...History of Juvenile Justice System: “Many people believe juvenile courts were invented to "go easy" on young criminals. The actual reasons are more complicated. The 19th Century reformers who advocated the establishment of juvenile courts were just as interested in crime control as they were in social work. Admittedly, some reformers were motivated by a desire to save growing numbers of poor and homeless children from the streets of America’s cities. Others, however, were mainly interested in removing the legal obstacles that prevented criminal courts from dealing effectively with young hoodlums” http://www.urban.org/publications/307452.html The Juvenile Justice System was founded on the principle that “children are fundamentally different from adults, and that the justice system that deals with them should reflect these differences” (Setting the stage). Two themes make the system: the welfare of young offenders and the protection of public safety. “State legislatures are responsible for establishing juvenile courts and for framing their legal responsibilities. Thus, state lawmakers have the power to decide who falls under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and who remains under the jurisdiction of the criminal court. At one time, the issue was relatively simple. States merely decided at what age an individual was to be fully responsible for his or her criminal behavior. Offenders above that age were tried as adults in criminal court; those below it went to a juvenile court...
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...Juvenile Delinquency and Recidivism TaShara Smith A00338366 Master of Science in Criminal Justice General Walden University August 20, 2012 Criminal justice is a broad category; there are many issues within criminal justice that can definitely use adjustments just as with any other subject in society. The increasing amount of crime in the United States has become unbearable for those who are living within the country. Juvenile delinquency and juvenile recidivism is at an all-time high; there is a vast amount of society that participates in juvenile crime prevention while others pretend like it is not their job. In order for anything to be successful everyone involved must put forth a joint effort. This paper will focus on a targeted population of juveniles African Americans and those of low economic status along with delinquency and recidivism, who commits juvenile crimes, why do juveniles reoffend. Juvenile delinquency is of great importance; and juvenile recidivism is even more important everyone should take the time to participate in some way in order to prevent it. Often time’s society questions why there is so much juvenile crime and recidivism that exist, but reality is until everyone works as a team instead of in separation juvenile crime and recidivism will stand just as it did the first day it started. The best research methods to use to retrieve credible and somewhat accurate information would definitely have to be both quantitative and qualitative research...
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...Treatment or Punishment what works In our Juvenile Justice System. By Tina Grinnell Juvenile Justice July 20,2013 While prisons can be an eye opener for someone who has committed a serious crime,is it our responsibility to help our juveniles to be reformed or should they pay for their crimes in adult prisons. Putting our juveniles in adult prisons says that we believe they can’t be helped. In most cases are our juveniles really aware of their actions and the consequence that they have. Should they be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Should the age of a juvenile differ from state to state on the way that they are punished. These are a couple of the issues that surround our juvenile system today. I will be looking at both sides to get a better understanding of why the laws today are the way that they are and could they be changed to help our younger generation. Juvenile delinquent’s have been around for decades and the way that our justice system has tried and helped our juveniles get on the right path and stay there has changed dramatically since the early nineteenth century ,Juvenile matters were handled by a variety of civil courts and non- legal institutions such as Welfare offices. The doctrine was referred to as the parens patriae. Which means parent of the country (Black,1990)...
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...Justice System Position Intro to Criminal Justice 21 OCT 2012 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explain how imperative it is to maintain the juvenile justice system as a separate entity from the adult court systems. It must stay separate in both the way cases are disposed and in the way sentence is carried out. Namely, punishment as in the adult system must be avoided and continued to be replaced by rehabilitation. In recent years, there has been intensive debate about whether the juvenile justice system should focus its limited resources on rehabilitation or punishment to curtail the rising statistics in juvenile delinquency. It is my belief that the juvenile justice system should primarily focus on the process of juvenile rehabilitation as opposed to strictly punishment. This paper will include an assessment of law enforcement, court processes, probation corrections, and community services as well as the intervention programs currently available to increase the incidents of juvenile delinquency. In this paper the subject to examine is both sides of the spectrum and try to show that the process of rehabilitation, rather than just straight punishment will provide a more effective solution to the problem of juvenile delinquency. I will be examining some of the arguments that oppose the views of rehabilitation over punishment and attempt to prove that the arguments for punishment are not as valid as those...
