...Juvenile Offenders Paper Race, Ethnicity, Social Structure, and Crime/CJS/221(BSGZ1HW7T1) August 31, 2015 Race v. Crime Early in this nation, crime was mostly blame on the poor, especially the ones that were new comers to America. It may appear dangerous because of the fact that many of these individuals came from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. In the late nineteenth century, each wave of immigration that brought newcomers were threatening a new crime wave. From the beginning, juvenile justice engage in class favoritism that resulted to poor children being process through the system while middle class children were excused. Poverty with dangerousness has continued until the present day. It is especially expressed with the fear of gang behavior and violence from African American and Hispanic poor children. A number of black males are committed to civility and law abiding behavior. Often they have a hard time convincing others of this, because of their skin color, age, gender, appearance and general style of self-presentation. However, young women of color, and the minority girls often grow up in the very different from those of the white females. Because of poverty and racism, which go hand in hand, these girls are force to participate in violence, drug abuse and physical abuse. They are also to be likely attracted to gang membership as well. Overall, female arrest rates tend to increase slightly compared to males. Juvenile Crime Percentage Rates ...
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...How effective do you feel your program type is for juvenile offenders? Why? I feel that a group home is effective for teens with emotional or behavioral problems because their individual needs are able to be addressed. Group homes provide a structured, therapeutic environment where teens receive assistance in making emotional and behavioral changes. Do you think juvenile offenders can be rehabilitated in your type of setting? Why or why not? Yes, I think juveniles can be rehabilitated in group homes. The rehabilitation process is sped up if the juvenile truly wants to change if they know that the life they're living is hurting the people around them but mostly hurting themselves. The familial setting that a group home provide can help greatly with the juveniles' actual home life with parents or other guardians, (which is where I presume aforementioned juvenile is having the most behavior problems)....
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...Juvenile Offenders with Mental Health Issues Adolescence is a critical time of development. During this period there are significant changes in brain development, emotions, cognition, behavior, and personal relationships. It is during this time that most major mental health disorders appear, many of which carry over into adulthood. Behavior patterns such as substance abuse also often develop during this time and may continue throughout adulthood. Many adolescents struggling with mental health issues begin to exhibit symptoms such as acting out at home or in school, showing a decreased interest in activities that they previously enjoyed, or bringing home poor grades. Others ultimately are charged with offenses ranging from status offenses for things such as skipping school, to misdemeanor offenses such as burglary or possession of a controlled substance, or even more serious charges. In Iowa, adolescents exhibiting behavioral issues become involved in the Juvenile Court system, which seems overwhelmed with the volume of cases to be heard, and does little to address the mental health needs of its clients. This paper will discuss the federal legislation developed to protect youth in the juvenile and criminal justice system and address delinquent behavior, the volume and types of offenders, the limitations of the current Juvenile Justice System, and proposed modifications to the organizational structure of the system. Status offenders are juveniles charged with an offense...
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...The juvenile justice offender intervention would have a better chance to be successful if greater use of evidence-based practice principle and rehabilitative programs followed the ten principles (Bartollas & Miller, 2011). First, the Target Criminogenic Needs principle is a program to assess factors such as crime causing needs, anti-social attitudes, lack of self-control and lack of responsibility. Second, the Target Thorough Assessment of Risk and Need basically governs that a juvenile offender that does not receive proper treatment will repeat their offense. Third, the Base Design and Implementation on a Proven Theoretical Model is enforcing an effective program that focuses on social learning and cognitive behaviors. Fourth, is the Use of...
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...A Juvenile refers to a person who is not yet an adult. The law defines a juvenile to be a person who cannot be held responsible for a crime and cannot be subjected to the sentences reserved for adults. They have separate courts for trials called the Juvenile courts. All the countries have different age definitions for adulthood, but on average we can set the general threshold at 18 years of age. While I agree that sentencing a youth offender to a term of punishment to be carried out with adult offenders may continue the devastating cycle of violence in our culture, I do not agree that juvenile offenders should receive a smaller sentence or easier punishment on the basis of the affects of cross imprisonment. On the contrary i also believe that they should not be mixed wit adults but its only depending on severity of the case. During the 1990s, nearly every state passed more punitive justice laws making it easier to try juveniles in adult court. More and more teens are doing time alongside adults in prison. This represents society’s recent shift towards taking a harsher view of adolescent’s culpability. When a juvenile is charge with certain felony offenses, his or her case may be transferred to the adult criminal division where a juvenile will be prosecuted in the same way as adults charge with laws violations. When a child is found guilty or pleads guilty in adult court and is sentenced as an adult, that child is forever considered an adult for the future violations of state...
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...Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders? Steven W. Eudy Columbia Southern University EH 1020: English Composition II Professor John Willey February 28, 2011 Abstract In America, it seems as though the crime rate grows on a daily basis. While the crime rate continues to grow so does the number of juvenile offenders that are involved in criminal activity. Since late 1980’s, the number of juvenile arrests, has risen steadily and has continued to rise every year since then. With juvenile offenders committing the same crimes as adult offenders, it seems as though the juveniles should be tried and punished to the same extinct as the adult offenders that commit the same crimes. Juvenile courts have been put into place to handle the trials of juveniles and are used for guidance rather than punishment. Juvenile courts were introduced as a method to keep juveniles out of the adult courts until the age of 18, which defines a juvenile as an adult. As the crime rate continues to grow and more juveniles continue to commit adult crimes or serious violent crimes, will the juvenile court system be adequate for juvenile trials and enacting punishment for crimes that are committed by juveniles? Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders? In law a juvenile is defined as a person who is not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states and on the federal level, this age is set at 18 years. For example...
