It is common to experience juveniles sent to adult jails. Juveniles are minors who have not attained an adult age to be put in prisons. They often have their own separate correction facilities rather than jails meant for adults. Sending juveniles to adult prisons has negative consequences because adult jails are violent for them.
Juveniles are different from adults in many aspects, so they are not supposed to be jailed in adult prisons. For example, the Supreme Court has suggested that young offenders below 18 years are irresponsible, immature, and adaptable to change (Scott, 2012). This means that they may cause chaos in prison where they receive violent response from adults.
Young prisoners are also susceptible to danger in prisons than adults because they can be influenced easily. With the idea that they will be spending more of their lives in isolation from society makes them to seek protection in the new environment (Scott, 2012). In this case, they can be influenced negatively to try new things which can destroy them.
This aspect of negative influence also leads kids who are put in adult jails to become more likely to reoffend. For example, a study by Aizer and Doyle from Brown University and Massachusetts University respectively carried out a study on juvenile imprisonment and found out that 67% of children who have been sent to adult prison are likely to go back to prison again (Muntingh & Ballard, 2013).
From these points, it is clear that sending juveniles to adult prisons has negative consequences. Young offenders are irresponsible, and can be influenced negatively to cause trouble, and eventually becoming victims of violence in prison. Children sent to adult jails are also likely to reoffend and go back to prison again.
References List
Muntingh, L., & Ballard, C. (2013). Are the rights of children paramount in prison legislation? South African Journal of Criminal Justice, 26(3), 337-353.
Scott, G. (2012). Prison Is Too Violent for Young Offenders. The New York Times, Accessed September 20, 2915 from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/06/05/when-to-punish-a-young-offender-and-when-to-rehabilitate/prison-is-too-violent-for-young-offenders.
