A public opinion survey on teen crime shows a “broad consensus in support of juvenile rehabilitation and an abiding optimism that youthful offenders can be reformed deep into the teenage years if not well beyond,” says criminologist Alex Piquero of Florida State University and four co-authors. Some 77 percent of those surveyed said juvenile offenders can benefit more from rehabilitative treatment than can adult offenders; 74 percent said juvenile offenders are more likely to become adult criminals if they are sent to jail rather than getting rehab in a juvenile facility.
The survey was taken in Pennsyvania, which Piquero and colleagues say “represents the tenor of national sentiments.” They conclude that “although Americans want reasonable protection from pretatory youths — including sending the worst cases to adult court — they retain a belief that most youths are not beyond redemption.” The article in the the journal Punishment & Society is available only to subscribers or on a pay-per-view basis.