to punishment. To support the argument, the text will be based on factual
information and data from different reliable sources, including articles, publications, and reports
on the topic. Due to the nature of the crime, the merits and strengths of treatment interventions
far much exceed the adoption of punitive strategies.

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Differences between Punishment and Treatment Concepts
According to Feld (1990), the objectives of juvenile court law revolve around securing
each minor offender in a bid to offer sufficient care and discipline without disrupting their
mental, emotional, and social welfare; thus facilitating an acceptable transition from criminal to
acceptable behavior. First and foremost, the preference for treatment to punishment for dealing
with and managing violent crimes among the youth in Los Angeles is based on the fact that the
latter is significantly based on the deterrence principle. Deterrence, according to Ritchie (2011),
seeks to administer criminal justice through the inculcation of fear and threats to the offender.
The strategy begins with the imposition of different criminal sanctions on the juvenile offender
as a strategic dissuader for them to refrain from committing the offense later in life. It also aims
at threatening other potential offenders with similar more consequences for committing similar
crimes (Ritchie, 2011). Unlike punishment, treatment of juvenile offenders does not incorporate
fear or threats in the offenders as a way of dissuading or discouraging them from committing
similar offenses. Treatment involves systematic procedures aimed at transforming the juvenile
offender by transforming their cognitive and behavioral orientations. It involves the application
of different techniques such as psychological counseling in a bid to enlighten the youth on the
need to depart from their previous criminal behaviors. The strategy has been applauded for
creating a good citizen and an ambassador of non-criminal conduct of a prior offender. Through
the psychological approaches used in the treatment of juvenile offenders, they gain sufficient
motivation to depart from their criminal activities and foster ethical behavior in their societies
(Day, 2015). Through treatment, the criminal justice system successfully creates responsible
youths with high levels of self-control and motivation to maintain positive behavioral tendencies.

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Research has reiterated that the punishment of juvenile offenders serves to the detriment
of the community and the individual o...