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...Pros and Cons of the Juvenile Justice System Under most state laws, juvenile offenders do not commit "crimes", they commit delinquent acts, and some of these acts would constitute as crimes if committed by an adult. The trial phase of a juvenile case is called an adjudication hearing. This is when the judge hears the evidence and makes a determination whether the child is delinquent or not. The court may then take whatever action it deems necessary to be in the child's best interest. The purpose of the juvenile court is to rehabilitate, not to punish. However, the clash point in this debate is whether juveniles are mature enough to handle the consequences of their actions and as well be punished more severely in adult courts, if they commit more serious crimes. One of the basic problems and source of this debate is determining where to draw the line. A crime is still considered a crime, no matter who commits it. That is the attitude of many in this country that leads to the question of whether or not the whole juvenile system should be discarded and allow the judicial system of criminal courts to try both children and adults under the same law, with the same rules. Here are a few points that will help elaborate on why eradicating the juvenile system might be considered a bad idea. On most occasions, we'll find that the kids who have committed a crime are as young as 9 and 10. It is an understood and even proven in facts that a child at an age like this, dose not have the...
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...In this paper I am going to assess one of the controversial issues regarding the juvenile justice system. I am also going to explain why the juvenile justice system should adopt the focus that I choose. I will try to explain how the specific focus that I have chosen affects everything from law enforcement to probation to intervention programs. Just about every young adult from any community knows that when they break the rules or do a crime, there are punishments that will follow. In the way that I am thinking, I think that the juvenile justice system should focus on punishment and work on rehabilitation when the punishment is done. Looking at the punishment side, it would take a big burden off of all law enforcement when a lot of these young adults that have done crimes are locked up for a while and the police can go on to other thing then just to try and help these young people do the right thing. Because law enforcement usually reflects general public prejudices, they can and are held accountable by the public. In addition, the general public expects a certain type of justice, either wrong or right, so that the punishment will fit the crime. There is much institutional and public skepticism over the findings and all the research done on punishment and institutionalization. The one factor is that changing the thought process or the way they act in large groups takes much longer then trying to change the thought process and behaviors of one person. Another issue...
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... we call juvenile criminals, but, every action has a consequence and to deal with these unlawful adolescent we have the Juvenile Justice Department. The juvenile justice system is a network of agencies that deal with juveniles whose conduct has come in conflict with the law. These agencies include police, prosecutor, detention, court, probation, and the Department of Juvenile Corrections. But, when young offenders commit a series of crimes or even serious crimes, they are waivered into Adult court where they will be subject to any punishment available. Some cases of Juvenile’s being tried as adults is not fair. Some people would disagree about their charge. Some pros of Juveniles being tried as adults are, Attacking juvenile crime lowers the overall crime rate and allows us to live in a society that is much safer. A juvenile who knows that they will be punished for their crimes is far less likely to commit them. Other juveniles who may be considering committing a crime will also view the harsh punishment of their peers as a powerful deterrent. A crime is a crime no matter what, even if it is the littlest crime. A juvenile who is tried as an adult could end up being scared straight, which will make them from not continue to break the law. Spending a few nights in jail around hardened criminals can often be the wake up call. A juvenile offender needs in order to realize the error of their ways and make the necessary changes to their lifestyle (Should juveniles be tried...
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...other criminals are being let from jail every day after serving only very short sentences. Some of these criminals are juveniles who are committing adult crimes. When being tried in the juvenile court system, they are receiving shortened sentences, and they are being released and given new identities to continue to go about their lives but the victims and their families of the crime are left to suffer without having justice served. By changing the way the court system sees juveniles, the United States can change their motives and approach to society. Minors should be tried as adults because everyone has control over their actions unless diagnosed with a mental disability, victims will not receive full justice, and lastly the young adults might not learn from their mistakes. When it comes to trying teens as adults, many say trying them as adults is to cruel and harsh of a punishment but instead to try them as juveniles instead, others say they must be tried as adults after committing an adult crimes. Younger induviduals should be held accountable for their actions and tried as adults. Children almost always know right from wrong even starting at young age. These young adults are usually always taught to talk or consult with...
