The
consequences of holding juvenile delinquents in locked-door facilities loom
largest for the offending minors themselves. Exposure to juvenile courts,
detention centers and other out-of-home destinations for juvenile offenders
portends poorly for their ability to stay out of trouble as an adult.
Recidivism (repeated arrests and/or criminal convictions) of adult populations
is much higher for those individuals with a juvenile record.
As one might imagine, the immediate consequences of
finding oneself in a juvenile institution are troubling in their own right and
are only exacerbated by juvenile incarceration in an all-purpose correctional
facility. Juvenile delinquents forced into a prison-like environment are at
risk of violence, abuse, and rape.
Of lesser importance but still not to be discounted,
juvenile detention has its practical concerns. It is rather expensive to
operate so many facilities designed to feed, clothe, house, educate, and
rehabilitate thousands of American boys and girls, and realistically, little is
done about treating the causes of delinquency in this country. Children are
essentially held captive to the point of overcrowding in centers and jails and often
become still more of a danger to those living outside the walls of these
buildings.
