BLOG 4: Missouri’s Different Approach to Juvenile Justice

TRIANGLE
In the video, Missouri’s Different Approach to Juvenile Justice, they have a different approach when it comes to juveniles. The first thing that makes this institution different is that it is based on the support of the staff. The teenagers that are sent there have an opportunity to rehabilitate in that institution, as they work to becoming a better person. It was also interesting to know that in this specific facility staff actually speak to the inmates and give them the advice that they need when they are going thru a tough time. This makes the facility look welcoming when an individual walks in that door. This is an important factor for the inmates because it makes them feel safe and some even fell like if they were home. Finally, it is important to have visitation day weekly and if they don’t feel comfortable taking with their family members, the counselors will want them to engage in the conversation or otherwise take them to another room so that they could figure out their differences. This is an important factor because it helps the inmates or family members not have resentment with each other. Only ten percent of the inmates that came to this specific facility go to adult prison, this is a major impact compared to forty percent that are put in a juvenile correction facility.

SQUARE
Many juveniles that have committed an offense do it because they are facing a hardship in one way or another. I agree that many of the offenders could get rehabilitated if they try. But, in the meanwhile this could be a difficult process to accomplish, but not imposable. I believe that this is a good alternative to incarceration because they are treated with respect and in a way it makes them feel safe and make their opinions count. This facility does not compare to the other correctional system because the inmates are close enough that they consider themselves a family.

CIRCLE
If violence is less in this specific institution, it’s because the inmates receive the support that they need. It was important to know that even when an inmate gets released from this institution, they have counselor or other staff visiting their household to see if their behavior is the same. It was also interesting to know that the money spent on this institution is not on surveillance, but rather on counselors that will actually give the attention that an inmate needs, without spending much money as a correctional facility. But, why do some juveniles end up in the same place, if they are getting all the attention and support that they don’t get from home?