A Civil Model for Youth Corrections
From the time Australia was settled, vulnerable and poor children were channeled into charities run by the churches, under the administration of departments of Education, Families and Justice. We are now learning more than 80% of the children sent to those institutions were abused.
Australia signed a treaty which determined children under 18 years of age are protected by international conventions. We are now learning this new model did nothing to curb child abuse in institutional settings, and every year we are seeing the age of incarceration lowered further, to as young as 10.
When will we become civilized? If we want a child to un-learn anti-social habits, locking their starving little under-developed brains in a cell with seasoned criminals and depriving them of normal social interaction is counterproductive to that end.
It is an internationally maintained standard that no child should be incarcerated for life. This is based on the premise every child can learn new skills, if adults to take the time to teach them. Using the excuse "We don't have the resources" is a direct measure of the maturity of that society, not a measure of the ability of children to learn.
Raising children in our communities is the social responsibility of every adult within that community. Incarcerating children for mirroring what the adults around them are teaching them conveniently shifts that responsibility from the adults in society to the state, who also shirk the responsibility by treating them as adults.
The undeniable fact is: they're not adults, their brains are under-developed, they are able to learn right from wrong and to make sensible choices. The only part that is missing is responsible members of the community taking the time and allocating the resources to teach them.
What Would This Model Look Like?
A youth correctional facility need look no different to a school with high fences and sleeping quarters. Prison wardens need not be those exposed to the worst criminals in society, but those adequately trained to correct and guide young people in the social-art of self discipline.
There should be normal, everyday teachers, age appropriate education and laughter in the playground. There should be regular human contact with loved ones and regular field trips into society where they will later be expected to live again.
They should be permitted the promise of career opportunities and receive positive encouragement to seek a better future than the one previously carved out for them by their irresponsible community elders.
The naturally occurring buddy-systems forged between call mates should be steered towards older children nurturing the young, so both can learn the social skills that the irresponsible communities who raised them sorely lack.
Youth correctional facilities should be seen as an interim opportunity to correct undesirable behaviour. The only contact any child should have contact with adult criminals is field trips to adult jails to deter them from winding up there after they turn 18.
And lastly, youth correctional facilities should be non-profit organizations overseen by the education department to limit the lucrative private business of profiteering from incarcerated children.
If you have other suggestions that we haven't listed here, feel free to submit them and we'll add them to the article.