I had a very good friend growing up – and then he started to get into trouble. He ended up bringing a gun to school and very soon after “disappeared.” A few years later, after my first year of college, I came home to visit my parents. I ran into him while walking Gracie (our family dog) and we started talking. It turns out he had been in so much trouble he was now out on probation – with an ankle bracelet – at that point I realized how far down the wrong path he went.It started out with him doing little things – tagging walls in the neighborhood, smoking pot, etc. It steadily progressed into theft, major drugs, and gang-related activities. The last time I heard from him was when he tried to use me as a hide-out after threatening to kill his parents with a knife in hand. I stopped all communication with him at that point. From what I hear, he is still getting into trouble.

He started on this path when he was just 13 – and went through all levels of the juvenile program, until he ended up being tried as an adult because he committed one to many crimes and got into very big trouble.

According to the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections, about 74,000 kids enter the juvenile system each year (in the state of Arizona). A child’s sheet starts when they turn 8 – and yes, this does happen. Of the 74,000, less than 900 are sent to ADJC – those who have not changed their ways/behavior after repeated convictions.

For the most part, Arizona tries to rehabilitate their juvenile offenders – often offering sentences of mandatory counseling, residential treatment centers, and probation. More serious offenders can be sentenced to JIPS (Juvenile Intensive Probation Services) – similar to house arrest or are referred to ADJC for incarceration. My friend passed through all of these levels before he was ever tried as an adult.

Usually, the juvenile spends a short time, if any, in custody. After being convicted of a crime a juvenile is usually sentenced to counseling and probation. It takes at least 4 referrals for a court to refer them to ADJC.

Currently, the AZ juvenile program has about a 50% repeat offender rate. So – what do you think? Does rehabilitation work or does it just give an easier sentence for people who will end up committing another crime again?