Design your ideal program for female youth offenders! We have learned that young women have traditionally been punished harshly, despite their lower levels of offending (mostly drug, prostitution, and property offenses) and overall less violent offending than boys. Your program should be an alternative to the current CA juvenile justice system (That is, Juvenile Hall, Youth Authority, or court-ordered probation or group home)
Write your response as a narrative discussion.
Your goal is to design an effective program based on what youve learned about at risk girls/female offenders, but first, tell why girls who offend need and would benefit from your program.
Therefore, be sure to include in your discussion the following three things:
1. First discuss how girls who become involved in the courts and juvenile justice system face well-researched challenges and problems that are specific to their gender: overall, girls family backgrounds, experience of abuse (sexual, domestic violence, drug abuse), level of mental health issues, level and type of offenses committed, and treatment needs differ significantly from those of boys who offend.
2. Then, discuss your ideal program for girls. Be specificwhat will the structure be? (Your program can be a residential (overnight) program or day-treatment program, a center, or a combination of services, or include all of these.) What types of services (physical/mental health etc.) would you provide? What kind of activities will the clients engage in? Is there parental involvement, follow-up treatment, education, job training? Etc.
NOTE: To do numbers 1 and 2 above, you will need to provide evidence (referenced facts, examples, statistics, ideas or claims) where needed to bolster and support your discussion and the program design you are suggesting. Get your evidence from course readings, including The Coalition for Juvenile Justice/SOS Project-2013 article paying attention to the Gender-Responsive Treatment approach, and the short videos.
Additionally, you can view and use information/ideas from The Center for Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CJCJ) website [www.CJCJ.org] and/or the website of an alternative program for girls offenders in the U.S. of your choosing.)
