girls experience several challenges and that juvenile facilities have negative impacts on the female population
In the United States, girls under the age of 18 years have witnessed the fastest-growing segment, especially in the juvenile justice population. The trend has attracted increasing concerns from the public as well as the juvenile detention centres. One of the major concerns is how girls in this juvenile detention centres area handled and treatment by the management. Traditionally, the juvenile centres were designed for accommodating male offenders, but the perception has over the years shifted to female offenders as their number continue to grow in these juvenile facilities. There are significant differences in how boys and girls are incarcerated, such as females being charged for offences that are more tolerated in the case of boys. Besides, once the girls are placed in the juvenile detention centres, they may lack the opportunity to under the same rehabilitation as boys do and also they experience poorer treatment compared to the boys. This paper explores girls in juvenile detention centres in the United States. The discussion will involve the impacts and changes that this population faces in these juvenile facilities while serving their charges for the specific offences committed. Girls have special consideration when compared to boys in the juvenile systems, although the female gender has experienced numerous challenges in these facilities. The population of girls in juvenile detention centres has been increasing while the attention of their special needs has remained low over the years. The discussion maintains that girls experience several challenges and that juvenile facilities have negative impacts on the female population.
Girls entering the United States juvenile system experience cruel punishment, brutal physical force as well as facing overcrowding effects. Besides these juvenile facilities have limited staff to attend to the needs of the female offenders confined in the juvenile centres. Girls in the juvenile facilities do not receive enough healthcare services due to the fact that there is a limited number of healthcare workers or providers to attend to the ever-growing population. It is widely known that detention or the offences that people make have accompanying mental traumas that potentially cause harm, especially to the female gender in these juvenile detention centres. The female offender experience lack of mental health counselling as well as the absence of education programs that help the population learn ways of improving and correcting their behaviours and coping skills for the mental health issues associated with detention. The ever-increasing number of females in the juvenile system face the extra burden of entering in a detention process that was largely tailored for the male gender. The national ad international standards state the goal of detention is to allow for the rehabilitation of the offenders. If this goal is maintained, then the rehabilitation process for the female offenders in the juvenile facilities should be designed to be unique and different from that of the male population of the same age bracket. The treatment and programs offered for the female population in the detention should be different from their male counterparts as the backgrounds and needs of girls are substantially distinct from those of boys. The special needs for female offenders need to be considered to guarantee that this population receives equal chances for rehabilitation.
The number of girls facing detention in the juvenile facilities has been on the rise over the years, and the type of arrests include nonviolent crimes. The office of Juvenile Justice and delinquency Prevention maintains that the normal female that enters the juvenile facilities in the United States are found to be the ages between 14 and 16and the majority come from the minority communities. These population also represents girls that have experienced sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and also the girls from the households living in a poor neighbourhood associated with a high rate of crime. When compared to the male counterparts, female are reported to be younger. Girls in this juvenile system record higher levels with respect to the prevalence of disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and conducts, including verbal and physical aggression and delinquency.
There are increased concerns about a gender gap due to the over-incarceration of girls. The rate of girls’ detention has been rising higher compared to that of their male counterparts. The rationale for the increase has been associate with increased gender bias, especially in the juvenile systems well as a systematic failure by the system that is male-oriented to know the girls’ unique issues. It is expected that the rise in the female population in the juvenile systems is due to increased levels of the criminal activities that female gender involved in, although this may not be the case. The increase of the female arrests in the juvenile facilities may be attributable to the laws demanding arrests of people involved in domestic violence and victims where the females fall victim. The girls are likely to often find themselves detained for offences that can be concluded to be minor and which can be solved with less restrictive measures. A significant number of detention offences include status offences referring to the juvenile violations that cannot be considered illegal if they are committed by the adult population.
The setting up of the juvenile facilities has seen more females in these systems for minor offences that do not require stern restrictive measures. Girls involved in sexual abuse may run away or if involved in a family conflict they may decide to escape. The law requires mandatory arrest for the victims and these have led to an increase in the number of female populations in the juvenile population. Where the females receive different treatment and detention process, they are placed in a risk as their rights are threatened, their health put at risk and destruction of their social lives. The juvenile detention centres in the United States need to consider the impacts of detaining females and the challenges that these girls encounter while confined in the detention centres. Females have specific needs that need to be taken into consideration to improve their wellbeing and ensure that they receive equal treatment similar to the male counterparts. The detention centres present numerous challenges to girls.
