Presenter: Semeredin Kundin − Planning, Public Policy and Management, Political Science
Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Rights of Humans, Poster Presentation
The criminal justice system is incredibly vast and carries an intricate process within it. The overall system itself is meant to uphold public safety within our collective society by providing judgment on individuals, and determining consequences. Over time, it has been gradually acknowledged that the structures of our criminal justice systems aren’t meeting the needs or expectations of our evolving society. It’s being recognized that there are existing social and racial disparities within incarceration, a rise in recidivism rates, and the differing priorities of most State governments are why the concept of criminal justice reform came to fruition. However, there is no discussion of criminal justice reform without the consideration of the Juvenile Justice system. It’s been identified that youth interaction with the law, and the varying consequences they may receive can potentially alter the entire course of their life and growth. This research project reviews the impacts of public safety and criminal justice policy reform on the Juvenile Justice System in Oregon and compares it to national studies and priorities towards Juvenile Justice. By using both primary and secondary sources it was possible to identify the progression of policy reform in Oregon in comparison to the country as a whole. Due to the extensive research done, it’s simpler to comprehend that contemporary Juvenile Justice policy reform will be producing positive results for the criminal justice system.