You are a youth worker who has been assigned the task of improving the youth crime rate in Harlow.
The Options
- Make the youth pay for the crimes themselves using fines. When offenders are under 16, it is usually the parents'/guardians' responsibility to pay the fine. Why is this? I believe the young person should have to pay the fine no matter the age.
- A young person can complete community service. Although this is a much more recent punishment, this could be a very productive step in the right direction for young offenders in Harlow. I'm sure there is plenty of litter-picking to be done.
- Young people can always be sent to rehab. Life Works in Woking is roughly 70 miles away from Harlow and they do rehabilitation for 13 to 18 year old's with a range of problems. They take in every aspect of the child and learn what is best for them, including their mental health. Here is the link if you wish to follow-up on their services: www.priorygroup.com/child-adolescent-services .
- Discharging the offender is always an option if the crime isn't that bad. Rehab centres and young offenders prisons only have so much space and they need that for worse offenders. If a young person tries to illegally download some music it's hardly worth sentencing as this is a common occurrence everywhere.
- I left the obvious one for last; the offender can be sentenced to a young offenders prison. As with adults, the length of their sentence depends on the crime but the typical adult sentences are shortened or the severity is lessened for offenders under 18. These can be given to the worst offenders.
Your Best Option + Reasons
Harlow Council, I believe our best chance of reducing the youth crime rate is to send more youth offenders to rehabilitation centres. This is because the rehab will take care of the young people and show them the wrong of their ways whilst simultaneously keeping them protected.
Using rehab will improve those who have committed crimes and show those who wish to that it isn't right and it isn't worth being away from your family for. Rehabilitation is a much more peaceful way of showing them what they did wrong as opposed to punishing them. Although they have committed criminal offences, they are still young members of society who are still learning the rights and wrongs of their ways as opposed to adults who already know all the dos and don'ts of society.
Rehab shows young offenders that they don't need delinquency to be happy. It will show them what else they can do instead of being a criminal.
Not all young offenders have to be sent off for rehabilitation either. A form of rehab is called restorative justice. This is when the criminal meets the victims and it shows the criminal that there are people they are affecting specifically and it's not just a faceless society. The offenders are then encouraged to take responsibility for their actions by apologising, doing community service, or replacing items they damaged or stole.
Rehabilitation could be as simple as enforcing positive role models in the young offenders life. This allows the criminal to imitate the role model's good behaviour, and encourages them to see the role model's behaviour and realise the good rewards they get from it (such as a job, trust, or respect.)
Harlow Council, I believe our best chance of reducing the youth crime rate is to send more youth offenders to rehabilitation centres. This is because the rehab will take care of the young people and show them the wrong of their ways whilst simultaneously keeping them protected.
Using rehab will improve those who have committed crimes and show those who wish to that it isn't right and it isn't worth being away from your family for. Rehabilitation is a much more peaceful way of showing them what they did wrong as opposed to punishing them. Although they have committed criminal offences, they are still young members of society who are still learning the rights and wrongs of their ways as opposed to adults who already know all the dos and don'ts of society.
Rehab shows young offenders that they don't need delinquency to be happy. It will show them what else they can do instead of being a criminal.
Not all young offenders have to be sent off for rehabilitation either. A form of rehab is called restorative justice. This is when the criminal meets the victims and it shows the criminal that there are people they are affecting specifically and it's not just a faceless society. The offenders are then encouraged to take responsibility for their actions by apologising, doing community service, or replacing items they damaged or stole.
Rehabilitation could be as simple as enforcing positive role models in the young offenders life. This allows the criminal to imitate the role model's good behaviour, and encourages them to see the role model's behaviour and realise the good rewards they get from it (such as a job, trust, or respect.)
I hope you take this idea into consideration.
Thank you.