Essay on Juvenile Offenders

The data for this project was collected by administering an anonymous survey to incarcerated juveniles at (name of facility), the (name) receiving center and at the NAACP office in Sacramento, California. The survey asked for gender and parental status (incarcerated versus not incarcerated). Participants were given a paper survey and a pencil to complete the survey. See Appendix for a copy of the survey.

In today's society juveniles are being tried in adult courts, given the death penalty, and sent to prison. Should fourteen-year olds accused of murder or rape automatically be tried as adults? Should six-teen year olds and seven-teen year olds tried in adult courts be forced to serve time in adult prisons, where they are more likely to be sexually assaulted and to become repeat offenders. How much discretion should a judge have in deciding the fate of a juvenile accused of a crime - serious, violent, or otherwise? The juvenile crime rate that was so alarming a few years ago has begun to fall - juvenile felony arrest rates in California have declined by more than forty percent in the last twenty years. While

There are times juveniles should not be convicted as adults because sometimes the “crimes” may not harsh enough to be charged as an adult. For example, if a 8 year old saw a gun in their mother's purse and thought it was a toy and grabbed it and began to shoot who would be at fault ? Plus children in adult prisons are 10 times more likely to be taken advantage of in their time. Research shows that children prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system are more likely to reoffend than those held in the juvenile justice

With the escalation of murders and rapes committed by minors as seen in recent years the people are looking for the right answer. Public concern over the effectiveness of the juvenile courts when dealing with these offenders has brought about change in the justice system. (Stolba, 2001). The courts now, are quicker to transfer a juveniles’ case to adult court than when the juvenile system was first formed. There stands a conflict of interests within the two court systems. Juvenile courts are to protect the rights of youths determined incapable of adult decisions. The primary concern is that the youth be rehabilitated and not become a repeat offender. Thus, protecting the child from incarceration with adult criminals and any possible future victims. The concerns of the adult court is to make sure the convicted offender pays for their crime and that the victim gets justice. Rehabilitation is not a primary concer of the adult justice system.

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

Originally thinking that juvenile courts were exactly the same as an adult court, only with a different title. It wasn't until going through the Juvenile Justice unit, in the street law textbook, that I realized my thoughts were completely false, for the most part. I learned that the justice system I thought to be true, was at one point true. Children were given the exact treatment as adults, until 1899. The first juvenile court was established as a response to reformers arguing that the cause of delinquent behavior was the fault of parents failing to teach their children proper morals and respect. I had no idea the reason for juvenile courts was because of upset people wanting a solution. It was also a surprise to me that youths can be given just as harsh punishments as adults are given, in the form of of juvenile waivers, statutory exclusion, and a direct file. Getting trialed in an adult court as a youth is reserved for those who are particularly violent in their crimes, and behavior. I learned there was much thought put into giving troubled youths the fairest legal support and trials, with the implication of the Gault Decision in 1966 giving juveniles the same rights as adults, and In Re Winship, meaning juveniles must be found delinquent beyond a reasonable doubt, the same as an adult. I agree with charging youths as adults, in some instances, for the safety of the public and themselves.

Introduction: Recidivism or, habitual relapses into crime, has time and time again proven to be an issue among delinquents, which thereby increases the overall juvenile prison population. This issue has become more prevalent than what we realize. Unless a unit for measuring a juvenile’s risk of recidivism is enacted and used to determine a system to promote effective prevention, than the juvenile prison population will continue to increase. Our court system should not only focus on punishing the said juvenile but also enforce a program or policy that will allow for prevention of recidivism. So the question remains, how can recidivism in the juvenile prison population be prevented so that it is no longer the central cause for increased

According to Caldwell (1961) the juvenile justice system is based on the principle that youth are developmentally and fundamentally different from adults. According to Mack (1909) the focus of the juvenile justice system has shifted from “was the crime committed” to “why did the child commit the crime”, “how can we help the child”. When performing as it is designed and up to the initial intentions, the juvenile court balances rehabilitation (treatment) of the offender with suitable sanctions when necessary such as incarceration. According to Griffin (2008) in some cases juveniles may be required to be “transferred” to adult court. In this paper I am going to discuss the three primary mechanisms of waiver to adult court: judicial waiver

Today’s court system comes with many crucial outcomes. The most questionable outcome is whether teens should be tried as adults. Many people are against the idea of teens being tried as adults in courts and argue that they are immature but, most teens had the mental capacity as an adult to plan a murder. Crimes that teens have committed have been in the felony level which is the type of crimes adults have made. Juvenile delinquents should be treated as adults in courts because they have committed unforgivable felonies; therefore, they should not have any leniency while in court because of their age.

In the 1800’s, children were considered property of their parents. If a juvenile committed a crime, the parents would shell out the punishment, and the court system was not involved at all. Parents believed that youth were vulnerable, fragile, innocent and in need of protection and understanding. The Juvenile Justice system was developed with this same concept in mind. If we already acknowledged that children should not be able to be tried as adults and we created a juvenile system to correct this, why would anyone want to try juveniles as adults? The answer is simple; we shouldn’t. What we need to do is improve our juvenile system. There are people who believe that juveniles should be tried as adults for any crimes that they commit and should not be treated any differently. This paper will explore the arguments for and against trying juveniles as adults.

A deep look into juveniles in adult prisons. Touch bases on several smaller issues that contribute to juveniles being in and effects of adult prisons. The United States Bureau of Prisons handles two hundred and thirty-nine juveniles and their average age is seventeen. Execution of juveniles, The United States is one of only six countries to execute juveniles. There are sixty-eight juveniles sitting on death row for crimes committed as juveniles. Forty-three of those inmates are minorities. People, who are too young to vote, drink alcohol, or drive are held to the same standard of responsibility as adults. In prisons, they argue that the juveniles become targets of older, more hardened criminals. Brian

Prior to 1899, in the United States, child offenders over the age of seven were imprisoned in the same facilities as adult offenders. As a result of political and social reformers, society’s views on juvenile justice began to shift to a more sympathetic view. Beginning in 1899, individual states began to address the youth incarceration problem by establishing youth reform homes, the predecessor to juvenile dentition centers. The objective of these homes was the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders for their re-entry into society and for the greater good. However, in recent years, many have argued that juveniles charged with violent felonies ought to be treated as adults; while others argue its antithesis. In 2005, Kirk Gunderson (17)

Today it is the Juvenile Court Act of 1953 what governs criminal proceedings against a person under the age of 21; however, it doesn’t apply to those under the age of 14, when the crime was committed. The 1990s, although positive for the juvenile court, only saw a few positives changes such as the end of vague sentences for youth imprisonment, new diversion programs, and victim-offender programs were created, and procedural safeguards were

grew by 86% from 1988 to 1992, which was more then any other type of juvenile

Adolescence is always a critical moment in the development of every individual. The desire to prove their independence and adulthood, juvenile maximalist provokes a teenager into committing deviant acts, including crimes. The problem with juvenile delinquency is one of the most urgent in modern society since it reaches alarming proportions.  Particularly, crimes committed by adolescents with mental diseases occupy a special place among juvenile delinquency. A mental disorder can be a complementary provoking factor leading to juvenile delinquency, which has to be taken into consideration while choosing the appropriate punitive approach.