SaturdayApr 13 at 10:43am
Summary: The article Tried as an Adult, housed as a Juvenile: A Tale of Youth from Two Courts Incarcerated Together explores whether youth processed in adult court engage in more institutional offending and experience similar levels of victimization compared to youth processed in juvenile court. The study delves into a debate concerning the placement of juvenile offenders who commit serious crimes requiring transfer to adult courts and the concerns of housing them alongside less serious offenders in juvenile facilities. The juvenile system aims to reconcile the objectives of ensuring public safety and promoting the developmental welfare of juvenile offenders and maintains that juveniles may respond better to rehabilitation measures (Bryson & Peck 2020). The study sets out to examine offending victimization patterns among adult court youth and juvenile court youth confined together in a juvenile facility. Faculty-report and self-report records of offending patterns during the initial two months of incarceration, the research correlates different types of offenses and compares rates of offending between youth processed in juvenile and adult court (Bechtold & Cauffman 2014). The findings challenged conventional assumptions, suggesting that juvenile court youth exhibit higher levels of institutional offending than their adult court counterparts when incarcerated together, contrary to prevailing concerns about potential increases in violence.
Forensic psychology professionals play a crucial role in understanding and addressing the needs of youth in the justice system, mostly in settings where juveniles are confined. Special attention is required when working with juveniles because of their developmental phase and distinct vulnerabilities. Forensic psychologists working in these settings must deeply understand adolescent development, including factors such as impulsivity, peer influence, and sustainability to environmental stressors. Also, forensic professionals must advocate for interventions and treatment programs that are developmentally appropriate and tailored to the individual needs of each juvenile, navigate complex ethical considerations, ensure that treatment is in the juvenile’s best interest, and uphold principles of justice and fairness. Advocating interventions can promote successful reintegration of juvenile offenders into society.
Reference
Bechtold, J., & Cauffman, E. (2014). Tried as an Adult, Housed as a Juvenile: A Tale of Youth From Two Courts Incarcerated Together. Law & Human Behavior (American Psychological Association), 38(2), 126138.
Bryson, S. L., & Peck, J. H. (2020). . Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 18(2), 135155. https://doi.org/10.1177/154120401
