Discussion 2 The Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility

COLLAPSE
For this discussion, I chose to discuss the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility.  This facility
from the information that I have read, is a successful example of a juvenile detention facility that
gears its programs toward restoring delinquent youth.  The facility provides many educational
opportunities that are geared towards helping the young inmates change their behavior.  They
also provide educational opportunities that give the offenders an opportunity to learn skills that
they can also use to better themselves.  Through their educational opportunities every youth
offender can earn a GED and to take community college level courses.  Another aspect is that
their parents can follow their child's progress through communication with staff.  This way the
parents are involved every step of the way.  This will allow them an opportunity to offer the
support that their child will need.  Youth offenders are also allowed to work in an array of jobs in
the facility.  They also have opportunities to participate in various sports and fun activities.  In
addition, they are also required to participate in drug rehabilitation classes as well as drug
screenings.  To credit their success, the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility received a 99.7
percent initial accreditation in August of 2000 from the American Correctional Association.
Methods that I disagree with:  According to an article that I read, the Nebraska Correctional
Youth Facility holds young adult violent offenders and juvenile delinquents who have been tried
in adult court for committing crimes.  The method that I disagree with is that offenders as young
as 15 are housed with offenders up to 21 years of age.  I feel that there should be more separation
so that younger offenders are better protected and so that they may have a better chance at
rehabilitating around offenders that are closer to their age.  I do not agree with the method of
incarceration either although this is where the offenders that have committed crimes “pay” for
their crimes.  I feel that there is a way that society can reach the youth before it comes to this
point.  This type of environment to me reminds me of a scared straight approach because the
facility uses force in some instances to punish the youth that are incarcerated.  This method
which was heavily used in the 1990’s through various slogans has proven to be ineffective as the
threat of confinement was not deterring youth from criminal activity.  The harsher penalties that
came with the scare tactic approach were believed to be able to lower crime rates and to deter
youth from committing crime.  This method that is utilized by the facility in some instances I feel
is ineffective as the scare tactics did not achieve their intended effects.
Why this program could work:  This program provides educational advancement opportunities
as well as job training.  By offering the youth opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge,
they will be able to apply these skills to future jobs that can reduce the recidivism rate.  This
program requires offenders to meet standards that are set forth by the prison on a person-by-
person basis which in turn holds those that do not follow the rules accountable for their
individual actions.  As Dr. Schneider stated in his post, “the love for higher values can keep kids
out of delinquency.”  I feel that the programs that this facility uses could work because of the
higher values that they promote within their programs.  This is right on track with Dr. Schneiders
post where he stated. “that values are most important for getting kids on the right track.”  By
promoting a sort of academic culture through certain aspects of their program this facility
encourages developing an increase in knowledge which could play a crucial role in the
advancement of youth and lessen their delinquency rates.