Youth Development: When Juvenile Justice Practices are Unjust

The brain of a person does not reach its full developmental capacity until the age of 25. This has large implications when it comes to understanding adolescents and their decision making. It is not uncommon to see an increase in risk-taking behavior throughout their mid-to-late teen years [16-19] (Blakemore, 2010). This also means juvenile delinquency will often peak during this time period and decreases as they get older and their brain matures.

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, each year 700,000 youth find themselves ensnared within the criminal justice system creating a pipeline to increased criminal behavior and re-incarceration (as cited in Cavanagh, 2022). Increased contact with these kinds of systems influences likelihood that the youth will come into continuous contact with the system throughout their lifetime.

Current practices in the juvenile justice system do not align with the evidence-based research showing that youth do not fully understand the extent of their choices or actions. It is clear that youth are "less able to consider the consequences of their actions, plan for the future, control their impulses, and regulate their emotions" compared to adults (Casey et al., 2022 as cited in Cavanagh, 2022). The practice of sentencing youth to adult prisons ignores the proven research and interventions available, leaving youth susceptible to harsh punishments and leaving little room for rehabilitation.

A4JJ believes that adolescents should be given the chance to rehabilitate. Youth should not be adjudicated to adult prisons because they will not receive interventions that acknowledge youth development and foster positive behavior. Given the opportunity and appropriate tools, youth can transform themselves and secure a brighter future. Raising the age to 18 for juvenile court jurisdiction creates the pathway for youth to become productive members of society and generates improved communities.

For more information, read the following academic journal articles:

Blakemore, S. J. (2010). The developing social brain: Implications for education. Neuron, 65(6), 744–747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2010.03.004

Cavanagh, C. (2022). Healthy adolescent development and the juvenile justice system: Challenges and solutions. Child Development Perspectives, 16(3), 141–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12461