Juvenile crime is one of the nation 's most serious problems. Concerns about it are generally broadcasted by federal, state, and local government officials and by the public. In years prior, the burden developed beginning with the dramatic rise in juvenile violence in the eighties reaching an all-time peak in the first part of the nineties. Even though juvenile crime rates seem to have lowered since the mid-nineties, the reduction has not eased the concern. Many states began taking strict statutory stances toward juveniles in the late seventies and early eighties. This was an era in which juvenile crime rates were steady or dropping slightly, while federal reformers were commending prevention and less disciplinary actions. Some of the conflict between the federal program and what was happening in the states at that time may have been initiated by substantial changes in legal measures that made juvenile court procedures more similar, however not equal to those in adult (criminal) court. The reaction to the most recent spike in vicious juvenile crime has been a portrayal of laws that uphold blurred differences between juvenile courts and adult courts. Some states continued to strengthen their juvenile crime laws over the years first by making sentencing more severe, two by increasing allowable transfers to criminal court, or doing away with some of the discretion protections of juvenile court. Many such changes were enacted after the juvenile violent crime rate had already
In the 1990s, violent juvenile crime rates had reached record high levels throughout the United States. During these years, many Americans considered the criminal justice system too easy on violent juvenile offenders and demanded reform. Many states, including Florida began to focus efforts on juvenile crime. “Florida’s criminal sentencing laws and punishment policies from 1980 to 2000 reflected an ongoing, focused effort to deter serious crimes” (Taylor). Crimes were given stricter sentencing guidelines. Serious offenses carried mandatory minimum sentences. “When it comes to kids and crime, Florida is known and the toughest state in the nation” (Clary). More juveniles are prosecuted as adults than in all other states combined. Juveniles were at the hands of these harsher adult sentences.
communities. These programs proving job opportunities kept me out of trouble growing up in the streets of Chicago, and mentors from these after school matter program saved my life on numerous occasion. These youth programs give children a sense of hope by showing them that there are people who care about them, but most youth in these communities are typically in unstable homes. The number of school days in a year is essentially equal to the number of non-school days in a year. “Despite this split, most (63%) violent crimes committed by juveniles occur on school days. Nearly one-fifth (19%) of juvenile violent crimes occur in the 4 hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days. A smaller proportion of juvenile violent crime (15%) occurs during
The act’s framers were concerned with the framework of the juvenile justice system. Believing that they could restrain juvenile delinquency through prevention rather than punishment, they increased the quality of the juvenile justice system. Policy specified that, “kids should be treated as kids” (Ravenell, 2002). However, rising crime rates throughout the late 1970s and 1980s lead to disillusionment with the system. The public became concerned that juvenile justice policy was too lenient. Practitioners scrambled to enact harsher penalties in an effort to slow the rising juvenile crime rates. The new policies restricted lenient punishment such as probation and lead to an increase in incarceration rates (Meade & Steiner, 2010).
There are many similarities and differences between the adult and juvenile justice systems. Although juvenile crimes have increased in violence and intensity in the last decade, there is still enough difference between the two legal proceedings, and the behaviors themselves, to keep the systems separated. There is room for changes in each structure. However, we cannot treat/punish juvenile offenders the way we do adult offenders, and vice versa. This much we know. So we have to find a way to merge between the two. And, let’s face it; our juveniles are more important to us in the justice system. They are the group at they
In today’s criminal justice system in the United States, there is a lot of dispute between what the qualifications are for juvenile and adult crimes. Some believe that the only difference is age. Others say it is the severity of the crime. It’s obvious that when adults commit crimes, whether they are a misdemeanor offense or a felony, they pay for it. The confliction comes when a juvenile commits a crime. What exactly determines if they are tried as an adult or a juvenile? Does it vary by state-to-state? Are there federal laws that govern that debate? There have been cases where children have been tried in a court of law as an adult. So what exactly is the clear cut reason why juveniles are tired sometimes as adults, and other times as juveniles?
This paper takes a brief look at the history and evolution of the juvenile justice system in the United States. In recent years there has been an increase of juvenile cases being transferred into the adult court system. This paper will also look at that process and the consequences of that trend.
