In every country, there are some specific laws for juvenile offenders. Mainly these programs target those who have the ability to re-establish themselves back to the normal life. This is how the legal system treats Juvenile offenders differently, compared to the adult criminals. As crime is legally acknowledged as Crime if committed by an adult offender, but it will be treated as a delinquent act if committed by a juvenile. In the United States, there are different programs for rehabilitating juveniles. They are designed considering the specific need of the juveniles. All crime prevention programs which targets juvenile involves the participation of family, friends, and society. This helps in maintaining an environment which is friendly towards the offender.
Part I
‘Adults in making’ is one of a highly rated intervention/ diversion program for juveniles. The major purpose of this program is to prevent the juveniles from going in the hands of the social evils. For example, the major aspect of this program is to prevent the participants from developing an addiction to malpractices, such as sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. The target population of this program is children aged between 12 and 18. Bishop mentions that it has been observed that the children’s between this age group normally tend to develop such habits which later becomes part of their lifestyle ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"bK8KyQVE","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Bishop, 2009)","plainCitation":"(Bishop, 2009)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":215,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/PE7SEARD"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/PE7SEARD"],"itemData":{"id":215,"type":"chapter","title":"Juvenile transfer in the United States","container-title":"Reforming juvenile justice","publisher":"Springer","page":"85–104","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Bishop","given":"Donna M."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2009"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Bishop, 2009). The program involves parental consultation at every step. Experts believe that parental consultation serves in many ways. For example, it builds in the children a sense of affection for parents, which normally takes some time. The focus of this program is on ensuring that parents have the skills and the understandings to provide support to youth. Since both parents and children live in close association, therefore this program aims at building emotional understandings between them. This program also focuses on creating anti-racism practices as norms. Experts who are associated with reading the criminal psyche opines that anti-racism practices serve much importantly throughout their lives. Since racism and social discrimination is a rising concern for the society at large, therefore such practices help in building a secure social environment. The adults in making the program use different methodologies for in building the sense of hate for malpractices in the youth. It uses the techniques of conflict resolution, development of interpersonal skills, creating leadership abilities, training parents and skills against drug and alcohol abuse. In the normal day of the program, different sessions are designed for both the parents and the children. Normally the day- to- day activities are kept separate for both the parents and the children, but there are some sessions which are attended by both parents and the children. Such sessions are designed involving collaborative activities, which are normally spending some time together. This rehabilitation program has largely remained focus over the Afro- American communities. Results show that such communities who have a tendency of developing anguish attitude towards the majority could be mainstreamed if such programs are tailored for them. The juveniles of age twelve are inducted in these programs. Although this program specifically covers the Afro- American youth, at present, there is no such segregation in the program. As parents are advised to observe thoroughly the tendencies of their children, therefore normally when the juvenile starts to develop such mal- attitude, he or she is taken fully in the custody by the instructors. The program lasts for six months and during this time duration, each and every aspect of the juvenile is studied thoroughly.
Part II
There is a wealth of literature available on the pros and cons of the intervention/ diversion concept. There are some criminologists who believe that intervention/ diversion works in cases where the juvenile commits a serious crime and is then brought back to life by using some solid social methodology. There are also criminologists who argue against the early intervention/ diversion programs. Palmer believes that in such cases where a child has been disconnected from the family, for no solid reason is serious intervention ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"EkvBYb8Y","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Palmer, 1992)","plainCitation":"(Palmer, 1992)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"2gQkIdgp/S5V4csHd","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/QMDDIRPB"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/QMDDIRPB"],"itemData":{"id":208,"type":"book","title":"The re-emergence of correctional intervention","publisher":"Sage","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Palmer","given":"Ted"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1992"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Palmer, 1992). Specific to the Adult in making program, one may opine that since this program involves the intervention/ diversion technique as part of the social upbringing of the families, therefore it does not conform to the intervention in the family life of any. This program is specifically aimed at developing anti-racism and anti-discriminatory thoughts among young adults. There are many studies which suggest that young adults who are trained in some way to develop bad feelings for specific things, tend to be negative toward that ill thing in life. This intervention/ diversion program is therefore designed in such a manner. The cost-benefit analysis suggest that the intervention/ diversion programs have remained impactful in preventing young adults from developing into habitual criminals. For observing more thoroughly, the cost-benefit ratio of the adults in making program, a study concluded in 2004 will be analyzed. The study on adults in Making suggests that the early therapies involving psychological observations and tailoring the needs according to its result in equitable growth of the population. There are other studies which also comes to the same conclusion. Wilson and Lipsety suggest that an evidence-based approach is applied in initiating the therapeutic procedures, this might result in better outcomes ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"F16A8yyy","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Lipsey & Wilson, 1998)","plainCitation":"(Lipsey & Wilson, 1998)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":217,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/4CQZV63R"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/4CQZV63R"],"itemData":{"id":217,"type":"book","title":"Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders: A synthesis of research.","publisher":"Sage Publications, Inc","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders","author":[{"family":"Lipsey","given":"Mark W."},{"family":"Wilson","given":"David B."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1998"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Lipsey & Wilson, 1998). The evidence-based programs also help in lowering the juvenile crime rate. In many studies that have been concluded specifically on the Adults in making program suggest that family therapy helps in building a protective wall ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ngOKTGmC","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Lipsey & Wilson, 1998)","plainCitation":"(Lipsey & Wilson, 1998)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":217,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/4CQZV63R"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/4CQZV63R"],"itemData":{"id":217,"type":"book","title":"Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders: A synthesis of research.","publisher":"Sage Publications, Inc","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders","author":[{"family":"Lipsey","given":"Mark W."},{"family":"Wilson","given":"David B."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1998"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Lipsey & Wilson, 1998). As the families are also the part of the training sessions of this program, therefore the benefit outnumbers the cost in adults in making program.
