Two of the leading causes of juvenile delinquency are lack of productivity and poor health habits. The Juvenile Justice System (JJS) functions to maintain the safety of the general public through the minimization of juvenile delinquency. However, the American JJS continues to grapple with staff shortage and poor disciplinary records. An assessment of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) was duly carried out to provide recommendations regarding the institution’s leadership, human resources management, and budgeting processes. The DJJ’s prime functions are the issuance of juvenile justice and managing the rehabilitation of delinquents. The DJJ carries out this mandate through Youth Development campuses (YDCS). Delinquent juveniles are trained within these sub-branches and subsequently re-assimilated into society. The DJJ also offers advice to victims of crime and violence on how best to seek justice. Within the modern context, a volunteer and an animal rescue program are two of the contemporary goings-on at the facility. Through the volunteer program, applicants are trained and distributed in Community Services Offices, Youth Detention Centers, and Regional Youth Detention Centers. On the other hand, through the Rescue 2 Restore Animal Program, the DJJ can foster human-animal bonding by offering dog therapy sessions and training programs to incarcerated juveniles. Although the organization has been placed under federal oversight in the past, the DJJ today boasts a robust yet highly efficient workforce. The organization structure is hierarchical, with the commissioner as the overall overseer and assisted by a chief of staff, an assistant commissioner, and a chief financial officer. However, the DJJ currently operates under insufficient access to funds owing to a lack of commitment by sponsors. These financial difficulties have adversely affected the agency’s success as well as the planning and implementation of policies. The DJJ, fortunately, benefits from the transformational leadership offered by the agency's top leaders. The transformational leadership model can be defined as a management method where leaders work hand-in-hand with other subordinates in the identification of areas for improvement and the creation of a vision that embodies the values of an organization ( Buil, et al., 2019 ). However, Tyrone Oliver who is the present commissioner has not succeeded in alleviating fears of the physical and sexual harassment of juveniles within the facility. The human resource management function is significant in ensuring that organizations curb employee turnover, improve employee satisfaction, and provide continuous training and development ( Bartram, et al., 2017) . At the DJJ, the HRM function is implemented through staffing, human resource development (HRD), and human resource maintenance. Human resource management has helped the DJJ compete for top talent and improve overall output through employee skills enhancement. Nevertheless, staffing has been hampered by the inadequacy of qualified personnel ready for employment within the state of Georgia. The criminal justice and public safety subcommittee members are tasked with budget appropriation for the JJS. After budget proposals are made, the figures are then forwarded to the representatives for consideration. At the DJJ, recent budget estimates have varied from actual expenditures. The key reasons have been financial delays from the treasury and sponsors, and a failure of the DJJ’s leadership to create a workable budget implementation plan. This has hampered the provision of services and logistical processes. An evaluation of The Juvenile Justice System (JJS) goes a long way in ensuring that juvenile delinquencies are efficiently rehabilitated and assimilated back into society. Over the years, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has duly carried out its functions within the state of Georgia albeit under several compilations. The key areas of improvement required at the agency are the need for the timely access of funds, allegations of physical and sexual harassment of juveniles, an inadequacy of qualified personnel willing to work at the facility, and a failure of the DJJ’s leadership to create a workable budget implementation plan. In light of the above-mentioned inadequacies, the following recommendations have been made. The first recommendation is the annual creation of a budgeting plan. Budgeting plans have been found to assist in the stimulation of coordination between business departments, duty delegation, and the establishment of required resources ( Vaznonienė & Stončiuvienė, 2012). At the DJJ, budgeting plans will prevent budget deficits and ensure that there is a harmonization of activities. Research shows that the harassment of incarcerated juveniles eventually leads to posttraumatic stress disorders, depression, and a return to criminal activity ( Dierkhising, et al., 2014). The DJJ’s top leadership should introduce sterner policies that will duly punish employees found guilty of sexual, physical, and psychological harassment. The final recommendation is that the human resource department should make use of social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook for employee staffing. Research into the activities at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice has afforded me a first-hand view of the functions of the JJS. The project has also provided me with a deeper understanding of business operations within government agencies. The one-on-one interviews allowed me to grasp the subject matter more by studying the respondents’ nonverbal cues. The main challenge came in securing the time and monetary resources needed to carry out the interviews. Nevertheless, the overall process has helped improve my presentation skills which are a positive influence for my future in public administration.
References
Bartram, T., Cavanagh, J., & Hoye, R. (2017). The growing importance of human resource management in the NGO, volunteer and not-for-profit sectors.
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Buil, I., Martínez, E., & Matute, J. (2019). Transformational leadership and employee performance: The role of identification, engagement and proactive personality. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 77 , 64-75.
Dierkhising, C. B., Lane, A., & Natsuaki, M. N. (2014). Victims behind bars: A preliminary study of abuse during juvenile incarceration and post-release social and emotional functioning. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law , 20 (2), 181.
Vaznonienė, M., & Stončiuvienė, N. (2012). The formation of company budgeting system: importance, problems and solutions. Management theory and studies for rural business and infrastructure development , 30 (1).
