Youth Control Complex Analysis

Victor Rios, the author of the book Punished focused on the struggles that Latino and African American young men ages 14-18 face when it comes to coping when all odds are against them. Rios (2011) establishes the phrase “Youth Control Complex” which he defines as “ a system in which schools, police, probation officers, families, community centers, the media, and other systems treat young people’s everyday behaviors as criminal activity” (XIV). The reality of these young men is that, all their societal systems are failing them. Teachers don’t care about teaching students, the criminal justice system is only waiting on them to walk the streets or seem “suspicious” for them to get arrested, friends “act bad” to gain respect amongst each other
It is not only affecting a certain point in their lives, the fact that they are being forced into having a record at such a young age is something that is going to follow them for the rest of their lives. This is the reason why many feel the way Tyrell did, if they are being labeled as criminals at such a young age, then what is the point for them to try if in the end it is still going to be hard to get a job, finish high school, go to college, or just getting head in life? They feel like if they are going to be seen as criminals then they might as well do something worth being “criminalized”
Society needs to understand that we are evolving, and that the old ways that once worked before (or never) are not effective anymore. The criminal justice should go into a more extensive training, to educate themselves of the conditions that people are actually faced to deal with everyday, instead of feeling like they are above everyone else, when in reality they are just people as well. It is important to understand that people do not get to choose the conditions, especially for youths, they are born into it and learning the ropes of survival in their given situation. There should be more resource programs for children and adults, even more so in populations in which Rios talks about. This maybe too much of a Marxist view, but essentially the government, who are the main dictators of these laws needs to reevaluate their policies and really deeply profoundly think of where it is that they want to go with this country, because it is those implemented laws that are the ones that affecting the less fortunate and not them by any means. Therefore we are still living in a time where the rich keep benefiting, and the poor are still being oppressed to be kept at the