...Children should never be tried as adults in any court of law. It has been a large and heated debate about if adolescents should be able to be tried as an adult for adult crimes. One side of this argument is that if a teenager commits an adult crime, they should be sentenced reflecting the crime and not the age. Whereas others believe that if a child does not have the same legal rights and responsibilities as adults, they should not be held to adult standards in this case either. In this paper I will explain the disadvantages and inhumanity of this injustice toward our future by using facts, statics, and blogs. In the 18th century, children as young as seven could be tried as adults, in criminal courts, in America. These children were jailed with adults because the first institution designed to accommodate children wasn’t established until the year 1825. The Society for prevention of Juvenile Delinquents founded the New York House of Refuge, which prompted other states to follow their examples by building group homes and half way houses for child offenders. The first juvenile court wasn’t established until the year 1899 in Cook County, Illinois. It took until the year 1925 for 48 out of the 50 states to found juvenile courts as well. An amendment in 1980, mandated that juveniles could not be placed in adult jail, with few exemptions. But these exemptions were later used as loop hole,” In the 1990: almost every state passed laws making it easier to try juveniles in adult criminal...
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...average of 7,500 youth are incarcerated in adult jails. This subject is given little attention by the public, despite the horrific consequences of being tried in an adult criminal justice system and incarceration in an adult jail. Youth who are placed in adult jails are at a greater risk of physical and sexual assault. I believe juveniles under the age of 18 should not be treated as adult criminals because placing youth in the adult criminal justice system puts their safety at risk, restricts their necessary education and crucial health development, and increases the likelihood of violence and re-offending. Placing youth in adult jails most likely result in inimical situations and it is extremely difficult to prevent these events from occurring. By housing young offenders in the same facilities as adult criminals they are presented as the easiest preys which result in physical and sexual assaults. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2005 and 2006,...
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...evolution of the juvenile justice system. More specifically, how the system changed, structurally and procedurally. The paper will cover if these changes resulted in a better more efficient juvenile justice system. These changes will be explained by showing how they did or didn’t help the juvenile justice system. The last thing being discussed is whether or not the juvenile justice system still acts in the best interest of the juvenile. The paper will also discuss how the system is or isn’t acting in the best interest of the juveniles. To be able to talk about the evolution of the juvenile justice system, one must start at the beginning. The first juvenile court was created in 1899, in Cook County, Illinois (Bates...
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...Introduction The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is the principal federal program through which the federal government sets standards for juvenile justice systems at the state and local levels. It provides direct funding for states, research, training, and technical assistance, and evaluation. The JJDPA was originally enacted in 1974 and even though the JJDPA has been revised several times over the past 30 years, its basic composition has remained the same. Since the act was passed in 1974, the JJDPA focused solitary on preventing juvenile delinquency and on rehabilitating juvenile offenders. Since the original enactment of the JJDPA in 1974, the periodic reauthorizations have been controversial, as the Act's opponents have sought to weaken its protections for youth, reduce prevention resources, and encourage the transfer of youth to the adult criminal justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act follow a series of federal protections, known as the "core protections," on the care and treatment of youth in the justice system. The four "core protections" of the act are, the Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO), Sight and Sound separation, Jail Removal, and Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC). The "DSO" and "Sight and Sound" protections were part of the original law in 1974. The "Jail Removal" provision was added in 1980 in response to finding youth incarcerated in adult facilities resulted in "a high suicide...
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...The juvenile justice system was first established in the state of Illinois and has grown substantially since 1899. Once informal and taken as nothing more than a conversation between the juvenile offender and the judge, to replace confinement in adult prisons, the courts created a probationary system- one which would be used for the supervision of minors, education and guidance. Today, the juvenile justice system remains focused on its primary goal, which is to rehabilitate the juvenile offender and distinguish itself from the adult criminal justice system. The Juvenile justice system is in critical need of reformation. Admittedly, there has been a steady decline in juvenile detention and out-of-home placements over the past decade. Sill, too many juveniles have been placed in securely detained facilities, far from home, rather than handled effectively within their own communities. The current juvenile justice policies and practices in place do not take a number of factors into consideration including the child’s age and responsiveness to rehabilitation. They overlook the long term collateral consequences, violate principles which are supposed to stand for equal justice under the law and the role of the juvenile justice system, in addition to the amount of taxpayers’ money wasted. In addition, many of the systems exhibit ethnic and racial disparities, they lack sound drug treatment and mental health services, and apply the harshest sanctions for minor or non-violent misbehaviors...
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...Future of the Juvenile Justice System Paper Christopher D. Herring Kimberly Sumptner Florence Ansong University of Phoenix CJA/403 Kellie Bauss January 24, 2011 Courts The juvenile court system has been around for a long time, dating back to the late 1800s when the United States was putting together some of the policies regarding youth offenders. The juvenile court system was just the same as the adult court system, youth offenders over the age of seven were placed imprisoned with the adults. (LawyerShop (n.d) But this policy would shortly change, society knew this would not work and decided it better to rehabilitate the youth rather than punish the youth. Therefore, the juvenile system was revised, youth were no longer imprisoned with the adults and no longer tried as adult offenders. Instead juveniles were placed in reform housing which are better known as reform schools. As time moved on the juvenile court system began to change even more, juvenile courts had jurisdiction over all cases involving youth under the age of 18, by the 1960s (LawyerShop, (n.d.) The juvenile court system had completely separated itself from the adult court system. However, the juvenile system would soon change, the juvenile crime rate began to rise in the late 80s and mid-90s, and would reach its peak...