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...Juvenile offenders November 25, 2013 Juvenile offenders Juvenile offenders are categorized as offenders aged below the age of 18 years. The option of transferring these offenders to adult jurisdictions has been ongoing since the inception of these courts. Various reasons has contributed to this including inadequacy of punishment on serious offenses and the propensity to continue offending after release also called recidivism among others. Various researches have been carried out on this aspect of transferring juvenile to adult courts c with different recommendations. This discussion, reviews an article, “Differential Effects of Adult Court Transfer on Juvenile Offender Recidivism” by Loughran et al. (2010) in the law and human behavior journal. The article sought to investigate on the effects on the ability of the juveniles to repeat offenses if they are taken to adult courts. It is expected that juveniles below the age of 14 years are tried by juvenile courts and not adult jurisdiction. The article notes that there are null effects of transfer on re-arrest (Loughran et al. 2010). Most of the juveniles that may be taken to adult courts are not prone to recidivism therefore it means that even if the juveniles are taken to the adult courts, there is less differential in their behaviors on their release. Even though, various studies have indicated that juvenile offenders that are transferred to adult courts have higher...
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...The Challenges and Effective Methods of Investigating Juvenile Offenders and Delinquents CRJ 105 August 24, 2014 The Challenges and Effective Methods of Investigating Juvenile Offenders and Delinquents Criminal behavior in juvenile offenders has plagued justice from the beginning. Hagans book Introduction to Criminology discusses the relationship between age and crime in detail. I’ve always been interested in the real effects of a juvenile arrest record and how it will follow them for life. The book also states that “arrest data shows that the intensity of criminal behavior slackens after the teens”. So how are these young adults treated and tracked through the system? There have been many important movements and legislation though history towards the shaping and treatment of juvenile offenders and delinquents. The Juvenile Justice System today is by no means perfect, but it is far greater than what was initially in place. During these times, anyone under the age of seventeen who committed a crime was placed in the same judicial system as adults. As social views began to change, many started to see juvenile offenders as youths who had simply lost their way, rather than hardened criminals. The first large movement involved with removing juveniles from the adults took place with the Houses of refuge. In the early 1800’s reformers became concerned about the overcrowded conditions in the jails and the corruption youth experienced when confined with adult felons. The...
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...Juvenile Offenders: Children Worth Giving a Second Chance Sarah Kee COM/156 June 13, 2012 “Young people are not only disproportionately the perpetrators of crime; they are also disproportionately the victims of crime”—Kelly Richards. When I think about the severity of crime, my last thought is that a child would commit such thing. When that does happen, it comes as a shock to me. Although I do agree that a juvenile should be punished for their wrong doings, I don’t agree with that way the law handles things. Juvenile offenders charged as adults are being robbed of their lives and deserve to get a second chance to make better decisions. My Take on How the Law Handles Juveniles Offenders From a personal standpoint, I can’t help but disagree with how the law sometimes takes its course. In this case, my matter of contention is juveniles being charged as adults for severe crimes. That’s not the only problem, not only are they being charged as adults, but also they are being sent to these adult prisons to serve time. I don’t want to give off the wrong impression that I feel it’s alright for children to commit such severe crimes and not have some source of consequence. The controversy here is to look at the big picture and consider another alternative for the problem. I’m aware of the severity of one committing a homicide or even a sexual assault, especially for it to be a child. That intuition comes from somewhere though. Causes of Juvenile Abomination There are a few...
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...Ethnicity of Juvenile Offenders Shawndena Redmond University of Phoenix CJA/423- Rita Lazar July 18, 2011 Race and Ethnicity of Juvenile Offenders Juvenile crime in the United States has reached an epidemic; the overwhelming amount of juvenile offenders ensures a booming corrections industry, unfortunately with those figures come racial and ethnic disparities. To completely understand why disparities are important, one must attempt to comprehend the base causes for the enormous amount of juvenile crime in the United States. Many developments within the criminal justice system have helped reduce the amount of racially induced arrests; however, nothing has been presented to reduce the root causes for the crime levels and the disparities that still exist. The following paper will discuss juvenile justice statistics, legislation of racial bias in the juvenile justice system, racial disparities, and root causes as well as possible solutions. Statistics To understand the evidence that is currently available, nationally, is very important when discussing disparities of a juvenile offender's race and ethnicity. The most recently available statistics are those of 2007 for juvenile offenders. First, one must understand that many cases of juvenile arrests are not reported to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) of the Federal Bureau of Investigations due to a variety of state and federal limitations on juvenile information...
