By: Kyara Aguirre Sociology 1

 Juvenile Detention Centers started as early as in the early nineteenth century.  The House of Refuge in New York in 1824 was the first open in attempt to house juvenile offenders in a different facility.  The idea of JDC was supported by eighteenth and nineteenth century discovery of child development.  In 1974 congress passed Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that added further protection for youth in the U.S. justice legal system.

For many years people in our nation have agreed that those that commit crime should pay for it. And they did so by the creation of prison. Now because of all the discoveries of the differences between a child and an adult we had to figure out a way to service fair punishment for both. In a functionalist approach this institution was made to maintain the stability of society. To keep crime from taking over society. To keep crime controlled and balanced so that it is equal and fair to everyone.

Now this is the theory in which disagrees and contradicts the functionalist perspective. This theory would say that we have so much crime going on that we can not handle and that this institution is just an attempt to do so. Inequality and conflict is was drives society in this theory and it maybe the case because changes come from actions and protest that people may begin. Conflicts from family homes may be what drives young teenagers or children to begin to commit such crimes and that builds institutions like these. Inequality in society between races may also be a cause and that is how we let these institutions begin to take action. “NEW YORK TIMES and many other publications reported the facts: Children from broken homes have two to three times more behavioral and psychological problems than do children from intact homes. ” – The World and I, March 2000 issue

Juvenile Detention centers have gone from doing hard time to more of rehabilitation center for young delinquents. The state gives the impression to society that they are working to help eliminate this issue and help this children. But this institution goes beyond legal issues, it is a matter of sociological and behavioral research. Members of society often wonder what the issue is and why children are starting at such a young age. When we look at the facts we see that the changes in society are beginning to have more poverty, drugs, and dysfunctional families. In reality it should be the job of families to address this issue at hand but then that is where this institution is stepping in.

 To provide rehabilitative and therapeutic services for young delinquents.  Help children engaged in criminal activities to build a better future.  Undergo activities doing community services to give back to society for the crimes they have committed.  To give society and the communities peace of mind that these children, that need help that put anyone at risk, are being taken care of.

 Most of the children that come into this institution are usually from communities with poverty(lower class).  Minorities in this country  Are drug users or are being exposed to them  Children from Dysfunctional families

This institution, like many, is not successful with all children and young teenagers that enter. Less than 20 percent of juvenile delinquents have been found that have graduated high school or gotten a GED. In many cases the reasons of not being successful is because of the situation that they still see themselves in. They may not have the chance to get out of the environment in which frequently drags them back into the criminal life. Specially for those that live in a gang active area.

- Some ways I would improve this institution would be by organizing a free “follow up” program in which the members of this institution could follow up with someone that can help them find resources and alternatives after getting out. Usually a member of this institution will fall into the crime life again because they had no help. With this I think that the success rate of this institution will increase and help children that, unfortunately, end up in this side of society.

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