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...Future of the Juvenile Justice System Proposal Gina Tompkins, Marcus Hall, Terri Washington, Victor Jones CJA 374 November 24, 2013 Bruce Clingan Future of the Juvenile Justice System Proposal The juvenile justice system is designed to correct and change the behavior of juvenile offenders. Change in behavior is an indication the system is working. If there is no change, the system is deemed ineffective and a team of juvenile justice consultants are called in to make corrections. In reality, this team is composed of four state officials whose sole purpose is to develop a proposal to present to the state legislature for recommendations of adjustments to the juvenile justice system. This team of consultants is creating these recommendations including all aspects of community, law enforcement, courts, corrections, and the private sector or privatization involvement. The community should be involved in the future of the juvenile justice system along with funding, awareness, and assistance from the state. Characteristics of the Golden Program and the Reclaiming Futures Program The recommendation to the state legislature is to improve the juvenile justice system by introducing proven ways of enhancing community involvement through community-based programs such as the Golden Program and the Reclaiming Futures Program. One proven way to improve effectiveness according to Nissen (2007), is a program named Golden (the integrated care network) that involves court personnel...
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...Juvenile delinquency is a term given to juveniles who are under the age of 18 that have committed crimes from the petty crimes like vandalism, stealing to more sever crimes like murder. When people usually hear the word delinquent and juvenile together of course they immediately assume the individual must be a threat to society, but sometimes the child involved in criminal activity was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What some people don’t realize is there is a reason why a child would take part in criminal activity whether it is rebelling, peer pressure, etc. Juveniles are defined as those who haven’t reached adulthood; in other words a juvenile is anyone under the age. The number of children in especially difficult circumstances is estimated to have increased from 80 million to 150 million between 1992 and 2000 (Unicef, 2003). Alyssa Bustamante was 15 years old when she stabbed and strangled Elizabeth Olten. Elizabeth was walking home from Alyssa’s half-sister’s home when she was lured in the woods by Alyssa. According to her diaries, Alyssa enjoyed the act of hurting someone other than herself. Alyssa wanted attention and enjoyed expressing herself on Social Media. She would often post statements about hurting people and hurting herself. Alyssa is a product of the Foster care system. She was born by way of a teenage mother and no father who was able to care for her. We do not know what happened but by the time she reached the home of the guardians who cared...
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...Corrections Position Paper: Juveniles Tried as Adults by Michael Holland There are thousands of children who have been sentenced as adults and shipped off to adult prisons all across the United States. The juvenile justice focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment, as is the modern trend in corrections compared to the past. Although the focus is on rehabilitation and recidivism, until offenders are willing to accept the responsibilities and consequences for their own actions, change cannot occur. Each state’s statutes outline the guidelines that determine whether or not a juvenile offender should be tried as an adult. It would be foolish to ignore both security and safety issues that stem from youth now being incarcerated as adults. My belief is that a juvenile offender would have to meet a specific criterion to be tried as an adult based on age, priors, and type of offense. We have the ability to reach children at an impressionable time in their lives and show them there is an alternative to life behind walls because fifteen year olds do not belong in an adult prison. As with any topic of debate, there are two sides to the argument for juveniles being tried as adults. Those who support this notion argue valid points which shouldn’t be overlooked when dissecting this topic. First and foremost, the most important factor in my opinion and one that makes me question my position of stance; by trying a juvenile as an adult we are deterring and minimizing crimes...
