NCJ Number
171499
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 24 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1996) Pages: 23-37
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article examines the sociocultural contexts of delinquency and the rehabilitation of youthful offenders within the nexus of the extended family system in Ghana.
Abstract
The article also assesses the impact of British colonization on the system of juvenile justice. Research showed that juvenile delinquency is very low. Gang activities exist in the transnational areas of major urban centers such as Accra and Kumasi. The low involvement of youth in law violation can be attributed to the anchors provided by extended family relations and the integration of youth in the economic production system. Rehabilitation of youthful offenders is undertaken by extended family relatives. In recent years, however, the role of the extended family in the rehabilitation of youthful offenders has been weakened by the establishment of borstal institutes, a legacy of the era of British colonization. Specialized services to improve the quality of children's lives are not uniformly coordinated or integrated, but are scattered across various government ministries such as health and social welfare. Identification of measures that have been successful in preventing and controlling delinquency and targeting problem areas requires systematic periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of juvenile detention facilities and borstal training. References, notes