Introduction
Social work policy, a vital function, of course, is aimed not just at raising the level of society as a whole but solely at lowering structural inequalities. This paper explores the fundamental policy frameworks, including concepts expounded by various writers and practitioners within this field. In this paper, I will consolidate outcomes from a body of information that includes course materials, scholarly literature, and reflections about the role played by policymaking in ensuring social justice.
Social Work and Policy Practice Information
Pawar’s dichotomy of the 3 Ps: Philosophy, Policy, and Politics is the foundation for a more thorough investigation of how a social worker can make better policies as a policy practice. Ethics are the bedrock of social work and prop up philosophical underpinnings that shape policy formulation and implementation to upset the system of inequalities and perpetual injustices. Social function, resulting from an ideology of justice and human rights in practice, becomes its political practice implemented. By taking part in policymaking that crosses philosophy, professionals who are also advocates for social work also determine policies that develop an environment in which there is equality of treatment and chances for every person to live a life that is with dignity and health, especially those who are oppressed and bodily treated poorly because of social structures.
The video version of Cox’s class provides additional credence to the fact that policy reform efforts can only accomplish their purpose in the presence of social workers. Social workers, with microsystem, mesosystem, and macro-level competencies, can efficiently oversee the social affairs of the community, gist out the underlying barriers of social justice, and rally communities to collaborate. The topic that makes Professor Cox worry about social workers is the finding of stability in ever-changing policies that promote diversified policies that encourage development.
Besides Pawar and Cox, Sherr and Jones provide useful facts indicating a continuous comprehensive government policy and social services action. This session again underscored the fundamental symbiotic relationship between policy and service delivery. The policies set the guiding principles, while the services inform or can even change the policy development. Social workers can reach the goals of holistic, fine-tuned social policies when they critically examine, implement, and develop interventions based on evidence-based practices with contributions from field practitioners.
The social work Yumnam et al. (2023) analyzed social work and became integral to acquiring intricate information about policies and practices, considering the shifts and cutting-edge strategies in the arena. Social workers can achieve authoritative policy advocacy involvement and social justice participation when they adhere to the latest policy guidelines and keep up with their constant education and competence upgrading.
Social Issues About Policy Proposal
Juvenile justice reform is a status social issue emphasizing the contradiction between human rights, social justice, and criminal justice reform. The problem of teenage offenders in the USA has persistently been discussed, becoming a dilemma for the questions of the justice and effectiveness of the present practices. As a panacea to these problems, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA), which aims to make sweeping transitions in the juvenile justice system, is considered the solution. The JJRA is a rehabilitation-first model that allows for exploring the factors that are sources for the occurrence of juvenile delinquency cases and the formation of conditions for positive youth development.
From the JJRA, which is available on the website of Congress.gov, progressive thinking about human rights and social justice becomes accordingly evident. The ultimate aim of the JJRA is that juvenile delinquent individuals are more unarmed, and they deserve to be rehabilitated and accommodated back in society (Robertson et al., 2020). The JJRA represents a manifestation of the vision of the desired change. It symbolizes the legislators as the mouthpieces of incarcerated youth and justice advocates.
It can still be compared to a newborn kid before U.S. committees’ Congressional readings and attempts for revision. In this aspect, the stakeholders can dialogue and lobby for amendments, including human rights, social justice, and efficient justice systems. The course undertaken by JJRA has provided that absolute harmony between the legislators, implementation practitioners, and community stakeholders is crucial for developing an effective policy that mediates character differences and the contradicted viewpoints of those caught up in the juvenile justice system.
McRell and Grace (2023) reflect a multidimensional undertone of the JJRA by providing varied interpretations about its effects, barriers, and importance in the reform efforts. JJRA proponents believe such a penalty can dampen recidivism, help the youth rehabilitate successfully, and help them realize youth development. They argue that the focused employment of resources in highly efficient and diversionary community-based projects mainly results in improved offenders’ outcomes and a safer society in the future.
It means that although JJRA points out the same problems with resource allocation, unintended consequences, and public safety, the opponents of the JJRA enforce safeguards. The rehabilitation, in any case, must be tied down to accountability. The main reasons to support this are the safety and well-being of the juvenile offenders and the general community. (BlackDeer & Ocampo, 2022) This different view on reforming the juvenile justice system raised the problem of making thoughtful policies about people’s rights.
Biblical and Personal Principles
From what I perceive as my position, I support the JJRA because the initiative stems from the values I also hold dear, like empathy, impartiality, and restorative justice. As a social worker, I commit to advocating for policies that flip the tables so youth can unleash their true potential. It directly revolves around my professional ethics since it is the driving force. In pursuing the JJRA’s aim of providing multifaceted support for at-risk youth, I am sure about the collaboration between the JJRA’s plan and my apprehension about the system’s effectiveness (Robertson et al., 2020). What is essential is that the programs of JJRA focus on rehabilitation, and together with this, the justice system deals with the root causes of juvenile delinquency and, consequently, youth advancement.