Challenges faced by girls in juvenile facilities
Girls arrested and placed in the juvenile systems the majority of them come for the family conflict, trauma, poor health as well as in a residential instability. These aspects are also linked to poor educational results where the majority of these girls experience frequently school absenteeism and suffer from poor academic performances. This is attributed to the fact that the juvenile system does not allow the girls confined in the detention centres to access adequate education. This amounts substantial suffering as they are subjected to education inequality and discrimination compared to the free girls outside the juvenile facilities. Education is a right for the young population and when the girls are detained in especially juvenile detention centres that lack appropriate education programs or do not have them entirely, the population is subjected to lack of knowledge and understanding. They fail to follow their dreams as they do not receive the avenue such as education program that helps in cultivating the future careers of dreams. This aspect is sensitive as it contributes to increased illiteracy in the society and the victims will face challenges in future outside the juvenile systems.
Girls in juvenile systems are placed in a high-security compound and inside locked doors, where the rooms are very narrow and congested. The rooms are characterized by very narrow space, too thin mattresses. Besides, the girls are only allowed to carry with them very possession such as a toothbrush and comb. The girls are likely to find themselves in the juvenile facilities for having committed nonviolent crimes including prostitution, theft, or violation of curfew orders by the administration. Poor conditions in the rooms that the female offenders are locked restrict their health and potentially could expose them to health issues. breathing is a challenge in the rooms due to the fact that the rooms have fewer ventilation and the high number of girls confined in the same small room. There are numerous communicable diseases that can be transmitted through the air if one of the girls is infected. The girls also do not experience good sleep considering the situation in the rooms such as very thin mattresses. The juvenile centres are meant to curtail the movement of the offenders and help in improving their behavior. Nevertheless, this turns out as a punishment process that goes against the rights of detained individuals. all humans need to receive better treatment and the juvenile facilities need to function by helping the offenders improve on their ill behaviours. The female gender requires special treatment while in the juvenile centres, something that they do not receive from the officials. When compared to the male counterparts, there certain personal needs that women need to put in place to allow them to lead normal lives. Restricting the amount of possession that girls should have in the detention centres impacts them negatively.
The health concerns of female offenders are the key problem common in juvenile facilities. The systems that girls are placed were formerly designed for boys and this is perceived as failing female offenders. Pregnancy, sexual assault, among other special needs are in most cases overlooked by the underfunded and cursory system. Incarcerated girls form one of the significantly susceptible as well as the unfortunately invisible populations across the United States. It is reported that up to 90% of the population have encountered sexual, physical, or emotional abuse (Jenny, 2012). According to a research by the National Girls Health and Justice Institute, there are especially grim health statistics where 41 per cent of the girls placed in the detention centres show signs of vaginal injury associated with sexual assault (Jenny, 2012). further, is found that up to a third of the population are currently pregnant while 8% of the girls tested positive for tuberculosis. In addition, 30% of the girls require glasses but they do not have them.
For some of the incarcerated girls, detention in the juvenile systems involves the only time they find a place to interact with the system of health care. however, the healthcare that these girls receive while in the juvenile detention is in most cases ill-equipped to address the sophisticated health needs. There are few juvenile facilities that comply with the recommended health assessments and screening and also a few of the detention centres meet the minimum healthcare levels (Jenny, 2012). The detention facilities seem to show less understanding about the victimization history that girls undergo. The finding of National Girls Health and Justice Institute reveal that poor physical health appears to scale up the risk of recidivism among the detained girls (Jenny, 2012). This means that girls with health issues are likely to engage in an offence again and will be taken back to the criminal justice system. Girls form the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice, but the treatment and screening tools have been mostly designed for the incarcerated boys. It is feared that the unique mental and physical health problems of girls are not being recorded in advance or accurately. Sexual abuse in the juvenile systems is a common incident and there is a poor track record or identification of the rape abuses throughout the stay of the girls in this detention centres (Jenny, 2012). In this juvenile detention centres, there are several pregnancy cases go unreported and are in most cases not identified. It essential for the juvenile systems to ensure they consider every teen pregnancy as a high risk.
