How Juvenile Justice Affects Me

By Reniya S. Dinkins:

For most of my life, my parents tried to hide the people who I knew who were locked up. A few years ago, one of my favorite uncles was put in prison. He used to call once a week from the jail, but my father told me to never pick up the phone. I was upset because I couldn't talk to him. After a while, I forgot about it completely. Recently, he sent me a letter for my birthday. I haven't seen or talked to him for years, and that letter made me remember how much I miss him. At the same time, I was upset with him because the mistake he made not only affected him, but it also affected me. I stayed away from my father's brothers and sisters for a while because they reminded me of him.

It was never a problem for me to stay out of trouble, even as a kid. I grew up in a Christian school where it was terrible to break even the simplest rules. My conscience made all of my decisions, and every time I made I mistake, I had such a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that I never wanted to do the wrong thing. Breaking the law was out of the question for me. It wasn't even an option. Seeing my uncle locked up and the results that it brought only confirmed my choice to obey authority.

I believe that teens breaking the law is a result of immaturity and a lack of good influences. Bad influences amongst teens is like a contagious virus. It spreads and spreads until there is hardly any good influences left. Once put under the wrong influence, it is hard to think correctly again. The common term used for this process is peer pressure.

In high school, it is pretty hard to take a stand alone. Because the social life of most teens is their priority in high school, it seems as if there is nothing more to live for. This can make consequences easily forgettable and making mistakes the right thing to do.

I learned a long time ago to always give up short term pleasures for long term gain. That means giving up chilling with friends after school for studying every once in a while or saving money for something I really want. For teens who consider breaking the law, that means not stealing money now, but working in school so they can get a job in the future and earn more money than they can ever steal. That means not drinking underage or using drugs that can start easy addictions, but waiting until the responsible age and making the best decisions about drugs. It also means not being ashamed of doing the right thing now. If a person can be so bold about doing the wrong thing, he or she can be just as bold about doing the right thing.

How Juvenile Justice Affects My Life

     By: Ricky Peacock

     Juvenile Incarcerations  in Washington DC affect me in many ways. First off, it puts me under certain categories or stereotypes. Being a young person under the same race that has an extremely high juvenile rate has me looked upon under many perspectives and characteristics that may not necessarily be true.
 

     There are a few juveniles I know who are imprisoned because they fell under certain stereotypes people categorized them in. For example,people may see me as being involved in  gang fights, and the usage of drugs just because of the percentage of other teens that do this. I have a friend who when we were 12 he got involved in gang situations with his older brothers and friends. He began to use marijuana and drink alcohol. He often fought and robbed people. Last year when we were just turning 14 he began to also sell marijuana and carry a fire arm. He was soon caught by the police and arrested for about 6 months and had to attend a program. he also was assigned a Parole Officer and had to take urine test. He also has to deal with his mother telling at him a lot. Also the reality that he now has a record and it will be hard for him to get a job. He got put out of his school.Also because he had to go to jail he was set back in school. His life is all messed up because he decided to make certain decisions people think a "normal" Washington Dc teen or "juvenile" would make.
 

     Certain decisions lead to certain consequences ad outcomes. I try my best to make great decisions so that the outcome of my decision will not ruin my life.Juvenile justice is extremely important in my community. Some teens do bad things because they don't have the proper role models and guidance. The role models teens have in their lives affect their behavior in many ways.
 

     According to tfk.org “ Sixteen young people are murdered on average each day in the United States. That’s more than 5,500 preventable deaths each year. Homicide is the second leading cause of death of young people between the ages of 10 and 24.” I am between these ages however i do not want to be one of these numbers. 

     Assault, Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Arson,Auto theft, Burglary Vandalism, and Weapon use are reasons why young teens get locked up. I stay away from these things so that I wont end up as a juvenile. I think that most juveniles that are charged with these crimes did it because of the influence their friends have on them. So more things I can do to prevent becoming a juvenile is to be aware of the friends i hang around. Know what I can, and can’t do. Also i could be mindful of activities i participate in. If i don’t feel comfortable doing it and I know my mother wouldn’t approve of it, then most likely i shouldn't be doing it.
 
     In conclusion, knowing the consequences of juvenile crime is what keeps me on track. Knowing that there is nothing good in engaging in these activities allows me to stay steady and keep pushing forward for a successful future.

