Liberty University Week 6 Criminal Justice Discussion
Please respond to the 2 following discussion responses with 500 words EACH, 2 references EACH as well as a biblical viewpoint in APA format.1).Demetria Jasey- Prevention and diversion programs for juvenile and adult crimes were found to be, direct and indirect, over the costly amount of 15 billion dollars in 2007, with the cost not decreasing as the years progress (Cox et al., 2018). Although some prevention and diversion programs work for some offenders, they seem very ineffective in general. A plethora of individuals have expressed concern that prevention and diversion programs should be enacted before offenders engage in delinquent acts, and not after. By encountering juveniles before they engage in delinquency, this could deter crime and delinquency at a more exponential rate. Research has proven that it would be easier to prevent the juvenile from engaging in crime when it has been noticed by others that they are at high risk to commit delinquent acts than it would be to try to cease them from continuing to engage in crime after they have already been committing delinquent acts over time.In the 1960’s, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice stated that there should be prevention of delinquency alternatives within the juvenile justice system (Cox et al., 2018). It was recommended that these alternatives should be used to replace the formal sanctioning system, and that the formal sanctioning system should be used only as a last resort when no other alternatives have seemed to work for the juvenile. There are three different types of prevention programs, which are primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary prevention is used for preventing delinquent and illegal acts by juveniles before they happen by removing social conditions that could be a direct cause of delinquency for offenders. Secondary prevention finds juveniles that are at high risk to engage in delinquent behaviors and/or high risk to be a victim of abuse and gets involved in their lives in an earlier stage. Tertiary prevention tries to deter delinquency and illegal acts by offenders that have previously offended. For a prevention program to be able to be effective for juveniles, there should be cohesion between the program’s concept, the juvenile, and the organization.Diversion programs are also another form of prevention that can be used to deter juveniles from offending and engaging in delinquency. Secondary and pure diversion programs are mainly used to deter juveniles from engaging in delinquency (Cox et al., 2018). Secondary diversion is a program that terminates processing juveniles into the juvenile justice system and instead releases them or refers them to an alternate service. Pure diversion, another form of a diversion program, refers juveniles to programs before they are entered into the system that are outside of the juvenile justice system. Studies have shown positive results for diversion programs. Diversion programs have shown to decrease the percentage of juveniles that are entering the juvenile justice system. Diversion programs have also been seen as less costly in comparison to submitting juveniles into the juvenile justice system. They also have in-home family intervention that has a high success rate in preventing juveniles from entering the juvenile justice system as well. A basic assumption of prevention and diversion programs is that people do not believe that therapy for individual juveniles will work if the juvenile has problems that surround their family, school, or the other juveniles that they are around (Cox et al., 2018). This assumption is justified because being surrounded by people that are the cause of a juvenile engaging in delinquency, it will be very difficult to try to prevent them from engaging in a behavior that they constantly see others engaging in. Another basic assumption of prevention and diversion programs is that recreational programs are not very beneficial when reducing delinquency. This assumption is justified because there is not an immediate payoff. People only see their finances being allocated to the prevention and diversion programs to help the juveniles, but they rarely get a chance to see how the juveniles’ behavior changes from neglecting delinquent acts because the programs do not have an immediate effect on the juveniles and these programs take a long time with preventing juveniles from committing delinquent acts. Since the public only sees juveniles still engaging in delinquent behavior, they are hesitant and reluctant to want to finance these programs. The public is unwilling to fund prevention and diversion programs because they take a long time to produce changed results within the juveniles. Many programs may not even have any positive results at all (Cox et al., 2018). By the public not being able to see juveniles decrease in participating in delinquent behavior within a short time span or decrease in participating in delinquent behavior, they are not able to see immediate payoffs, or any payoffs at all. The consequences of the public being unwilling to fund prevention and diversion programs are that, for the programs that are effective in preventing juveniles from engaging in delinquency, they will be underfunded and will not be able to have the finances that they need to have the proper resources to help these juveniles. Resources such as staff that will help with therapy, and other tools that are used to prevent delinquency in juveniles will not have the allocated finances needed.From a Christian worldview, the bible states that “the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, John 10:10). This bible verse states that although people may only have ill intentions and may only want to commit illegal acts, God will always forgive them. He sent his one and only son to die for everyone’s sins so that their sins could be forgiven, and they can have a long and prosperous life to live. Prevention and detention programs help juveniles refrain from delinquency and divert them to other activities, such as giving them access to school and wilderness programs. By giving them access to these programs, they are giving them second chances to prosper in their lives, much like how God has given everyone, and they are able to live a life that is free from crime and delinquency going forward. ReferencesCox, S. M., Allen, J. M., Hanser, R. D., & Conrad, J. H. (2018). Juvenile justice: A guide to theory, policy, and Practice. Sage Publications, Inc.King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)2. Glenn Cowan- Recommendation for ProgramsThe following paragraphs will discuss recommendations