Juvenile Sentencing and Re-offending in Ghana: Implications for Law and Practice

Abstract

An extensive review of the criminology literature reveals that little research exists to explain how sentencing periods affect adult reoffending. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study which uses the lived experiences of 23 juvenile2 delinquents sentenced by magistrates courts across the Districts in Ghana to illustrate how the adjudicative decisions and processes carried out by the courts reinforced or changed their criminal tendencies in adulthood. The findings reveal that all those participants who were in the desistance process experienced a longer sentencing period. Nonetheless, long sentencing periods per se may not necessarily decrease the likelihood of re-offending. The critical elements that work to reduce levels of involvement in crime were the individual‘s willingness to change, support received from family and institution, the kind of friends they selected and more importantly, what they made of the correction period. The study concludes that strict adherence to sentencing formalities and procedures without concomitant interest in the social contexts in which juveniles reside will have limited impact on reducing adult re-offending