An insider’s plan for rehabilitating the juvenile justice system | Jeff Wallace | TEDxNaperville
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- čas přidán 26. 01. 2016
- Juveniles committing crimes sometime get treated like adults in the penal system. Sometimes this seems logical and the “right thing to do”. But is it? Jeff Wallace takes you through what happens when you treat a juvenile like an adult in this riveting personal story.
Jeff has spent most of his life studying the effects of the policy and procedures followed by the criminal justice system on at-risk youth - first, as one of those youths and then, through his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Criminal Justice. At work, he’s a Group Care Manager who guides a team at a non-profit organization, working to strengthen children, families and individuals by providing quality services that engage community resources to create effective solutions. He is also a Youth Counselor at a county detention center in Iowa and a Crisis Interventionist for the Davenport police department and local hospitals. He is driven to change the way youthful offenders are sentenced, so there will be more cases of these youngsters being able to find their true path in life.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
I remember the doors slamming on me hundreds of times. I can relate. I was bunked next to murdereers and rapists for a speech crime of threatening to kill others. We need to reform our justice system to account for this as well as other types of crimes from minors. While I was not a minor, I felt that I was unjustly sentenced to time with hardcore criminals and treated the same as them.
Currently a criminal justice student in the area Mr. Wallace works in. I am so inspired by his motivation and work and hope to one day meet him and learn more about his work. I am passionate about juvenile justice reform and feel it's more important than ever! The more I learn about what's wrong with the system, the more I want to do something about it. Keep up doing your thing, Mr. Wallace!
You can reach him from the La Crosse Health and Human Services building. If you set up a meeting with him I guarantee he would make time to speak with you.
This is one of the least impressive yet the most meaningful, informational, practical, eye-opening TEDx talks I have seen. Thank you, sir!
What Alamin taught:
One: "respect everybody, no matter what their differences. Looking at the chessboard: respect each individual piece, and understand that each square they are in is an important square".
Two: "protect the weak. You may look a the pawn, and it may appear at the beginning of the game as the weakest piece, but it actually has the most potential, more than any other piece on the board to actually become the most powerful piece".
Three: "be humble. Play the game as if every move counts; and that's how you make decisions in life, don't take it as a given".
Lastly: "practice restraint. When playing the game, do not chase pieces; play the game to win".
He taught me so much and I use those teachings to this day!!
At age 25, I was sentenced to 15 years in Federal prison, for a relatively minor crime, interstate transportation of stolen property. The parole board insisted that I serve 100 months, over 8 full years, far longer than many hard-core criminals, mainly because of a series of minor theft convictions when I was younger. I now understand that the brain isn't fully developed at the time I went to prison, at that young age I seldom thought about the consequences of my actions. While in prison I made a very conscious decision to change my life, so that I was never in that position again.
The prison didn't offer much in the way of higher education, and I had already attended nearly 5 years of college anyway, and there were no real vocational education opportunities either. I managed to get hired initially as a janitor in the education department, where I noticed an offset printing press being used to produce weekly newsletters and other institutional copies, and having had a friend before prison that owned a small print shop, I quickly lied my way into becoming the press operator's assistant. He taught me many things, from paste-up of the material to be duplicated, to the operation of the press. When he was paroled a year later, I stepped into his shoes and ran the shop for five years, until my release. I had made the conscious decision to better myself and to learn a trade in an institution where few were given that opportunity, and it gave me a sense of pride as well as a retreat from prison life. My shop was my sanctuary, I could easily forget that I was incarcerated while I was immersed in my work, and my time went by quickly.
Upon my release, however, I didn't seek out a press operator job in a print shop, I delivered pizzas for a few years while I determined the direction of my life. Having a marketable skill and the experience was nice as a fallback option, but one that I chose not to pursue.
The prison system desperately needs to reform how inmates are treated, focusing on education and mental health services, so that prison is no longer a revolving door for so many. 99% of inmates aren't as fortunate as I was, with my middle class upbringing and education, my intelligence and my motivation to avoid further contact with the legal system, so if we really want to help inmates, we must work at their core issues, drug abuse, lack of education and lack of community support. I feel that a huge portion of inmates could be kept from re-offending if we could just spend a small amount of time and resources on reintegration to society, instead of simply housing them like books on a shelf for years and years, then kicking them out to the same conditions that brought them to prison in the first place.
The change has to happen and sometimes its forced - like it was for me - but I am very glad I made the change as I am sure you are my friend!
The Man is a HERO!
This video deserves MILLION+ views. Truly inspirational and emotionally POWERFUL!
Jimmy PK Thanks!
Thank you Mr. Wallace, for showing our youths that they are able to defy the odds and become positive contributors to society. Hard as it may be, it's not impossible.
neecy mcindoe thank you for your kind words!
You're most welcome, sir.
I worked in Kentucky's DJJ. The inmates ranged from 11yo til 18yo. There was no justice shown to those kids. They do not stand a chance.
We have to remember the youth in these environments will return back to our communities … just like I did. They will go to school with our own children, work in our communities, and be a part of our lives … so to invest in them is to invest in our very own future and to “interrupt” them while they are young will change the trajectory of their lives!
Truly moving. Will share with my co-workers! Thanks for all you do.
This was amazing! A definite go to watch for anyone.
Nice meeting you today Jeff. Great talking to you & watching your inspiring video.
One of the most inspirational TED talks I've seen.
Terry B Thanks I appreciate your feedback and kind words!
