Numerous programs prevent or suppress delinquent behavior in the country. These programs rely on some of the factors that cause delinquent behavior such as the use of narcotics and the involvement in gang-related activities. The Juvenile Drug Treatment Court is one of these programs that identifies and treats high-risk offenders who have shown involvement in drugs. Kathryn et. al (631) posits that the use of drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes, and other substances is a leading cause of delinquent behavior in the United States. The program's ability to identify and treat the offenders and juveniles on probation reduces the risk of violence in these youths.
The program has two primary goals which are to address drug and alcohol issues and also to supervise juveniles from participating in drugs and other illegal activities. Their core belief is that drugs play a crucial role in motivating violence and other delinquent behavior among the youth; addressing the drug problem will enable them to stop juvenile activities. Due to this, the key participants will often be high-risk young people and minors who are on probation. It is a five-phase program that spans over 18 months involving rigorous assessments, group therapy, surveillance, psychoeducational groups, drug screening and even family therapy.
Gang Suppression Program is also a program that is meant to reduce the involvement of juveniles in crime through a myriad of strategies that it uses. According to Dong and Krohn (761), research has shown a distinct relationship between gang affiliation and juvenile association. Youths who are active gang members are more likely to engage in crime than the delinquents who do not involve themselves. The program supervises the youths who are identified to have close affiliations with gangs or those who are suspected to have any involvements with gangs in the region. It also covers juveniles who are known to have links with known or suspected gang members.
The program offers daily support and supervision at home, in school and even around the community. The program will assess each person individually so as to assert their level of involvement in gang activities. The program aims to reduce the degree of gang involvement among juveniles since it leads to participation in criminal activities that often turn out to be fatal for these delinquents. One of the core beliefs of the program is that the involvements of juveniles to gang activities will often affect their lives and make it impossible for them to be upright members of society.
The key participants will thus be juveniles that are suspected to have an involvement in gang activities or those that are at a high risk of joining gangs. The program achieves their operations through collecting intelligence and monitoring gang affiliations in the region. They also share this information with law enforcement agencies who can use it to prevent crime in the area. It thus plays a crucial role in reducing delinquency activities in Georgia.
As much as both of these programs help to reduce juvenile crime in the area, The Juvenile Drug Treatment Court is more efficient in the prevention of offences. More youths are likely to engage in drugs due to various social factors than they are likely to join a gang. Substance abuse is a prevalent issue that puts the users at risk of engaging in criminal activities (Kathryn et. al. 643). Gang involvement and activities are, however, not prevalent in the region.
Work Cited
Dong, Beidi, and Marvin D. Krohn. "Dual trajectories of gang affiliation and delinquent peer association during adolescence: an examination of long-term offending outcomes." Journal of youth and adolescence 45.4 (2016): 746-762.
Monahan, Kathryn C., et al. "Adolescent Pathways to Co‐Occurring Problem Behavior: The Effects of Peer Delinquency and Peer Substance Use." Journal of research on adolescence 24.4 (2014): 630-645.
