The Truth about Juvenile Court
There are kids who are in detention for over a year because there is nowhere else for them to go. I want to be able to change that and be able to help the kids who have nowhere else to turn. Every child I have worked with this summer deserves a second chance to live a life without a criminal record. Where they can complete their education and live a life differently from their parents or their peers.
The reality is though, this system doesn’t work as well as it should. Throughout the course of my internship I met multiple children who have been stuck in detention centers for much longer than they should be simply because no program in the country will take them. However, this system is better than nothing. This system is better than district court where rehabilitation is rarely ever actually the goal. This system at least tries to give kids another chance and to get them back into a world that will accept them and let them retry. The system may be broken but the people in it are doing their best to help.
Outside of Court
In my time outside of my internship I have been very busy working two part time jobs and preparing to apply to law school. This internship confirmed my want to go into juvenile law and my need to go to law school so I have started writing my personal statement and preparing to apply to law school.
My entire summer hasn’t just been working though, I’ve been able to make some great friends that have helped my balance between school, work, and fun. Last week we went to the Iowa State Fair and had a lot of fun.
