What Are The Implications Juvenile Detention

The consequences of holding juvenile delinquents in locked-door facilities loom largest for the offending minors themselves. Exposure to juvenile courts, detention centers and other out-of-home destinations for juvenile offenders portends poorly for their ability to stay out of trouble as an adult. Recidivism (repeated arrests and/or criminal convictions) of adult populations is much higher for those individuals with a juvenile record.

As one might imagine, the immediate consequences of finding oneself in a juvenile institution are troubling in their own right and are only exacerbated by juvenile incarceration in an all-purpose correctional facility. Juvenile delinquents forced into a prison-like environment are at risk of violence, abuse, and rape.

Of lesser importance but still not to be discounted, juvenile detention has its practical concerns. It is rather expensive to operate so many facilities designed to feed, clothe, house, educate, and rehabilitate thousands of American boys and girls, and realistically, little is done about treating the causes of delinquency in this country. Children are essentially held captive to the point of overcrowding in centers and jails and often become still more of a danger to those living outside the walls of these buildings.

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