Institutionalization of the Juvenile Justice System (Essay Sample)

Juvenile System
Institution
Name
Course
Date
Introduction
The juvenile system has existed in the US for over 100 years and aims to separate young offenders from the severe punishments of adult criminal justice. The system is focused on rehabilitative corrections that are based on the needs of the young. The institutionalization process of the system has separated it from criminal justice and is different in various ways. The juvenile system works focused on the needs of the young person and the assistance they need but not their crimes. Besides, the juvenile court findings are kept confidential to increase the chances of rehabilitating the youth and integrating them back to society. The culture of the juvenile courts has been streamlined to deal with issues affecting youths for the interest of both the youths and the community. The institutionalization process has had a significant effect on the juvenile system and the society as well.
Overview
Institutionalization refers to the process of developing a conventional norm as a culture of an organization. The institutionalization of the juvenile system has impacted the law and the local practices regarding how youth justice is administered. The youths arrested by law enforcement officers are processed through various individuals and justice organizations to know their needs. The courts review the cases for their legal sufficiency and whether they warrant a formalized court process (Ehrmann, Hyland & Puzzanchera, 2019). This process has significantly affected the lives of young people in different ways.
Another impact of institutionalization of the juvenile system has been the incorporation of various stakeholders in the administration of juvenile justice. Juvenile justice is served by professionals, citizens, semi-professionals, and volunteers who recommend courses of action based on their perspectives. According to Speed, the law enforcers are committed to identifying youthful offenders quickly and ensuring that they receive the necessary punishment for their offenses (2020). The prosecutors wish to have an efficient legal system that protects the rights of youthful offenders while at the same time deterring future rates of crime. The defense attorneys prefer fair treatments for their clients and to get the right rehabilitation programs that will assist them in staying out of trouble in the future. The process of recovery is communicated to the participants and has to satisfy the demands of the due process.
Discussion
The institutionalization of the juvenile system has an impact on the decisions of the various stakeholders regarding juveniles. The practice of the juvenile system depends on how the human agencies like the police and courts respond to cases of juvenile delinquency. The definition of a juvenile varies from state to state and influences who can benefit from the juvenile system. On the other hand, some acts of the youth are considered to be cases of delinquency, while others are exempted. Institutionalization determines whether the teenagers must interact with the system to benefit, whether they should be charged formally, and what programs they should be placed in.
Institutionalization has led to changing the legal definition of delinquency to be clear for the juvenile system to function effectively (Ehrmann, Hyland & Puzzanchera, 2019). In general, juvenile delinquency may be considered as a youth who often misbehaves to the extent of getting involved with the police usually. For example, juvenile delinquency could be regarded as a youth who is violent, misses school, indulges in alcohol and drugs, and steals to fund their indulges. In many states, the juvenile is considered to be any youth below the age of eighteen. Notably, not all teens under the age of eighteen should be served by juvenile justice; neither are all violations for a child defined as juvenile delinquency.
Institutionalization affects the wellbeing and psychological development of the children. This is because it subjects the children to an environmental setting that does not provide open chances for examination and comprehension of the external environment (Baptista et al., 2019). Further, withdrawing juveniles from family and subjecting them to a sequential transition exemplifies a wide range of stress factors for the young people and poses numerous challenges for their personal development. Additionally, the institutionalization of children leads to poor physical and psychosocial development outcomes, for instance, stunting, low IQ, and social problems, among others.
Institutionalized children are highly susceptible to develop behavioral problems. The stressful environment forces them to develop psychopathological symptoms and self-esteem issues. This is because the continuous social deprivation linked to institutionalization and the great need to redefine themselves and to adapt their identity makes them feel insecure about themselves, lonely and worthless(Juffer, van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2017). Eventually, they end up questioning their self-esteem, which in turn affects their self-confidence and self-esteem. Institutionalization also affects the developmental milestones, intellectual development, and academic performance