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...Juvenile delinquency is a term given to juveniles who are under the age of 18 that have committed crimes from the petty crimes like vandalism, stealing to more sever crimes like murder. When people usually hear the word delinquent and juvenile together of course they immediately assume the individual must be a threat to society, but sometimes the child involved in criminal activity was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What some people don’t realize is there is a reason why a child would take part in criminal activity whether it is rebelling, peer pressure, etc. Juveniles are defined as those who haven’t reached adulthood; in other words a juvenile is anyone under the age. The number of children in especially difficult circumstances is estimated to have increased from 80 million to 150 million between 1992 and 2000 (Unicef, 2003). Alyssa Bustamante was 15 years old when she stabbed and strangled Elizabeth Olten. Elizabeth was walking home from Alyssa’s half-sister’s home when she was lured in the woods by Alyssa. According to her diaries, Alyssa enjoyed the act of hurting someone other than herself. Alyssa wanted attention and enjoyed expressing herself on Social Media. She would often post statements about hurting people and hurting herself. Alyssa is a product of the Foster care system. She was born by way of a teenage mother and no father who was able to care for her. We do not know what happened but by the time she reached the home of the guardians who cared...
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...and Diversion Paper The rise of Juvenile delinquency and juvenile related crimes have been a top topic in the U.S, leaving the question of why is it happening? What can be done to change such behavior? What can we do to help the children of today become better adults for tomorrow? All of these question have answers, answers in which you will discover within this paper. You will learn about the programs that Nevada offers for juvenile offenders as well as their parents. You will be introduced to two programs that help deter children from committing delinquent acts, the goals they set forth for future generation and the key participants in each program introduced to you. By the end of the paper, you will have a better understand on what can be done for juveniles in Nevada and how it is a beginning step to helping juveniles around the U.S. Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Diversion programs are an attempt to divert or change the course of a juvenile’s involvement in the justice system. It sole purpose is to help divert juveniles from entering the system, placing them outside of detention centers that could pose to be possibly more harm than good. Diversion programs also help the juvenile justice system by helping to ease the work load and help keep the population at juvenile detention center at a manageable limit. Since 2004, Wash County, Nevada Justice Services has teamed up with Annie E. Casey Foundation to replicate the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative....
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...Sociological Study of Family Structure and Juvenile Delinquency By Hillary R. Sheehan Advised by Professor Chris Bickel SocS 461, 462 Senior Project Social Science Department College of Liberal Arts CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY Winter, 2010 © 2010 Hillary Sheehan Delinquency 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Research Proposal…………………………………………………………………………3 Annotated Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...5 Outline……………………………………………………………………………………10 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..14 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………15 The “Broken Home”: Truth or Trend……………………………………………15 Statistics on Single-Parent Families and Juvenile Delinquency…………………21 Case Study……………………………………………………………………….23 Theories…………………………………………………………………………..27 Criticisms………………………………………………………………………...32 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….34 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..36 Delinquency 3 Research Proposal The goal of this research paper is to explore the topic of juvenile delinquency and to analyze the cause of such behavior. The topic of most interest is how the family structure plays a role in delinquent behavior and what can be said about the so called broken home. There is a lot of research in criminal justice that tries to explore the reasons behind people’s behavior and this paper is intending to address youth who have been involved in the system. By exploring this topic I hope to get a better understanding of juvenile delinquency facts and trends as well...
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...Juvenile Justice and Rehabilitation When discussing rehabilitation or punishment for juvenile delinquents, I believe there should be rehabilitation over punishment. Granted there are numerous cases that completely warrant punishment, but punishment isn’t always the answer. Adults are usually given second, third and fourth chances to change their lives. And sometimes rehabilitation isn’t involved. I believe since adolescents still have plenty of time to get counseling or learn about themselves and why they acted the way they did, there is always an opportunity for them to change. Adolescents don’t have the same thought process as adults. They tend to react emotionally, so if their emotions are flying high, adolescents aren’t always able to stop themselves from doing something foolish or harmful to others. This is also the point in their life when they are becoming curious about how their bodies are changing. Also add in drug or alcohol experimentation and that’s a recipe for trouble. There are numerous supporters for rehabilitation, just like there are individuals against it. As long as there is a juvenile justice system, there will always be a debate. One person that agrees with rehabilitation is Kurt Kumli, a supervising deputy district attorney for the Santa Clara County’s Juvenile Division in California. Mr. Kumli (2001) stated that there are different methods that work on different kids. But the one thing that is constant, is the need to get to the kids “sooner, than...
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