Juvenile Defense Lawyers in Baltimore Have Noted an Increase in Juvenile Crime

In recent years it’s been noticed that juvenile crime rates have increased, thereby increasing the need for juvenile lawyers and a serious look at juvenile crime law. The reason behind the rise, however, has been largely debated when it comes to juveniles, and the punishments that have been handed down have been problematic, to say the least.

The expert juvenile defense lawyers in Baltimore have been doing their best to represent their juvenile clients and to see that their punishments fit the crimes they’ve committed, but the causes for the crime rate tend to vary. Juvenile defense lawyers have been doing what they can in order to increase awareness of juvenile crime law and explain why incarceration is not the only way to make a difference in Baltimore’s juvenile crime rate.

Here are just a few causes that juvenile defense lawyers in Baltimore believe might have contributed to the growing crime rate in teenagers and young adults.

Juvenile Lawyers Cite Poor Educational Standards

It’s been seen quite often that a poor education leads to fewer prospects, and despite the slight leap in logic, it can lead to a life of crime when there aren’t as many positive opportunities for a juvenile to take advantage of.

When a school’s educational standards are below the national average and students are allowed to simply ‘coast by’, this becomes a problem, since in the world outside of school, very few people are able to coast by, as many have to work to earn a living. Without proper education, the possibility of a life of crime is far too likely.

Violence in the Home Can Lead to Juvenile Crime

There have been numerous studies linking violence in the home to violence in the streets, which eventually become the province of juvenile lawyers in Baltimore as they watch young people enter the court system. Often juvenile crime law will dictate certain punishments that are thought to work, but punishing the violence and not addressing the cause of it can create further problems.

Juvenile Defense Lawyers Notice Socioeconomic Factors

Unfortunately, theft and other crime can come as a necessity and not just as a result of unexpected circumstances that might have been avoided. Juvenile crime law needs to take into account what happens when an individual grows up in a state of poverty. Some individuals simply can’t see any other way out than committing crimes to get what they want, which leads to a rise in juvenile crimes.

Juvenile Defense Lawyers in Baltimore Find Substance Abuse as a Factor

Substance abuse is a very big contributor to delinquency since it not only eliminates all inhibitions and makes anything seem possible, but it also prompts many individuals to exercise behavior that is not lawful or moral. Although many are familiar with adult addicts, juveniles are just as susceptible.

Lack of Moral Guidance Leads to Juvenile Crime

Children need guidance at a young age and even into their adolescence in order to have a good idea of what kind of behavior society deems acceptable and what is less than desirable. Having positive role models in one’s life is what helps an adolescent to make wise and informed choices. Juvenile defense lawyers can help a bit in this regard, but by the time a juvenile has reached this point things have already spiraled out of control, and experienced lawyers must work to explain the situation the adolescent has found themselves in.

How to Assist in Decreasing Juvenile Crimes in Baltimore

Several juvenile lawyers would agree that there are several ways that such behavior can be curbed. Taking into consideration upbringing, external influences, poverty, school systems, family dynamics, and more, juvenile defense lawyers can put together a plan to help juveniles instead of punishing them, with a focus on rehabilitation and a positive future.

Here are just a few ways this might be able to happen:

Juvenile Crime Law Can Be Reduced With Community Outreach Programs

Juvenile defense lawyers will no doubt work closely with several different programs that will benefit your child and they will seek to find a way to reach them on a different level in order to discover why they’ve chosen to act out. Depending on the nature of the crime and the sentence handed down, juvenile defense lawyers in Baltimore might be able to recommend that being a part of an outreach program is a stipulation that allows a juvenile to remain at home instead of being incarcerated, in order to assist with rehabilitation.

Some Juvenile Lawyers Recommend Jail Tour Programs

This has been a popular method in some states in order to show juveniles what awaits them should they continue to behave as they have been. Juvenile lawyers do tend to work with such programs in order to reach kids and remind them that they still have a chance to turn things around.

Community Service Can Be a Go-To for Juvenile Defense Lawyers in Baltimore

Many juvenile defense lawyers are likely to argue for community service during a case in order to help the adolescent return home and serve their community in a manner that a judge sees as fitting. While it’s not a perfect measure, it is an option that many juvenile defense lawyers in Baltimore might agree is preferable to locking an adolescent up, as it showcases a balance of punishment and leniency to provide them a chance to learn from their mistakes.

Mentor Programs Are Beneficial, Finds Experienced Baltimore Juvenile Defense Lawyers

This addresses one of the concerns as to why the juvenile crime rate is thought to have gone up, due to a lack of proper role models and guidance. Juvenile defense lawyers tend to see this as another option and will, if it’s an acceptable deal, push for certain programs and advise their clients to take the deal if it’s given.

Juvenile lawyers know very well what could happen to their clients if they’re simply locked up without any attempt at allowing them to show that they can change. A mentor program could give a juvenile what they’ve been needing, which means that many juvenile lawyers will push for this or some other program to help their client during the defense.

Conclusion

Juvenile defense lawyers in Baltimore are there to help your child by doing their best to keep them out of adult hearings and working to ensure that they’re allowed to return home and to school instead of being incarcerated. Juvenile Lawyers in Baltimore are dedicated to making certain that a defendant is given the best possible representation and will be granted leniency.

Over the years the juvenile crime rate in Baltimore has risen and fallen in alarming numbers. The best juvenile defense lawyers in Baltimore remain confident that there are ways to curb the behaviors that have led to this by helping juveniles rather than locking them up. By seeking out the root of the problem and defending juvenile offenders instead of simply locking them up many juvenile lawyers feel it’s possible to bring the crime rate down and have a better, more positive future for these adolescents.