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...Future of the Juvenile Justice System Lashanna Banks-Augustus Bryan Knight Samantha Mathis Barbara Minish Jenny Sutton CJA 374 July 2, 2012 Mecca Brown The Future of the Juvenile Justice System In 1899 the first separate Juvenile Court system opened in the United Sates. The Juvenile Justice system design was to separate juvenile delinquents from adult criminals. Documentation proves that juveniles do not have the maturity level or the responsibility level of an adult to receive the same punishment as adults should. Juvenile Justice System main focus is rehabilitation as a replacement for punishment in which the adult court system focuses on punishment. The juvenile system methods are based on causation theories throughout history. However, with new trends comes new theories and with new theories comes a new wave of both rehabilitation techniques and designing those techniques to fit each juvenile personal needs; proving that change is in need throughout the different areas of the juvenile justice system. Community Community helps juveniles in different ways. Juvenile law will place them accountable for their actions. The community can help to hold the youths accountable for each of their delinquent actions. The community could help intervene by providing an effective intervention for the offender and to have the child protection protect the neglect or abused juveniles (The future of children). Each community should help develop different programs that will help...
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...Abstract This research paper focuses on juvenile delinquency, which has been a never ending battle for years. I will begin with my thesis which is the focus of my research. My research covers two points, what causes childhood Delinquency; should deliquesce be incarcerated or should we put more emphasis on other methods. Data was collected individuals who have conducted cases studies on juvenile delicense who have committed a verity of crimes. This study was examined whether a child is more likely to rehabilitate by using alternate resources other than incarceration, at the same focusing on the issues that incarcerating a delinquent cause. This research attacks the concept that juveniles should have the same penalties as adults who commits...
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...Juveniles convicted as adults: Unconstitutional How does placing a child in an adult prison, where they risk sexual abuse that eventually leads to suicide, teach them a lesson? Juveniles, who commit serious crimes, are usually seen as convicts or criminals who should pay the price of what they committed even if that means sentenced as an adult and occasionally with no parole. Some of these juveniles who are being tried as adults suffered from psychological traumas caused at home by their parents or own family members. People need to know what can be done to prevent these crimes. Placing a juvenile in an adult trial is unconstitutional and is abusing their rights. Many of the juveniles prosecuted as adults are placed in adult jails pretrial, where they are at risk of harm, abuse and suicide. People need to understand the importance and dangers of incarcerating a child in an adult correctional facility. The administration of justice should implement meaningful juvenile justice reforms such as, rehabilitation centers, counseling, and they should correspondingly perform psychological test before being prosecuted in an adult trial so the U.S can uphold the dignity and human rights of our children and ensure that no child in our nation is considered a throwaway person. Juvenile crime rates soared in the mid- 1990s, and that is why every state initiated strict laws against juveniles and began incarcerating minors as adults. That high rates of juvenile delinquency dropped quickly...
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...The juvenile court system Kathy Short 05/29/12 CJS/200 Jeni Clark Axia University of Phoenix The juvenile court system In a world that seems out of control, we examine how the youth of today have an increasing amount of criminal activity. We can see how the sweet innocent looking child turns into a person who commits criminal acts. The act of violence against others, breaking and entering, stealing, and drug charges, all can be convicted by a court of law. Over the last few years, we are now seeing an increase for crime that has juvenile involvement, by juvenile we mean a crime committed by someone under the age of 18 years old. These are crimes such as violent crime, property crime, and vandalism (Schmalleger pg.542) is on the rise. With most juvenile they will commit a crime thinking that they will not be caught, or that the court system will let them go. In a world where most children are left unattended due to both parents working, or having parents who also have past criminal histories, we see their child finding ways to entertain itself. In a court of law, the court system is different between the adult and the child. With the Juvenile Justice System, the court is geared more to protecting the youth. This can be done by protecting the juvenile identity, and protecting them from harmful activity that may be happening inside the home the court can provide the necessary treatment and support that a young child needs. The focus of the court is...
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...Juvenile Crime Jo Ann Macklin CJS/200 June 10, 2012 Sheila Toppin Juvenile Crime When we think of the United States judicial system, and what a good system it is. It is hard to believe at one time in our history, children were treated just as adults were. They would receive the same sentences and were placed in the same jail facilities. Now are juvenile system is not perfect, and need more improvements, but with society, and ever changing crimes, the juvenile system is always hard at work, facing the new challenges and seeking improvements. Juveniles that commit crimes are no longer considered criminals, but instead juvenile delinquents. If the child is of a certain age in some states, or the crime is a violent felony, such as rape, or murder, the child can be treated as an adult, making him or her criminal and trialed as an adult in a criminal court of law. The juvenile offender is treated different than an adult offender. The juvenile court system’s main concerns are for the safety, privacy and rehabilitation of the minor offender. The most signifying differences as stated by Attorney LaMance, Ken, “Juveniles are not prosecuted for committing crimes, but rather delinquent acts. When the delinquent acts are very serious, they may be considered crimes and the juvenile may be tried in the adult system. Juveniles don't have a right to a public trial by jury. For a juvenile charged with a crime, the trial portion of the case involves a judge hearing evidence and ruling...
