Fatimah Innab

Juvenile Process and Corrections

JUS 374 Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes

Debra Nadeau

May 7, 2012

Justice has always been the goal of our court system, but it is not always assisted, especially in cases involving juveniles. The judiciary process has progressed from a system that did not originally consider juveniles, to one where juveniles have their own court proceedings, facilities, and even laws. The juvenile justice system has come a long way, and individuals have worked very hard in its creation. A juvenile is considered to be an individual, under the age of 18, approaching an adult. However, approaching an adult does not always mean that juveniles will have an adult mindset. Therefore, juveniles may need extra attention to help get their lives on track. This paper will examine the process and corrections of delinquent juveniles.

The police and other law enforcement agencies usually have first contact with juvenile offenders. Juveniles can come into contact with law enforcement in three ways. First, law enforcement officers may see a law violation and respond. Second, officers may receive a report of delinquency and investigate it. Third, juvenile offenders might turn themselves in, accepting responsibility for a delinquent behavior. Officers have a variation of options to control juveniles when they come into contact with them. These options can be grouped into informal and formal options.

The more serious the delinquent behavior, the less discretion that officers have to informally resolve the matter, basically not arrest the youth. Officers have four informal options when dealing with juvenile offenders. First, ignore the behavior, second, give the juvenile a warning and call his or her parents, three, make a referral to a social service agency, and finally, take the youth to the police