Girls in juvenile facilities also suffer humiliation from the healthcare officers as they ask them questions about any sexual assault cases in front of their male residents. This may make them feel shy to reveal any important information on sexual assault history. There is a poor set of boundaries for the girls with rape or assault history. the majority of staff nurses in the juvenile facilities are trained to handle adult men. As a result, poor treatment towards the incarcerated girls contributes to severer challenge for the victims.
Juvenile facilities miss on the process of screening. This should be seen as the only chance that girls find to see a physician, or their assistant and a nurse who enquires about their health, that allows an ideal to offer the required services. Nevertheless, a large population of the detained girls miss medical care and a few of them could establish a constant source of healthcare (Jenny, 2012). Girls in juvenile facilities ay have insurance but face challenges on how to use them. They need the help of probation officers who can help them access healthcare services. There also challenges with insurance coverage for girls because when they enter the juvenile detention, the insurance cover is immediately cut off in some counties. Therefore, the medical services are all left in the hands of states, leading to poor services for the incarcerated girls.
Part of the presenting danger that girls face in the juvenile detention facilities include the negativity that every girl experience when they enter the facilities. The majority have endured sexual, physical, as well as emotional abuse from their members of the family. There is an increased overrepresentation especially with girls of colour across the juvenile system of the United States. The challenges of sexual abuse have been described as sexual abuse to prison pipeline.
Girls and boys are presented as having different patterns of maturity based on the reaction to stimuli. Girls are presented as very sensitive to punishment and in the case of extreme cases, incarcerated girls may turn to suicidal habits when their relationships are faced with threats. Punishing these girls, taking into consideration their sensitive nature may present detrimental impacts. These explain the issue of sexual abuse on girls and its detrimental outcome in their life. Besides, the girls in the juvenile system record higher rates of psychiatric disorders and PTSD, when they are exposed to traumatic events. Suicidal attempts and ideation are identified as a common issue for the incarcerated girls. The findings add to the assertion that the brain development in girls attracts sensitive character, especially to punishment.
The next challenge that juvenile detention poses to female offenders is the limited number of homes that lack sufficient facilities to accommodate the girls. the majority of juvenile facilities were designed for boys, and due to the shortage, girls have been introduced into such facilities. The facilities do not also have experienced staff to address the female offenders, increasing the suffering of girls.
Challenges in juvenile detention centres can also be looked based on the issue of colour problem. Black girls kicked out of schools are sent to the juvenile system in the United States. Taking into consideration the problem of racism and racial discrimination, black girls experience high levels of discrimination in these juvenile systems. They are subjected to poor facilities and lack of better treatment, contributing to a violation of their minority rights. The rooms that they are confined are at poor conditions increasing health risks and even risks them from succumbing to various diseases acquired from the juvenile setting. this population is a representation of what other offenders undergo in the detention places. When girls are incarcerated, they are disconnected from their family members and they also suffer from cut relationships from their partners. There are limited or no visits from such groups and their bond is weakened over time. This contributes to the distancing of the girls from the rest of the world, leading to bad thoughts that are harmful to their health or life.
Conclusion
The population of girls in juvenile detention centres has been increasing while the attention of their special needs has remained low over the years. Girls entering the United States juvenile system experience cruel punishment, brutal physical force as well as facing overcrowding effects. Girls in the juvenile facilities do not receive enough healthcare services due to the fact that there is a limited number of healthcare workers or providers to attend to the ever-growing population. The female offender experience lack of mental health counselling as well as an absence of education programs that help the population learn ways of improving and correcting their behaviours and coping skills for the mental health issues associated with detention. Girls face sexual, physical and mental challenges in the juvenile detention centres. They are placed in poor conditions that risk their health and wellbeing. These conditions in the juvenile lead to suicidal ideation and mental disorders such as PTSD.