In sum, Bible-based moral teachings are crucial in someone being merciful or giving freedom to the weakest people. The Bible ranks these endeavors as primary, with compassion, forgiveness, and restoration at the top with the most significant importance; according to that moral code or system, every human being is valuable and venerable. From a faith perspective, advocating for policies like the JJRA aligns with the biblical mandate to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with others (Micah 6:8. The main goal of those whom I desire to vote for is to make a positive difference in the lives of people and create a better environment for their future. It reiterates that we should not consider remorse as the criteria for freeing a person responsible for a crime. We must accommodate a sense of possible change.
Ultimately, the JJRA is consistent with my values of compassion, equity, and restorative justice and echoes biblical scriptures in ethical orientation. Through my policymaking with priorities for recovery and youth upliftment, I seek to conserve the values I believe in social justice and advocate for the well-being of a population that does not have power. Professionally and spiritually, this is my duty.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this text has highlighted the function of policy practice as the closely tied vehicle for making a difference in the social work field. By evaluating the underlying principles, assessing the suggested policies, and pondering over personal and biblical values, policymaking is shown as a powerful instrument to fight for social justice. Through issue-oriented advocacy and results-based services, social workers can be critical change-makers, enabling highly compassionate communities with fairness and equity as their fundamental values.
References
BlackDeer, A. A., & Ocampo, M. G. (2022). # SocialWorkSoWhite: A critical perspective on settler colonialism, white supremacy, and social justice in social work. Advances in Social Work, 22(2), 720–740.
McRell, A. S., & Grace, B. L. (2023). Social work, social justice and Americentrism by design: transnationalism in United States social work education. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(2), 397–412.
Robertson, A. A., Fang, Z., Weiland, D., Joe, G., Gardner, S., Dembo, R., Mcreynolds, L., Dickson, M., Pankow, J., Dennis, M., & Elkington, K. (2020). Recidivism Among Justice-Involved Youth: Findings From JJ-TRIALS. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(9), 1059–1078. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854820922891
Yumnam, V., Thomas, N. T., & Maske, S. (2023). Advancing Social Justice Through Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice: Scope And Challenges In Northeast India. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(7s), pp. 957–963.
JJRA Fact Sheet
Objectives
- Give a higher consideration to reparation instead of imprisonment for a juvenile offender.
- Be aware of and fix the system’s bias when it comes to the administration of youth who are offenders in the justice system.
- Improve chances for youth eyeing educational and professional courses by offering them in the justice system.
- The goal is to lower re-offences among juvenile offenders through targeted intervention and support services.
Target Population
- Those youths, mainly between the ages of 18 and below, go into direct relationships with the criminal justice system.
- Delinquent behavior among the youth is also a result of the vulnerability that the teens and youths are at risk.
Implementation Strategies
- Develop community-based rehabilitation centers, allowing professionals to empower juveniles and support their growth into law-abiding citizens.
- Strengthen agency partnerships between the juvenile justice system, schools, and faith-based or community groups to cover this area’s ground rapidly.
- Train the juvenile justice “personnel” in trauma-informed care and evidence-based intervention strategies.
- Set aside some funding for creating tracks seen as alternatives to imprisonment, like diversion and restorative justice mechanisms.
Potential Impacts
- A decrease in the imprisonment rates and financial outlays accounted for by the justice system for juvenile crimes is another critical advantage of youth rehabilitation programs.
- The building up of the youth capacities is with the prospects of the juvenile offenders.
- It reinforces communal collaboration and faith in the juvenile justice system. Read the given sentence and summarize it. Ephrase it with alternatives that convey a similar meaning. Write creatively and engagingly, incorporating effective use of vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar rules to keep the reader engaged.
- Mitigation of cyclical crime and incarceration arcs among the young through measures such as early intervention and treatment.
Letter to Legislators
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Address
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Date
Dear Sir/Madam,
As a community member prioritizing the community’s well-being, I urge the parliament to adopt the Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA) discussed there. JJRA is an impetus for improving the juvenile justice system’s approach and direction, prioritizing militating juvenile offenders over imprisonment.
The reasoning for the positive assertion of the JJRA is a combination of research-based techniques and one’s own beliefs. There are empirical findings that support the inability of punitive juvenile justice. They only escalate the rate of re-offending among the youth and thereby create an avenue for overcrowding of jails. In contrast, community-based apprehension or rehabilitative measures, which recognize the unique personality of teen criminals by incorporating their needs, have been one of the shown approaches that brought the recidivism rate down and helped offenders to become integrated into their communities.
The JJRA effect is not confined only to the justice system but even reaches others serving the community. Using community-based community-based rehabilitation projects and broadening education and working capacity for young lawbreakers, JJRA can change lives and whole communities. Furthermore, the members of the JJRA are spearheading the systemic reforms in the juvenile justice system that resonate with our desire to have a society where everybody is equal, fair, and just.
Please consider this issue and determine the way forward in the Juvenile Justice Reform Act matter. Emphasizing campaigns for state changes based on reformation and youth activism is an invitation to a good-natured and empathetic society.
It is a privilege to share my views on this critical matter.
Sincerely,
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