Sofie Klein

Professor Jonathan Dirlam

Juvenile Delinquency

Reading Reflection 2

1.

In my opinion, the way in which Ronnie grew up, surrounded by opportunities of bad decision

making and tragic occurrences shaped Ronnie and his connection with the criminal world.

Ronnie grew up in a very neglectful and violent environment, which shaped his path in crime; he

murdered a person and that reflects the deep-rooted anger and lack of emotional comprehension

that stemmed from years of emotional abuse. After completing the Capital Offenders program, I

believe Ronnie has shown significant improvements and potential for growth. However, whether

he deserves to be released highly depends on his ability to show genuine remorse and

demonstrate that he can make better decisions in the future. While his involvement in the

program suggests that he’s working on changing, a person's actions in prison and during

rehabilitation must be observed over time before making a final judgment about his release.

Whether he deserves release is not just about punishment, but also about assessing if he's truly

reintegrating into society in a way that will not harm others. Ronnie’s case requires careful

evaluation of his progress and his ability to manage the emotional issues that led to his crime.

2.
Elena too, like Ronnie, grew up in a very abusive and traumatic environment. But Elena’s

remorse and desire definitely stand out and throughout the retelling of her story, it is clear that

she wishes to change and do better. Because of her understanding of the root causes of her

behavior and her positive receptiveness to rehabilitation, I feel that Elena is very unlikely to

reoffend. Her ability to reflect on her past actions, accept responsibility, and seek growth

suggests that she has the motivation to stay on the right, crime free path. Reoffending also

depends on external factors like social support, access to opportunities, and mental health, but

Elena's story demonstrates the importance of addressing trauma and providing individuals with

the resources to heal and make positive choices. If she is given proper support and guidance, I

believe she has a very good chance of reintegrating into society without falling into the same

trap.

3.

The book does recognize gender differences, especially in the way that boys and girls process

their emotions, respond to authority, and resolve conflicts. There is some validity to the fact that

boys and girls are often socialized differently, but I do not believe that they should necessarily

always be treated separately in programs such as the Capital Offenders Program. While gendered

experiences can configure behavior, treating individuals as such and taking their specific

circumstances into account seems to be more productive. Distinctions between genders should

not reinforce stereotypes or minimize causes behind an individual's actions. The author might

display an awareness of these differences; there is a risk,however, in courting the very idea that

boys and girls differ in their respective capacities for rehabilitation or personal growth. While I

do see some merit in tailoring certain aspects of programs based on gender, such as trauma-
related support for girls, at times the assumption of differences in the ways boys and girls

respond can reflect bias or an overemphasis on biological determinism. It's important to

recognize the complexity of each individual's experience.

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Reflection

Overall, I found Hubner's book to be thought-provoking and insightful. The author's exploration

of the criminal justice system, particularly as it focuses on rehabilitation, offers a nuanced

perspective on the possibilities of change for incarcerated individuals. What struck me most was

the emphasis on the deep-rooted trauma and emotional pain that many of the individuals in the

book had experienced. These abuses, neglects, and violence seem to weave through their

behaviors in ways that one would not intuitively think from outside the system. The book

challenges the notion of "bad people" and instead suggests that many of them are victims of

circumstance, though their crimes are unforgivable.

The rehabilitation versus punishment theme is very central to the narrative, and it really made me

rethink my own views on criminal justice. While the instinct to punish those who commit crimes

is understandable, the book asks whether that is the most effective long-term solution. Is it

enough to just remove individuals from society, or should the focus be on helping them heal and

reintegrate? Hubner shows, through the profiles of those in the program, that transformation is

possible given the right support systems.

Rehabilitation is a very involved process, and sometimes it is not obvious that programs like

Capital Offenders have either the resources or the time to effect real change in all participants.

Furthermore, the book brings up the problem of recidivism, and although some of these people

really do seem changed, not everyone is as committed or successful.

The book provided insight into the complex nature of criminal behavior and rehabilitation

process.