Week 15 RJA

 Week 15 RJA

Reflection –

I learned a lot this semester not only about juvenile recidivism but also about the writing process. When I decided that I wanted to research juvenile recidivism rates I wanted to learn that probation was a great alternative to jail time and that recidivism rates were going down. I had almost considered the thought that I was simply naive to believe these things however, I was surprised to find that this was correct.

I think that this will help me in my future too. I want to be a social worker. I want to work with children and I would really love to work with children on probation. I think that it is so important to work with troubled youth so that they may one day become productive adults. I think that if you invest in a young person it will pay off and the research that I did for this class only validated my beliefs. Beyond what I learned about juvenile recidivism I was most impressed by what I found out about prevention. I found that mentoring and adult role models can be very impactful on a young person who doesn't have positive adults in their life. As someone who participates in a mentoring program this really struck me as so important. Just because I'm not a parent doesn't mean that I can't make a difference in a young persons life.

I also learned the value of working ahead. This class had very demanding and is very hard to keep up with if you don't stay on top of the deadlines. This is definitely a lesson that I will be able to use in my professional life. I work at a law firm and it is not good enough to get things done on the day that they are due they have to be done at least two days ahead of time. Learning to get my work done ahead of time will be a lesson that I can use in my professional life for some time to come.

Thank you for a great semester!