John Black was arrested on January 1, 2012 for possession of firearm while on school property when he was 16 years old. He was sentenced five years of probation by the juvenile court and has served four years of that disposition. During those four years, John underwent anger management classes, substance abuse treatment and a gang deactivation program. Now 20 years old, John has exhibited new-found maturity, comprehension of his mistakes in the past and is enjoying a warm and happy relationship with his family. More importantly, John has indicated his desire to help young kids who are undergoing the same confusion and problems that he went through. I think that he will be an effective speaker and resource person in the current mentoring program of the Justice Department for juvenile probation program. As one who has experienced the same issues in his youth, John will be in the position not only to understand the psychological and emotional problems besetting the kids, but he can also easily gain the trust and respect of these youths and serve as an inspiration to them.
John’s case showcases the right direction that the country’s juvenile justice system is taking. Although in the past, juvenile justice had not much distinction from adult justice, various studies evidencing differences in developmental stages between children and adults have led the country to adopt a more developmental model in its approach towards juvenile offending (Holmes 2014). Unfortunately, however, the UN has reported that “incarceration, including pre-trial detention” is still the predominant form of approach taken in the rest of world for juvenile offending, even when the offenses are only minor. So long as the country’s juvenile justice system continues to be responsive to the needs of the time and continues to effectively balance public interests and the particular needs of the youth, the future of our juvenile system will continue to be effective as shown by John Black’s case.
References
Holmes, D. (2014). The Juvenile System in America. Global Research. Retrieved from http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-juvenile-justice-system-in-america/5374359
UN (2012). Fact Sheet on Juvenile Justice. United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/wyr11/FactSheetonYouthandJuvenileJus tice.pdf
