Bob CollinsTime Magazine turns the idea of juvenile detention upside down.
Researchers found that rather than rehabilitating young delinquents, juvenile detention — which lumps troubled kids in with other troubled kids — appeared to worsen their behavior problems. Compared with other kids with a similar history of bad behavior, those who entered the juvenile justice system were nearly seven times more likely to be arrested for crimes as adults.
While the study involved only boys in Montreal, US News observed, “the researchers note that the juvenile justice system in the province of Quebec has a reputation of being among the best.”
What we don’t have, is an alternative.