                                                          

Law abiding citizen

By: Frank Makle

Juvenile justice is about helping people who have made a mistake or two, and ended up in jail or prison. The prison Industrial system is very corrupt. We are here to inform and help others stay on the right track. When given this topic I started to feel a spark of inspiration. I am compelled to share my story and experiences in this post.

In 1998 my only big brother went to juvy. It didn't affect me at first because i was only two. When I grew older I realized something was missing; going outside and seeing all my friends spending quality time with their older brother. I missed him but I didn't really know what to miss since I was so young. I learned that when a loved one goes away it can impact you without you even knowing it. Then it all hits you at once. Don’t take anything for granted. Life is short so you have to live it right. Have fun, but don’t go wild. !Stay Above the Influence!

Without a positive influence like that you may fall prey to a cycle of crime and missing role models. Everyone needs someone to keep them on track, whether it be a sibling, counselor, parent, or just a good friend. We must work together to end this cycle. Today’s youth is tomorrow’s future. Even though my brother has went away over something stupid I have stayed on the right track. I am a honor roll students and captain of my high-school varsity football team. He recently came out and it made me feel good to know that he was proud of me.

Another thing that has kept me out of trouble are my grandparents. They started bringing me back to church after my mother stopped coming. Since then I have become very involved. I have even started lecturing on Sundays. I’m not saying that everyone must go to church and believe in God, but we do need to believe in a higher power. We all know that it wasn’t magic that got us to this word; so what was it. God is my answer. Some people believe in God but don’t go to church. My church has become my second family. When I feel like it is something I can’t talk to my family about I can go to church. They help guide me and set me back on track with humble words of encouragement.

My brother has really changed his life around since his release. He is spending time with his children and providing for them. That is more than most people who haven’t gone to jail. There are many excuses he could have made, but he just decided to work hard and get back on track. Hard work pays off. He is doing well but I don’t get to see him that often. At least I know he is doing well and now I have someone to look up to. This makes me feel that even though you make a mistake, it’s okay. It can be fixed.  Life is full of trial and error. One of my favorite quotes about this is "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein. This means that mistakes are human nature; everyone makes them. Some may be bigger, some may be smaller, but the only amount that matters is the amount of knowledge you gain from the experience.

Experience with the Law

By: Stevan Austin

When my brother was 14 years old, he was charged for vandalism for a month. I was really sad when he was gone and during the first few weeks, I was very confused about the situation. I eventually calmed down after I found out he was coming back.  At the time, I wondered why he broke the law and how he felt so I made myself ask him a lot of questions when he got home. I asked if anyone was mean to him or hurt him at the juvenile prison. My brother only told me that it wasn’t all that bad. However, I had a feeling it was a pretty bad environment.

 I know my brother well so I’m sure he didn’t talk about the full story for a serious reason. Because of that, I decided to not ask too many questions anymore, but I still didn’t understand why he did what he did. Later on, my brother told me that there were mean people at the juvenile prison. He was sad there, and he even became involved in a few fights. He explained to me that he did what he did because he was negatively influenced by peer pressure. He also told me to find my real friends. His advice to me was that if I know that people are doing something wrong, I shouldn’t follow their poor example. Even if their negative activities may sound fun at first, in the long run I will have to suffer the consequences. My brother also advised me to stay in school. It can help me stay out of trouble as well as pave the road for a better life.

I’m glad that my brother is back, but I will never forget the time he was away at the juvenile prison. Everyone was acting like they didn’t care about him. They told me that a month would go by quickly, but for me that one month was the longest time period of my life without my brother. Without my brother, I feel like I'm nothing. He basically told and taught me everything I know. If I didn’t have him, I would have probably dropped out of school. I might not have even been a part of the National Cathedral Scholars Program, which gave me the opportunity to start DCYJJ.

It was pretty hard for my brother because no one understood where he was coming from. I’ll never forget when he came back and told me that he looks up to me. At first, I was wondering how he could possibly look up to me when I’m shorter than him but then he explained. He told me how he was confused about how I can stay focused in school and not get wrapped up in any drama or chaos. I told him that I keep in mind that staying focused is what takes to succeed. Sometimes, it is good for an older person to listen to a younger person with respect because some young people are on the right track in life. In addition, a person can learn from anyone if they are willing to listen. When that happens, a person’s life can be changed for the better.