Teen Crisis Intervention for Teen Lifers
It may very well be too late for any type of teenage crisis intervention for those juveniles who have committed crimes that put them in prison for most, if not all, of their lives.
There are those experts who maintain that an adolescent who murders or rapes is operating with a brain that has not reached full development, limiting their capacity for ethical reasoning. They feel these type of troubled teenagers are not adequately addressed by the current system of juvenile justice.
“In the first initiative of its kind nationally, Gov. Bill Ritter has created an executive clemency board exclusively for youth offenders, providing a possible way out of adult prison for teens currently serving life-without-parole sentences.
The former Denver district attorney signed the executive order Tuesday, establishing a seven-seat advisory board that will include members of his Cabinet, experts in juvenile-justice issues, two psychologists and a Denver judge, among others.”
Teens who have earned a life sentence rarely receive clemency. Some see this as a gross violation, arguing that teens, unlike adults, can be rehabilitated. There is no evidence offered to support that, but most see this measure as a step towards providing those teens a chance where now none exists.
Relevant Tags:crisis intervention, juvenile delinquents, juvenile justice issues, teen crisis intervention, troubled teenagers“This is a more psychologically balance approach,” said Maureen Cain of the Colorado Defense Bar. “We’ve got to reach a balance in Colorado between retribution and forgiveness. To recognize that kids represent separate issues is very healthy.”