I had to watch this for my Capstone class Im a CRJ major at Strayer U... I was not excited initially...This was inspiring and really provided me with some excellent insight on the juvenile justice system! Thank you Mr. Wallace!!
Thank you 🙏🏾!!! I am humbled by the kind words!
In the description, please note that "penile system" and "penal system" mean two very different things and you are using the wrong one.
Thomm Quackenbush - good catch !
Wow good eye. This is of course a Tedx channel and not the channel of Mr. Wallace. Just to clarify.
How can I get a written copy of this? I'd like to send this to my loved one in prison.
I haven't experienced incarceration but I'm very passionate about juvenile incarceration. I worked in a juvenile justice facility and I was less than impressed with the way juveniles were treated. Like Mr. Wallace, I'd love to help in the reform of the juvenile justice system. I am currently working on my Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and I hope this degree will prepare me for policy evaluation, reform, and implementation.
DenChrisCable I value and appreciate your journey for a better world for juveniles, the most vulnerable of our populations. Many positive vibes toward you as you reach your dreams and goals!
@@jwallscott you are our inspiration the young generation,, steve kenya
stinky poopoo
This was amazing
Brillant.
Just because you do something bad means that you are not a bad person. It's ok to screw up in life. As long as you can pay your mistakes that you cause and get a second chance and do the right thing then it's fine. We need to get better at not judging people in our society and look at each other as human beings otherwise tragedies like this man's story will happen. Our justice system needs to learn not to punish and not to judge people and rehabilitate people.
We are so much more than our worst mistake!
You have really inspired me
Thank you so much!
Well done. I teach chess to at risk youth in a summer program. Good luck to you sir!
Thanks for the kind words! I think you taking the time to teach the youth is a great thing Randall!
Thank you! Hopefully we can end mass incarceration and solve this!
Instead of staying what's wrong with u to a juvenile I think u should ask what's right with u cuz so many of these have low self-esteem issues n has came from broken homes like when i was in a Detention Center at 15 to 16 n half before n after my sentencing I took a carrier amplitude test n each time same two answers for jobs came up n Iam starting to understand that would be the work to be make me happy as well in psychology some form or music industry hip hop that's what came up each that's what made me happy as a kid knowing a test saw such good results for me the future
13:57, yikes that was an unfortunate blunder.
Recommended playback speed 1.25x
He forgot to mention what happened with the man he robbed and triedntonrun over. Bad
Wow! what a hero! He beats a man, robs him, and tries to kill him. Why isn't he locked up for life? This is the real problem with our CJ System
Wait... penile system? I don't think that's what you meant to write:
"penal."
I did not upload the video or write the info but I will let the people at TED know about it. Thanks for watching!
Wonder if he knows Jason Symonds
I do not know him.
Does anyone know his email address?
Who's watching this because of ms Wenzell?? LMAO
WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE VICTIM?
A victim has the right to feel safe again, to feel that their trauma is recognized, and to know that the assailant will be coached to never do something to harm them or others again.
However, the victim's rights do not have to come at the expense of rehabilitation and redemption. Far from it actually. The rehabilitation of the juvenile offender, and emphasizing not only their responsibility but their worth, will ensure that they repair damage and do good going forward. This ensures no more victims. There could BE no greater service to victims, than ensuring there will be no further victims. Rehabilitation and redemption are a part of victim's rights.
@@christopherlai364 baloney. Put yourself in the victims shoes and tell me how you would feel listening to this thug talk about his feelings. Probably not good.
@@v.c.8113 A victim has every right not to forgive or have any friendship with an offender. The man who he beat and almost killed does not have any obligation to forgive or befriend him. But, that is not the same as society's responsibility. SOCIETY'S responsibility is to rehabilitate, especially, ESPECIALLY young offenders. Because their sentences won't last their lifetimes, and because a society that gives young offenders no chance at change or redemption is fundamentally broken. This man does great things, and is a great service to his community. It does not mean he hasn't done terrible things. But he is also doing extraordinarily good things right now. Unless you can guarantee life sentences or death for every young offender, then you better believe in rehabilitation and redemption. And perhaps you do believe in only life sentences and death sentences. All I can say is that outlook is very sad, hopeless really, and I'm sorry if the world has hurt you that badly.
@@christopherlai364 thank you 🙏🏾 for your insight and words of wisdom!
@@v.c.8113 I think you are correct in the fact that my victim deserves to be heard and given justice.
I often have struggled with trying to figure out how I can give back to people I have taken so much from and give them justice, and I come up empty - and this haunts me.
I can not go back to the past, but I can live in the moment and be consumed with “giving back” so that we have a future where we treat each other with more respect and understanding.
I have chosen redemption and I choose to live my life obsessed with the idea of giving back... giving back to my community, my family and to anyone that has been hurt.
See I figured that the best way I could correct my wrongs was/is to plant the seeds that would allow for change in our youth, so they don’t grow up thinking the things I did growing up.
Not a day goes by that I don’t feel true empathy for the victim of my crimes and I am sure this will never go away - but see the human is the only mammal that can go through life and make a mistake and continue to punish ourselves over and over -so that is the burden I will forever bear but one that I don’t let control me.
I understand and see why you are upset ...but I no longer live life through regret but proudly through redemption and quite honestly I know that no matter what I do there will be people like you that will always see me as a thug - maybe that is another cross I will forever bear as well?
I have chosen love over hate and to live everyday more and more and to be my best version instead of slowly dying everyday.
Thank you 🙏🏾 for your words on my presentation!
Fast food does not hire felons
McDonald's does