The Juvenile Justice System

Placing a juvenile in a detention center early in the court process increases the risk that youths will be found to be delinquent and damage their prospects for future success. A majority of the youths that are placed in these facilities pose little or no threat to the public and essentially do not need to be there. This portion of the juvenile court process is detrimental to the future and mental aspects of a youth’s life. We desperately need to change the way that we handle the juvenile court system because we are only reinforcing the delinquent behavior that these youths have been exposed to. We need to focus on the rehabilitation and prevention efforts for these youths not the punishment aspect and until then (insert a better ending).

The Juvenile Drug Court Program is one of the most accelerated outpatient option available to youth who are arrested and have been determined to have substance abuse issues. The parent/guardian and the youth have the option of consulting with the Public Defender’s assigned attorney to explore other legal options before accepting Juvenile Drug Court as part of their verdict. The Juvenile Drug Court provides services to juveniles who are thirteen to eighteen year of age and

In America on any give day, approximately ten thousand juveniles are housed in adult prisons and jails. Approximately two hundred thousand juveniles enter the adult criminal justice system each year and most have non-violent crimes. Juveniles in the adult jails lose out on the educational and psychological benefits offered by juvenile detention facilities and

Approximately two million adolescents a year are arrested and out of that two million, 60,000 of them are incarcerated according to the American Journal of Public Health. The 60,000 incarcerated adolescents each year are being tried as adults in court because of the serious crimes they have committed. The crimes they have committed are anything from armed robbery to murder. Some juveniles might be first time offenders and others might be repeat offenders. Crimes have always been a major issue in the United States and can cause controversy in the criminal justice system. Charging a minor as an adult in criminal court varies from state to state based on each state’s jurisdiction. Some states consider anyone up to the age of 18 still a juvenile and would not be charged as an adult in criminal court, but other states may charge a juvenile as an adult at the age of 16 or 17. Jordan (2014) states, “Although states already had methods for transferring youth to the adult system, as a result of the growing fear of juvenile violence, most states implemented new laws to increase the number of youth entering the adult criminal system’ (Bernard & Kurlychek, 2010; Torbet et al., 1996)” (p. 315). While it sounds beneficial to incarcerate more adolescents in the adult criminal justice system to avoid juveniles from committing crimes in the future, that is not always the case. Incarcerating these juveniles can be life changing in a negative

Juvenile correctional systems have many different components and some are likely to be affected with a primary focus on rehabilitation. Today the United States falls short of providing adequate public juvenile facilities. With a focus on punishment, the need for new facilities will continue to rise. Switching the primary focus to

The juvenile justice system main focus is rehabilitation than adult justice system. The juvenile court judges look for the best option that will protect the community and treatment that youth needs. The juvenile court hearings are

Another type of waiver that can take place is a waiver into teen court. 300 different jurisdictions are experimenting with this idea. Teen court is a helpful alternative to juvenile court. This court also helps keeps the labeling stigma of convict off of a juvenile offender. These courts typically handle juvenile offenders between the ages of ten and fifteen who are being charges with minor violations such as disorderly conduct, shoplifting, and other types of criminal mischief. Most of these juvenile offenders have no prior arrest record and have never done anything wrong before in their lives. These juveniles

Juveniles committing crimes is not a new issued being introduced to society; actually, it has been an issue for centuries. However, the big question is, should juveniles be tried in adult courts? Before answering, take into consideration every possible scenario that could have led them to commit the crime. For instance, were they the leader in the act? Did they participate in the crime? Was the juvenile even aware of what was taking place? Were they peer pressured? Did they have any other choice at the time? There are so many other questions we could consider when making a decision here.

“It helped me realize I was not around the right crowd and got me on the right path for my future,” states Emmalyne Sheridan, a current WVU freshman and experiencer of the teen court process. Teen courts are legally binding, sentence based courts for first time low-level juvenile offenders that aim to build character instead of issuing punishments. These courts consist of juveniles holding positions such as clerk, prosecuting and defence attorneys, bailiff, and the jury. The entire process is completed with little adult involvement resulting in an almost completely teen run system. Some may argue that these programs are useless and just delay the process of actual teen reformation, but this is not the case. Teen court programs should be established and utilized in all jurisdictions because of their use of reform over punishment, influence, and establishment of a future pathway.

“The juvenile justice system was first created in the late 1800s to reform United States policies on how to handle youth offenders. Since that time, a number of reforms - aimed at both protecting the "due process of law" rights of youth, and creating an aversion toward jail among the young - have made the juvenile justice system more comparable to the adult system, which is a shift from the United States’ original intent (2008,Lawyer Shop.com).” The

Juvenile rehabilitation is a process that attempts to restore a troubled minor to one who can grow up to be an asset to society. With this process we can guide these troubled teens and shape them into successful adults without ruining their lives forever like prison would. Juveniles are still developing mentally, physically, and emotionally, and creating their identities. Therefore, juveniles who break the law need to be treated differently than the adults that do. They need to get help, not be thrown into a prison cell for the rest of their lives.

As I mentioned in my reflection last week, I attended a Juvenile Court Diversion meeting on Thursday. Four trained volunteers from the Dover community make up the “Diversion Committee”. The committee members meet with first-time offenders of non-violent crimes who under the age of 18 who live in Dover. After asking the offender to describe what they did and to take responsibility for their actions, the committee talks privately about how to best hold this individual accountable. After coming to an agreement, the offender and the committee members form a contract that outlines tasks and/or expectations for the offender to meet. The creator of this program and director for the Dover Teen Center, Steve, also attends.

In other cases juveniles can end up in the court by way of truancy or for violating curfew laws or running away. A youth may also be referred to the juvenile court system by school officials or a parent. The juvenile justice process involves several different steps all leading toward justice and the rehabilitation of the juvenile. Once a youth has been introduced to the justice system they are on the path to become labeled as a juvenile delinquent.

The juvenile justice system in my point of view was mainly design to structure the youth. It is as almost a form of rehabilitation for the teens committing crimes and breaking the law. These delinquents are more often following their surroundings and more likely have no one to look after them. The court system for a juvenile justice is set up to help and benefit them for their own good. Based on the crime they have committed they can try to change them from thinking or acting certain ways. Showing them the proper "life" I should say. Basically have them going to school and become someone who benefit the society. Unlike the regular adult court system where it design mostly for punishment. An adult jail would be a lot harder on a juvenile.

It is a common believe that adolescents require a special system thru which be processed because they are “youth who are in a transitional stage of development…young offenders that are neither innocent children nor mature adults…” (Nelson, 2012). Because juveniles are in a process of constant development sociologically, psychologically and physiologically, the juvenile court system focuses on alternative sentences and the creation of programs that will offer them rehabilitation instead of incarceration. However, in cases of extraordinary circumstances, the juvenile system shifts from looking at rehabilitation as a first choice to accountability and punishment (Read, n.d). All levels of society are collectively involved in delinquency