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...crime they are usually referred to the juvenile court system. The juvenile will go through the court system and sometimes they are placed in programs designed to help the juvenile to get their life back on track. While there are not many programs in the state of Mississippi for the juvenile offenders there is a few that are in place. Juvenile Detention Center In Tupelo, Mississippi, there is a program that it used to house a juvenile once they have been through the court system and it is determined that they will be detained. The program is the Juvenile Detention Center of Lee County. The mission of the juvenile center is to help the juveniles learn how to interact in a social and working environment. The center has set rules that the juvenile must follow and obey. The juvenile can have contact with the outside world such as family and friends but only on specific days of the week and during specified times. This program is kind of like a prison setting, during their stay the juvenile is allowed to make collect phone calls to people outside of the facility. The juvenile is limited on the property that they are allowed to possess while in the care of the facility. Juveniles are provided the necessary products such as; clothes, hygiene products and etc ("Juvenile Detention Center", 1997-2012). During their time at the Juvenile Detention Center the juveniles work in an environment as if they were on a full time job. The juvenile are rewarded accordingly for their participation...
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...THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM CHAPTER ONE Chapter Outline Origins of the Juvenile Justice System Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Defining Delinquency Defining a Juvenile Chapter Objectives After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. 2. Explain what is meant by delinquency. 3. Explain what is meant by status offenses. 4. Compare the ways in which the various states define a juvenile. 5. Identify and define the unique terms used in the juvenile justice system. 6. Outline the three major steps in the juvenile justice process. 7. Describe the five decision points in the juvenile justice process. The Language of Juvenile Justice Overview of the Juvenile Justice System Law Enforcement and Other Referral Sources Juvenile Court Disposition Comparison of Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems 8. Compare and contrast the juvenile and criminal justice systems. 3 4 PART ONE Juvenile Justice and Delinquency in the United States Origins of the Juvenile Justice System Before the establishment of the juvenile justice system, courts and judges treated juveniles as adults and, in many instances, juvenile offenders received the same punishment as adults. There was only one system of justice in the United States, and all offenders were processed through it without regard to age. Under common law doctrine, the legal system the American colonists brought from England, a juvenile age seven or older could receive the same...
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...Juvenile Court Process Faye D. Baker CJS 220 July 27 2011 Curtis Turney The juvenile court system was designed to help juveniles rather than project harsh punishment on their lives. It is design to provide social services and assistance. Most juveniles commit crimes or get into trouble with the law, due to rebellion. There are many reasons a child falls into the juvenile court system. A few reasons are death of parents, poverty environment, molestation, child abuse and rape. The maximum age for juveniles is seventeen. At the age of eighteen the child is considered as a young adult. The juvenile court process includes four different processes. The first is called Intake which starts the process procedure to determine the seriousness of the crime, and whether the case should go to court. There are four other processes under intake. The first is detention hearing. The child has to go through a detention hearing to determine court appearance and whether protection is needed until he or she appears in court. The second is the transfer procedure, which consist of transferring the case to another jurisdiction. The third is the Waiver hearing; waiver hearing is when the case requires a hearing before being transferred. The last process is statutory waiver; this process determines whether or not the child is treated as an adult depending on the seriousness of the crime. Adjudication, This level of the process clearly states that juvenile crime process is less than...
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...Punishment and Sentencing Abstract In general, a juvenile cannot be tried in an adult court. All states have the ability to try juveniles in adult courts under certain conditions such as statutory exclusion, judicial waiver, and concurrent jurisdiction. In juvenile courts, a juvenile is entitled to Due Process Rights that include a transfer hearing before trial in adult court, notice of charges, and assistance of counsel, amongst others. However, juveniles are not entitled to a trial by jury, mandatory presence of parents during interrogation, and right against preventative detention. Punishment and Sentencing In general, a juvenile cannot be tried in an adult court. Instead, crimes committed by juveniles are handled in special juvenile courts that have limited jurisdiction, which is determine based on the offender being under the age of seventeen and above a state defined minimum age. All states have the ability to try juveniles in adult courts under certain conditions such as statutory exclusion, judicial waiver, and concurrent jurisdiction. Under statutory exclusion, juveniles that are generally older and commit crimes of a serious or violent nature can be tried as an adult. Under a judicial waiver, the juvenile court judge has the ability to send the case to an adult court. State statutes guide the juvenile court judge in determining which cases can be judicially waived. In doing so, a juvenile court judge must hold a waiver hearing to give due process protections...
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