Criminal Justice Program Proposal
Introduction
In the United States, the criminal justice has struggled to deal with the concept of young offenders, the circumstances surrounding their arrest, and disciplinary measures. For example, the case study states that the government ordered the removal of several juveniles held in a correctional facility due to the facility’s lack of separation from the adult population. The juveniles were thus transferred to another facility where they could easily become institutionalized due to a lack of rehabilitation, community support, and access to family members. In addition, Sawyer (2019) states that the juvenile population in prisons continues to increase each year. Therefore, the juvenile justice system needs to be updated to accommodate the increase in the juvenile population and curb the lack of prosecution.
Type of Program to Solve the Problem
Incarceration and confinement are the most used programs to correct youth offenders in the past years. These actions mean that the youth or the juvenile has to face a jail term or remain in a restricted area for a specific period. In some cases, some juvenile offenders may stay confined without facing a trial. According to Montgomery (2019), juvenile cases resulting from drug abuse, school dropouts, and inadequate resources have surged in the recent past, causing the juvenile justice system to rethink its approaches. Various research work has indicated that the criminal justice programs should put in place programs that mitigate the factors that lead to the problems. Thus, an effective program would be educating the youth on various matters affecting them, such as drug abuse and unemployment. Education on these areas will equip the youth with adequate knowledge that enables them to make the correct decisions and avoid juvenile facilities.
Process Used to Identify the Problem
The increased need to check the juvenile problem and correct it has resulted in the formation of the Juvenile Justice Review Committee, which consists of participants devoted to improving the justice system and alleviating the juvenile problems. This committee meets monthly and frequently when required to check on data from police arrests and information where they draw problems relating to juveniles and the justice system.
Data Collection Methodologies
Ainsworth (2021) states various data collection methods such as surveys, observations, focus groups, and documents and records. From the case study, the data collection methods applicable to identify the problem include documents and records from the police and justice systems to ascertain the number of juvenile cases present and those tried. In addition, interviews can also be applied to collect data from juveniles on the problems they face in the corrections centers and whether their cases have been tried. Furthermore, questionnaires and surveys may also be conducted by researchers to obtain relevant information from the target groups.
Key Data to Determine the Problem
The main data that must be collected to identify the problem with juvenile cases is the causes of juvenile engagement in criminal activities. By identifying why, the youth engage in various criminal activities is key to determining effective preventive measures. In addition, data from the criminal justice and police is also important to determine the growth or alleviation in juvenile cases and the number of cases tried, respectively.
Ways to Involve Key Personnel in Collecting and Analyzing Data
The key personnel under juvenile delinquent behavior include the police, criminal justice systems, and the government. There are various ways in which the key personnel can be involved in collecting and analyzing data relating to juvenile delinquent behavior. One of the major ways is to involve these personnel in face-to-face or online interviews to obtain their say on the matter. In addition, researchers may present the collected data to relevant authorities and ask for clarifications to analyze and make meaningful conclusions. Furthermore, authorities such as the government can create a conducive environment or avail relevant information for researchers to analyze and bring out views and measures to improve various sectors.
References
Ainsworth, Q. (2021). Data collection methods. Available at https://www.jotform.com/data-collection-methods/. Last accessed 28th September 2021.
Montgomery, M. (2019). 2019 DJJ Quick Fact Sheets. Retrieved from https://djj.georgia.gov/blog-post/2018-03-06/2019-djj-quick-fact-sheets. Last accessed 28th September 2021.
Sawyer, W. (2019). Youth confinement: The whole pie 2019. Available at https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/youth2019.html. Last accessed 28th September 2021.