African-American Youth: Drug Trafficking and the Justice System

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1078-1084
Author(s):  
Susan Leviton ◽  
Marc A. Schindler ◽  
Renee S. Orleans

Objective. To examine the role of the legal system in adolescent drug trafficking. Methods. Descriptive and analytic review of the literature and relevant legislation. Findings. Utilization of young adolescents by drug "kingpins" in drug trafficking is a new practice that is highly advantageous to the employer for several legal and economic reasons. From the perspective of the drug kingpins, juveniles are particularly useful in drug trafficking because they work for lower wages. Further, even if the youth are arrested, the juvenile justice system enables their rapid return for continued service in the drug trade. From the perspective of the youth, drug trafficking offers one of the few economic opportunities available to them. Further, the numbers suggest a tremendous racial disparity in the juvenile justice system. Conclusions. The mutual advantages to both employer and employee of using youths in drug trafficking increases the likelihood that this new practice will continue to flourish and with increasingly young children. Effective prevention and treatment interventions will need to be multifaceted, addressing the economic, educational, and social issues that have permitted the rapid emergence of adolescent drug trafficking. Finally, further investigation of the apparent racial disparities is necessary.

2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 610-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail B. Williams ◽  
Joseph P. Ryan ◽  
Pamela E. Davis-Kean ◽  
Vonnie C. McLoyd ◽  
John E. Schulenberg

Little is known about what factors contribute to African American youth desisting from offending. Participants were 3,230 moderate- to high-risk adolescents from Washington State who completed a statewide risk assessment to assess the likelihood of recidivism. Participants were screened by juvenile probation officers between 2003 and 2010. Researchers investigated whether youth possessed protective factors and whether developmental change took place after contact with the juvenile justice system. It was hypothesized that having protective factors would decrease the likelihood of recidivism and the impact of each factor would differ by gender. Findings indicate African American youth have protective factors across a range of domains. However, little developmental change occurs after contact with the juvenile justice system. Impulse control, parental supervision, and pro-social peers were important for reducing recidivism. Problem solving was more influential for African American males, while impulse control and parental supervision were more influential for African American females. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.


1984 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley M. Hufstedler

This article is an expanded version of an address given before the 1984 Conference: “Rethinking Juvenile Justice,” sponsored by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. The article traces the evolution of the Juvenile Court and discusses the pressures placed upon the juvenile justice system at the same time it punishes, incapacitates and reforms youthful offenders. The author challenges juvenile justice planners to develop humane, cost-effective, and community-based alternatives as a means of reducing the current confusion over the proper role of the juvenile court.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarup R. Mathur ◽  
Heather Griller Clark ◽  
Leslie LaCroix ◽  
James Short

This article discusses the unique and influential role of school teachers in the rehabilitation and reintegration of students with emotional and behavioral disorders who have been involved with the juvenile justice (JJ) system. By adopting evidenced-based practices, highlighted within this article, teachers can prevent further escalation of students’ negative behaviors and repeated involvement in the JJ system.


2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zia Akhtar

The UK government has decided on a policy goal that is set out in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill 2014. This goal is to invest in ‘Secure Colleges’, which are institutions planned to make young criminals ‘better citizens not better criminals’. The question is: What is the role of punishment: deterrence, incapacitation or rehabilitation? This article considers the juvenile justice system in Scotland with reference to the objectives set out in the Kilbrandon Report in 1964 and evaluates the perspective of early criminologists who state that offenders exercise a free choice in embarking on a life of crime. It is also evaluated in the light of those empirical studies that expose the harsh discipline and control in prisons as ‘oppressive’ and not likely to reform the offenders. The UK policy regarding young offenders underwent a change after the James Bulger murder in 1993 and became a deterrence-based approach. This has led to measures on both sides of the border which were retributive, such as the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility and the early intervention of probation services. This article considers the modern themes of juvenile justice and argues that the ‘Secure Colleges’ will be a corrective institution that should inculcate a more informed policy towards reintegration for the young offenders so that they emerge from the criminal justice system as improved citizens after completing their sentence.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 247
Author(s):  
Hasbi Hasan

One of the most significant changes contained in the UU No. 11 Tahun 2012 One of the most significant changes contained in the UU No. 11 Tahun 2012 is to accomodate principles of restorative justice and the principle of diversion in the juvenile justice system . Nevertheless, the application of the principles of restorative justice in the juvenile justice system are set out in the UU No. 11 Tahun 2012, tend to be partial and non-exhaustive . This is caused by the presence of common misconceptions in the understanding of restorative justice as an attempt to seek a peaceful settlement of the conflict out of court . This study shows that restorative justice is essentially complement rather than replace the criminal justice system . Therefore , restorative justice programs can be integrated into the whole process of juvenile justice without compromising the basic principles and main objectives of restorative justice , and at the same time , did not downplay the role of juvenile justice system that is based on formal legal requirements. Keywords: restorative justice, juvenile justice, crime, diversion.


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