My opinions of juvenile prisons.

Institutes like Feltham have a high re-offending rate, up to 80%. Feltham provide the basics for a juvenile prison, just a cell, food and a sanitised shelter. The reason why the re-offending rates are so high, is that the government are not tackling the reasons why juveniles turn against the law. In the majority of cases this comes back to money! There was an American boot camp which was set up in the UK, the re-offending rate when juveniles, left as half that of Feltham, the reason being that the boot camp tackled the youths problems, rather then turning a blind eye. In principle the government will not finance institutes like that of boot camp nationwide, as the boot camp cost £1500 to £2000 per juvenile, and Feltham cost as little as £600 a week. Boot camps, train their inmates both physically and mentally. They give their inmates skills and qualifications in order for them to get a job when they leave. In terms of the boot camps low re-offending rate, the extra money put in is put to good use, where-as in Feltham it’s just a temporary measure to keep them off the streets.

More recent evidence shows that, faced with poor economic conditions, unemployment and the reality of the devastating effects of the use of illegal drugs, more young people turn to crime. Having identified the fundamental problem, it is necessary for the government to provide facilities in which they can get skills and an education so juveniles do not have to turn to crime. Also, a break down in family can some juveniles turn rebellious. There was a juvenile called Paul, aged 15, who had a series of family problem and a history of depression and anger. He isolated him self from his parents which led him to attempt suicide three times over the past year. His stepfather, himself, has a history of mental problems. The previous year he tried suicide twice. “He’d get angry and aggressive. He’s a big lad, and when he gets angry he can do a lot of damage.” This is a lack of communication, another form of breakdown in family, which turns this teenager violent, and “he can do a lot of damage”

Institutionalisation does not act as a deterrent since re-offending rates remain high. Mainly juveniles do not give much thought to the consequences of being caught when committing a crime. Some commit merely to prove higher in gang organisations.  

Tagging is a secondary scheme set up by the government. It is a supervision programme that could replace Britain’s deteriorating custodial system. There are immediate benefits to tagging, over custodial sentencing. Teenagers in the Sunderland area, averaged 10 to 12 crimes in the year before being introduced to the tagging programme, after the number has fallen to two to three offences, whilst under supervision. Tagging and curfews involves activities which include education and training, interventions to stop anti social behaviour and development of behavioural skills. Also, the chance to work with, the victims of crime. It is much cheaper then sentencing juveniles to prisons, a six month tagging programme cost £6000 per individual, whilst custodial sentencing cost around £21000 per individual over a six month period.

The way in which America deals with juveniles, I personally is more effective, they sentence juveniles to the boot-camp, this trains juveniles. The camp makes them responsible for their own actions, fit, healthy and well educated. It is an obedience school, which teaches juveniles that hard work pays off through schemes with in the camp called merit points.

In my view I think that the current juvenile prison set up is failing. Schemes such as “tagging” and “boot-camp” are a welcoming new hope for disobedient juveniles in the UK. The government needs to put more money in the juvenile prisons to cater for educational facilities and tackle the juvenile’s core problems, mainly, a lack of skills.