Between 1960s and the 1980s, attention and speculation began to rise about the concern of the juvenile delinquency and court system. During this time, this era was characterized by distinctly harsh punishments for youths. They were also wanting to focus on providing minors with due process and legal counsel in court. Even though they were trying to provide help to youth offenders, criticism during this time, focused on racial discrimination, gender disparities and discrimination towards children with mental health problems or learning disabilities. Through out the years, crime rates rose and the misrepresentation from the media began around the 1960s and went through the 1980s. Today in America, no population poses a larger threat to public safety than juvenile offenders.
Write a 700 to 1,050 word paper summarizing the key points of the “Juvenile Arrests 2008” article. Address the following;
Juvenile crime has skyrocketed to an all-time high, mainly in the biggest cities. Today’s generation knows how to beat the system because of the sentencing guidelines. Most of the kids in Florida knows that a simple misdemeanor charge they could be release the next day. During the years from 1997-2013 the amount of kids committed to juvenile facilities has drop from 75,000 to 35,000(Nicole D Porter) according to The Sentencing Project. The judges have their hands tied because of obsolete laws. Over 30 states are reforming the guidelines to lower the time a juvenile serves for crimes they have committed according to a report done in 2015 by The Sentencing Project. Some of them are pushing for probation instead of being
Prior to 1899 when the first juvenile court was stablished children over the age of seven who committed an offense where regarded as adult and if convicted sentenced to adult prisons. The courts contended that juveniles where not mature enough to assume responsibility for their actions and due to their undeveloped personalities, their chances of rehabilitations where higher than that of an adult offender. In the early to mid 1990's juvenile violent crime cases were on the rise. According to the National Crime Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), "About 1 in every 220 persons ages 10 through 17 in the United States was arrested for a Violent Crime Index Offense in 1996" (Snyder, 1996). Consequently, a multitude of states began to implement legislations
When it comes to the history and evolution of the juvenile system some it history may tend to be ineffective and very outdated. The Juvenile Justice System was created to reform U.S. policies regarding youth offenders. Since then a number of reforms were action toward protecting the “due process law” rights of youth, and it cause an aversion toward having a jail among the young, which made the Juvenile Justice System more similar to the adult system. In this essay you’ll find out at least three milestones in the Justice System, three examples of the historical evolution of the Juvenile System, and my opinion regarding the effectiveness of the current justice system. Progressive Era
This paper will discuss the history of the juvenile justice system and how it has come to be what it is today. When a juvenile offender commits a crime and is sentenced to jail or reform school, the offender goes to a separate jail or reforming place than an adult. It hasn’t always been this way. Until the early 1800’s juveniles were tried just like everyone else. Today, that is not the case. This paper will explain the reforms that have taken place within the criminal justice system that developed the juvenile justice system.
The paper will focus and highlight some details of the statistics of juvenile crime statistics and juvenile crime itself. Is an aim to evaluate the reduction in national juvenile arrest, narcotics offenses, minor assaults, and the allegations regarding minor females, with the incousion of ethnic and racial classes. Additionally, data will be shown on the increase in arrest for minor females, the contrast in decrease for their male delinquent counterparts and voilent crimes and lastly, the method of gathering trends for arresting data of juveniles. According to the (Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 2000). Determining juvenile crime statistics the arrest data report the amount of arrest made by law enforcement in a precise year - nor the amount of individual arrested nor the amount of crimes committed. Data about juvenile crime, in particular violent crime, and statistics about the size and characteristics of the juvenile population have played an important part in the policy debates (Zimring, 1998).
From 1990 to to the present there has been a sharp increase in juvenile crime across the United States. From 1996 to the present there has been a slight decline from the statistics in 1995(OJJDP). What was the cause for this uprise in juvenile delinquincy? I will discuss 2 different theories to why there was such an increase in juvenile crime rates. I will analyze the rise of the "Gangsta-Rap" culture in the early 1990's and how it may have affected teenagers that are in lower-income families. Many people believe that the increase in real life violence on television is a cause for violence in juveniles. I will discuss the evidence for this theory. It seems to me that the best theory to explain the rise in juvenile crime is the
Clearwater police say that crime rates vary year to year and location to location. Throughout the past years crime rates have increased and decreased depending on the area we live in. This includes misdemeanor crimes such as small school fights or vandalizing textbooks. Lots of countries decide to deal with this issue with death penalties instead of doing something less drastic. I do not agree with such drastic measures, though. In order to lower crime rates, juvenile delinquents should be charged as adults when committing a crime unless the crime is a misdemeanor crime.