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With the number of violent crimes rising rapidly, it is understandable that citizens be more concerned of their safety and well-being. Nobody would enjoy being in contact with a homicidal teenager, just recently released due to the holes in the justice system. The Youth Court Survey has proven that nearly half (46%) of young offenders recidivate - meaning they are likely to break the law in the future ("White Paper Report", Koch Crime Institute, p.5 of 6). Who can blame juveniles for committing serious crimes when they get away for it with a simple fine and few days in custody? The current maximum penalty for first-degree murder is six years of custody, four years for second-degree. If more severe penalties were to be set, juveniles who have committed violent offenses would be held in prison, kept away from the rest of civilization, resulting in less crimes in the nearby future. Less violent offenders on the streets means less violent offenses. This seems obvious, yet 20 000 youths are arrested every year charged with violent crimes, ranging from assault to first degree murder ("Questions and Answers on Youth and Justice" Hung, Kwing, p. 1 of 6). .
The Standardization of Juvenile Offender Program reveals that professionals, as well as the public, have not been willing to give up on the belief that youth offenders can be rehabilitated. In fact, it has been proven that rehabilitation and community-based programs have had a positive influence on the future course of juveniles in trouble, especially first-time offenders. If every first-time offender, no matter what the crime, was forced by law to fulfill a certain number of hours of community service, surely it would influence the delinquent to think twice before going against the law further on in life ("White Paper Report", Koch Crime Institute, p. 1 of 3). .
With all this proof, some people still believe that more severe penalties, such as prison, could ruin the child's life.