for prevention and diversion programs for juveniles and assumptions believed to be related to these programs. Whether the assumptions are justified will also be presented and why the public typically does not support such programs. Finally, the topic's opposing viewpoint and Christian worldview will be provided. One recommended program is school resource officers that engage with kids concerning alcohol and drug use (Cox et al., 2018). Due to their authority status, resource officers could make a considerable impression on juveniles concerning additional issues that may cause delinquency, such as gun violence and bullying. The other recommended program is multisystemic therapy (MST), an inclusive treatment program for violent juveniles and their families as noted by the authors. This program is effective, possibly due to the involvement of the family. Without a healthy family environment and support, juveniles could be at substantial risk of delinquency.Assumption of School Resource OfficersThe assumption of school resource officers as a program could be that they will instill a sense of authority and understanding of the dangers of substance abuse and other topics they may cover. School resource officers may also be assumed to be introductory in the conditioning of student attitudes to law enforcement. Although these assumptions may be justified, the curriculum, or lack thereof, could affect the way youth perceive the officers. Cox et al. (2018) stated that officers working with students, such as Camdenton Police, allow students to work with officers on planning and best safety practices. The authors share that although no empirical data shows the efficacy of Resource Officer programs in the literature, another program aimed at youth substance abuse, the Drug Abuse Resistance Program (D.A.R.E.), shows no empirical effect on long-term drug use.Assumption of MSTThe assumption of MST as a program could be that a trained master’s-level therapist can more effectively assist the juvenile in overcoming the causes of delinquency with family involvement. This assumption is highly justified due to a healthy best practices approach and high decrease in recidivism; for instance, MST approach includes a dedicated therapist with a small caseload that goes to the juvenile and family and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (Schiraldi et al., 2011). Additionally, the authors state that therapy focuses on the juvenile and family alike with up to a 70% decrease in recidivism. Therefore, the approach of MST is a valuable model for all juvenile delinquency issues. An argument could be made that the family unit provides the strongest bonds, but MST goes further into the environment of the juvenile, such as peer associations and school involvement which provides a well-rounded approach as a practice.Opposing ViewpointPrograms could be argued to be typically mired in processes and procedures that are ineffective and consume more tax dollars on administrative costs than they produce. Such programs could also be seen as bureaucratic pork money spent on problems so that politicians, council members, or administrators can tell critics that they are – at the very least – doing something to address the problems of juvenile delinquency. These opinions align with the public’s tendency to be unwilling to spend money on such programs. Cox et al. (2018) state that because most programs do not produce immediate results, the public is often unwilling to support them. The authors also state that the public is quick to criticize practitioners due to a lack of results. However, the public’s criticisms can often overlook legitimate reasons why programs do not work. The consequence of such attitudes could lead to scuttling potentially effective methods of addressing delinquency.Christian World ViewGod’s character is restoration. From earth’s first origins, God has been restoring what humankind has ruined. For instance, as soon as Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord prophesied and said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (English Standard Bible, 2001/2016, Genesis 3:15). God wants restoration and healing for all people, including juveniles. Therefore, Christian leaders do well to heed what the Holy Bible says, “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit” (Amos 9:14). These scriptures should exemplify what drives leaders to lead and build up a generation of juveniles that need Christ’s healing, love, and leading in a lost and dying world.ConclusionSchool resource officers are recommended as prevention and diversion programs for juveniles to have contact with as ordinary people. Such officers can have a considerable impression on juveniles concerning subjects such as drugs and alcohol and other subjects that could be beneficial. Additionally, MST is recommended due to its thorough involvement in the life of juveniles, their families, and friends. Such programs are effective because of their foundational approach in the lives of juveniles. However, although the programs recommended are justified, such programs should be considered cautiously due to their propensity to consume resources without expected results. Lack of productivity impacts public sentiment for such programs, which could inhibit the funding and support of some programs that need more time or expertise to realize their full potential. God’s desire to heal and restore all people should guide Christian leaders, practitioners, and subject matter experts in these pursuits to restore and heal troubled youth.ReferencesCox, S. M., Allen, J. M., Hanser, R. D., & Conrad, J. J. (2018). Juvenile justice: A guide to theory, policy, and practice. Sage publications.English Standard Bible. (2016). Crossway Bibles. (Original work published 2001)Schiraldi, V., Schindler, M., & Goliday, S. J. (2011). The End of the Reform School? In F. T. Sherman & F. H. Jacobs (eds.), Juvenile justice: Advancing research, policy, and practice (pp. 409-432). Wiley.Here is original Post, you do NOT have to respond to this one: You will include in your assessment the assumptions you think are related to these programs, if these assumptions are justified, and your rationale as to why the public doesn't support diversion programs. The purpose of this assignment will give you the opportunity to apply the Learn material in a meaningful essay application. Your essay discusses some of the assumptions you believe are basic to delinquency prevention and diversion programs. To what extent do you feel each of these assumptions are justified? Why do you believe that the public is often unwilling to finance these prevention programs and what are the consequences of this?