Part III
As described before, the Meehan Austin School in Philadelphia is rated below average among the school in the same locality. There is various reason for this. For example, it has been observed that the crime detention ratio is much high compared to those who complete their grade seventh studies from this school. There is one more interesting fact associated with this school, which is the family backgrounds of the children. Around eight out of ten students hail from economically sound families. Their parents are paying regularly for hefty school funds, but still, the students have been observed involving in crimes. Since there is no comparison between the statistics when it is considered that students of low-income families tend to be harsher and leads to crime too early. The adult in making program will be helpful in sorting out the problems here. For example, the studies suggest that the students who appear to be inclined toward crimes generally have no time to spend with their parents. There are also other reasons why they are unable to spend time with their families. The separated parents remain the largest of all. By implying the adults in making program techniques, it could be sorted. The initial sessions would be designed in such a way that students will get the chances of interacting among themselves. Ample time will be given so that they might understand each other. This will help in reducing the discriminatory tendencies in the minors. Another way of doing this is by taking them somewhere on a trip or a long journey. In such cases, the minors do not get bored and enjoy the time they spent together. When seeing new things together, they develop the same thoughts about a general phenomenon. This is also a very useful technique to build a conducive environment in the classrooms. The next step will involve parental therapies. In this case, parents would be invited to spend some time together with their children. The previous studies suggest that in school or in the workplaces, the students and the parents appear to develop more cordial relations, therefore combine sessions for both the parents and the students will be arranged, so as to assure the proper upbringing of the families ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Ia7ES4qw","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Loeber & Farrington, 1999)","plainCitation":"(Loeber & Farrington, 1999)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":219,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KENS9P78"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KENS9P78"],"itemData":{"id":219,"type":"book","title":"Serious and violent juvenile offenders: Risk factors and successful interventions","publisher":"Sage","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Serious and violent juvenile offenders","author":[{"family":"Loeber","given":"Rolf"},{"family":"Farrington","given":"David P."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1999"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Loeber & Farrington, 1999).
Part IV
The adults in making program have remained impactful previously in many observations. There are findings which suggest that in the cases where the staff is properly trained and the instructors are well aware of the course in hand, the tale on the program very well. In the case of the Meehan Austin School, the success of the program will be measured in the following ways.
Measures of success: There are many ways however to measure whether the program is working or not. In the case of the Meehan Austin School, a proper attendance record of the students will be maintained. It will be keenly observed that whether the students are taking a full part in the sessions of the adults in making program. There will also be some activities which can help in judging the performance of the students. For example, some sessions will be arranged for the students under observation. These sessions will be designed by questioning them about what they think regarding a specific phenomenon. More broadly one can ask from them about the concept of life, and narrowly they can be questioned about the tie they have spent with their parents. In such cases, the staff also need to be well trained. If there is any ambiguity in the minds of the instructors, they will not be able to deliver more effectively. To assure that the instructors are well aware of the task, separate training sessions can be arranged for them. There can also be cases when it can appear that specific tasks are not resulting well. For example from time to time, some observations techniques are altered. As the student’s jumps to the next classes every year, therefore the close observation of such programs will be done accordingly.
Challenges Ahead: There remain some challenges which are part of such intervention/ diversion programs. For example, parents are mostly committed somewhere else when they are contacted for a session. Similarly, it becomes difficult to make the students concentrate during a session. It happens in many cases. There is also another challenge. Parents and the students do not focus much narrowly on the subject which is being taught to them. They tend to appear thinking about something else otter than focusing on the subject in the class. The primary concern, in this case, is consulting with the parents. It has been suggested in many findings that parents normally do not have a more positive view about such intervention/ diversion programs. Similarly, if it is observed that the parents might not be helpful in coming to the sessions, customized programs could be designed to manage these difficulties.
Conclusion
The Adults in making program has remained specifically focused over the community betterment. There are very fewer efforts that have been done in collaborating with the schools. Since schools are the primary places where an adult have a daily interaction, therefore schools offer the best environment to judge the psyche of the students, it is also the place that provides the platform to widen the team and the teachers could be incorporated as part of the intervention/ diversion team. If this plan worked, it could be expanded to other states as well.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Bishop, D. M. (2009). Juvenile transfer in the United States. In Reforming juvenile justice (pp. 85–104). Springer.
Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (1998). Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders: A synthesis of research. Sage Publications, Inc.
Loeber, R., & Farrington, D. P. (1999). Serious and violent juvenile offenders: Risk factors and successful interventions. Sage.
Palmer, T. (1992). The re-emergence of correctional intervention. Sage.
