
Growing up in a small, New England town, I often have felt sheltered from the real world. Never once have I had to experience poor education or an impoverished community, and I am truly grateful for that. Yet, so many others in the United States experience these hardships on a daily basis, and my question is, how do these issues determine the outcome of a child's life? Will poor education and a low income family increase their chances for incarceration? In my paper I am going to discuss numerous studies, and go into great detail about these correlations, and decide if there truly is a direct comparison between the two. 

I believe that here in the United States we have an extremely high incarceration rate. Yet, what causes this? Can we somehow fix this disaster by taking a deeper look into our educational system? If we fix the problems from the bottom up, we can change our incarceration system, and this, is something I am truly passionate about. I am interested in finding ways in which we can even the playing field when it comes to income and education, so that more children can live their lives to the fullest, without ruining them by becoming a juvenile delinquent at a young age. No child should have to succumb to a poor education simply because their parents can not create a sustainable education. They should not be more likely to end up in jail than other children, simply because of how they are brought up. I am able to look back on my childhood and am so lucky that I am able to be thankful for everything I have, and know that I can obtain my goals; and it is truly a shame that millions of other children out there can not say the same. 

Ernest Burgress is a credible Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago. Burgess served several years as Editor of the American Journal of Sociology, as Director of the Behavioral Research Fund in Chicago and in many other important roles. He is also an active promoter of research relating to sources of delinquency and crime.  In his article, "The Economic Factor in Juvenile Delinquency" Burgress breaks down the consideration of the relationship of low income to juvenile delinquency into three aspects: Who is a juvenile delinquent? How is low income related to juvenile delinquency? Would an adequate income for existing low income families reduce juvenile delinquency? Through breaking down his argument into three questions, Burgress gets his argument off very effectively. He also uses direct research and facts, and discuses his many studies done with children of low income families, and discuses the outcomes.

Similarly, Dr. Robert Balfanz, a research professor at the Center for the Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, wrote article titled, "High-Poverty Secondary Schools And The Juvenile Justice System: How Neither Helps The Other And How That Could Change." This article is made up of evidence-based observations of how the juvenile justice and educational systems can work more effectively together if they change their basic dynamics. Through studies done both in education and the juvenile system the author, Robert Balfanz shows how if the two are done correctly, then they can work together to benefit children and teenagers growing up in the public education system.

The last article I am using to help me determine my hypothesis is the article, "How Much Does Childhood Poverty Affect the Life Chances of Children?" The author is Greg J. Duncan, a professor of education at the University of California. As well as being a professor, Duncan is an economist with a research focus on neighborhood effects on the development of children and adolescents and other issues involving income distribution, and its consequences for children and adults. This article was in the American Sociological Review and after summarizing findings from recent contributions to this topic, Duncan along with his colleagues conducted two sets of analyses using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. It is concluded in this article that completed schooling and non marital childbearing are related to parental income during early and middle childhood, as well as adolescence. These analyses suggest that family economic conditions have the greatest impact on achievement among children in families with low income.

Despite having these concrete articles to help me back my thesis, there may still be speculation. This topic is arguable because there could also be other contributing factors to the turnout of a child or adolescent. Also, with some of the research done in these studies we can not be 100% that they are completely accurate. Especially because the majority of the studies are done on humans, and we know that human error is very prevalent. With these perspectives one can feel portrayed to view one way or another. That is why I believe it is important to look at all of the sources and to also observe in one's everyday life. Because that, can often be the best research. 
