Much as we want to punish them for their actions, rehabilitation should be our goal as well. Dan Erker a court administrator for the outstanding Pierce County Juvenile Justice Center in Pierce County, Wash., describes Fresno s crumbling facility as a recipe for disaster. From a brief description of the conditions here, he speculated that it must be a management nightmare. Right on both counts. It comes down to normalization, says Mike McMillan, an architect and planner, If you treat people normally and put them in a more normal setting people will tend to behave more normally.
Private cells encourage children to participate in group activities rather than sitting alone.
Putting several young people in a room together where they can entertain each other can actually be an incentive not to participate in programs. Vandalism and therefore maintenance expenses drop. Kids respond in kind to their environment, Erker says. If a facility is filthy and dirty and dark, that s how they treat it. Staffing can be reallocated.