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...adolescence have always been obsessed with experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Recently the number of males that engage in this activity has increased. This fact leads some to believe that the use of drugs and alcohol can inhibit psychological maturity and growth. A study to see whether this statement is true was conducted quite recently. Researchers already knew that the use marijuana can cause poor decision making and make some people have permanent dopamine level control problems. Researchers also knew that the level of maturity can depend on how adolescence deal with everyday problems. When anybody deals with their problems by avoiding them with drugs, the problem itself is never solved. The participants in the study were over 1100 male juvenile delinquents ranging in ages from 14 to 17. The study was done by interviewing the teens with a series of questions and situations. When a teen would answer a question with an inappropriate mindset, for example showing true feelings of wanting to give up on a project or wanting to get in fight when angry, the answers would curve the results to a negative maturity level. There was a based maturity level set in the form of a graph ranging from -.04 up to .08. In each graph the levels of maturity decreased with the use of both marijuana and alcohol. The steadiest incline of maturity decrease was the later onset of drug use in adolescence. The results of the study clearly showed that there was a direct correlation between the use...
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...MacDonald then described how he had covered his slashed wife with his blue pajama Top. Interestingly, when the body was removed, blue threads were observed under the Body. In fact, blue threads matching the pajama top turned up throughout the house— Nineteen in one child’s bedroom, including one beneath her fingernail, and two in the other Child’s bedroom. Eighty-one blue fibers were recovered from the master bedroom, and two were located on a bloodstained piece of wood outside the house. When hair is properly Collected at the crime scene and submitted to the laboratory along with enough standard/reference Samples, it can provide strong corroborative evidence for placing an individual at a crime site. The cuticle is formed by overlapping scales that always point toward the tip end of each hair. The scales form from Specialized cells that have hardened and flattened in progressing from the follicle. Three basic patterns describe the appearance of the cuticle: cornal, spinous, and imbricate. The cortex derives its major forensic importance from the fact that it is embedded with the pigment Granules that give hair its color. The medulla is a collection of cells that looks like a central canal running Through a hair. The presence and appearance of the medulla vary from individual to individual and even Among the hairs of a given individual. The root and other surrounding cells within the hair follicle provide The tools necessary to produce hair and continue...
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...There have been several changes to the juvenile justice system as well as punishments handed down to juvenile offenders throughout the years, moreover, the controversy surrounding the transfer of juvenile offenders to adult court has been the topic of many debates. Interestingly, it was not until 2005, following a ruling by the United States Supreme Court in the Roper v Simmons case, that the execution of persons under the age of eighteen was prohibited (Elrod & Ryder, 2014). Additionally, this case placed restrictions upon governing courts handling the cases of juvenile offenders to limit their ability to issue punishments mirroring those of an adult offense. A harsher stance was taken in an attempt to combat juvenile delinquency in the 1970s carrying into the 1990s allowing more juveniles to be prosecuted in adult courts (Elrod & Ryder, 2014). This approach nearly doubled the number of juveniles being transferred to adult court, consequently, the number of juvenile offenders being transferred currently have declined as equally as they increased by 2009. A large number of juvenile offenders are still being transferred to...
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...cannot come back from. The juvenile sex offender’s registry and notification laws are controversial and proponents of these laws feel they act as deterrents to future offending even though there is no evidence to support this claim. In many cases recidivism has decreased with the proper assessment and treatment. Our country has an overzealous sex crime legislation dating back to the 1880s. In the United States there are three types of legislation dealing with sex crimes. The first was pre-World War II when offenders were subjected to indefinite institutionalization and sterilization. These policies were jointly influenced by the fields of sexology and eugenics (Ordover, 2003). Sexologists promoted the view that minor forms of sexual misbehavior would predict future sexual violence and homicide (Jenkins, 1998), whereas eugenicists promoted the view that criminal behavior was genetically determined (Ordover, 2003). Both of these fields developed the view that sexual offending was considered intractable, resistant to change and escalating, therefore, new legislation was established to enact extreme interventions by institutionalization offenders. In order to keep society safe from future exposure and danger from an offender’s offspring thus forced sterilization (Letourneau, 2013). This method has large economic costs to our government in funding for the physical care and procedure costs, which outweigh the benefits for this treatment. The offender and his family had to endure...
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...What Works with Juvenile Offenders Juvenile Offenders are categorized differently than their adult counterparts for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is that as an offender who is not yet an adult, they are still considered a protected class due to their age and the concern of disrupting their rights to council and the rights of their parents to help dictate the events in their lives. Over the past few decades there have been several studies completed correlating the quantitative analysis in primary research studies with success rates of juvenile offender treatment. Because of the repeated success of certain treatments over others, these studies have lead to an agreement on what programs and intervention strategies work and which have little to no repeated success. By analyzing these treatment strategies as they have been portrayed in academic literature and through the primary research that has been completed, a summary analysis of what plans work when dealing with juvenile offenders will be devised and put forth as the best option for treatment. The first aspect to analyze when dealing with implementing a new strategy for juvenile offender reformation and treatment plans is the idea of quality of the plan versus quantity of sessions required with all individuals in correctional institutions across the United States. In the past two decades, the numbers of individuals within the correctional systems across the United States has skyrocketed. In 2004, the jump in population...
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