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Juvenile Justice System Essay

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Since the inception of the juvenile court in 1899, the transfer of an adolescent offender to the adult court was guided by statues throughout the nation that “emphasized reformation in place of retribution” (Schmalleger, 2015, p.547). It was not until the 1990s that the public’s trust in the ability of the juvenile system decreased and it began to demand change to the juvenile justice system due to the concerns about the increase in juvenile crime and the perception that juveniles were becoming more violent, thus leading to the “adultification” of the juvenile criminal justice system. In the 1990s, society’s attitude toward juvenile delinquents became more intolerant developing into this preconceived idea that if a minor can commit serious …show more content…

The bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will depart from it” and “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4, ESV). In most cases it is the parent failing the child and society. The real debate would be when does adulthood began? When is a parent no longer responsible for his or her child’s choices? Merlo and Benekos (2003) explains, “Rational choice ideology and punitive politics generated legislation in several states that lowered the age that juveniles were presumptively treated as adults and prosecuted in criminal court” (p.278). Children between the ages of 11 to 14 were generally thought to be incapable of committing a criminal act, however this belief can be disproved by showing the cognitive development is fully developed at approximately the age of 14, then demonstrating that and adolescent can decipher what is right from wrong. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, a child over the age of 14 should be charged with a crime and handled in the same manner as an adult. Today, all states set age limits that determine whether a person accused of a crime is treated as an adult or as a

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