...Contact in Juvenile Justice System Statement of the Problem or Objective Youth of color have been overrepresented in the American juvenile justice system. Youth of color are more often arrested, court referred, placed in lock facilities, and transferred to adult criminal courts. Analysts attribute the unique age- and race-specific crime pattern to the confluence of broader structural changes including the deindustrialization of cities, the racial concentration of poverty and single-parent households, and the inner-city crack cocaine epidemic. In turn, media depictions of gang and gun violence by minorities—‘‘if it bleeds, it leads’’—fanned public fears and provided political impetus to ‘‘criminalize’’ more youths and punish them as criminals and to adopt more-punitive juvenile justice policies. Despite the lack of standardization in data collection and analysis, 32 of the state jurisdictions studied reported that race=ethnicity effects existed independent of criminal record offense involvement, whereas 12 states attributed DMC solely to legal factors. The proposed study contribute to our understanding of crime and policy response to crime. Youth of color make up 78% of those in the juvenile justice system. Literature Review & Theoretical Perspective Mallett and Stoddard Stated that African American youths are 6 times more likely than white youths to experience facility placement. Vazsonyi and Chen stated that even though there are a lower percentage of juvenile offenders...
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...Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders? Steven W. Eudy Columbia Southern University EH 1020: English Composition II Professor John Willey February 28, 2011 Abstract In America, it seems as though the crime rate grows on a daily basis. While the crime rate continues to grow so does the number of juvenile offenders that are involved in criminal activity. Since late 1980’s, the number of juvenile arrests, has risen steadily and has continued to rise every year since then. With juvenile offenders committing the same crimes as adult offenders, it seems as though the juveniles should be tried and punished to the same extinct as the adult offenders that commit the same crimes. Juvenile courts have been put into place to handle the trials of juveniles and are used for guidance rather than punishment. Juvenile courts were introduced as a method to keep juveniles out of the adult courts until the age of 18, which defines a juvenile as an adult. As the crime rate continues to grow and more juveniles continue to commit adult crimes or serious violent crimes, will the juvenile court system be adequate for juvenile trials and enacting punishment for crimes that are committed by juveniles? Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders? In law a juvenile is defined as a person who is not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states and on the federal level, this age is set at 18 years. For example...
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...THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM CHAPTER ONE Chapter Outline Origins of the Juvenile Justice System Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Defining Delinquency Defining a Juvenile Chapter Objectives After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. 2. Explain what is meant by delinquency. 3. Explain what is meant by status offenses. 4. Compare the ways in which the various states define a juvenile. 5. Identify and define the unique terms used in the juvenile justice system. 6. Outline the three major steps in the juvenile justice process. 7. Describe the five decision points in the juvenile justice process. The Language of Juvenile Justice Overview of the Juvenile Justice System Law Enforcement and Other Referral Sources Juvenile Court Disposition Comparison of Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems 8. Compare and contrast the juvenile and criminal justice systems. 3 4 PART ONE Juvenile Justice and Delinquency in the United States Origins of the Juvenile Justice System Before the establishment of the juvenile justice system, courts and judges treated juveniles as adults and, in many instances, juvenile offenders received the same punishment as adults. There was only one system of justice in the United States, and all offenders were processed through it without regard to age. Under common law doctrine, the legal system the American colonists brought from England, a juvenile age seven or older could receive the same...
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...Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults Hope Penson Effective Essay Writing/ Com 150 March 28, 2010 Instructor: Brandy W. Kreisler Should Juveniles be tried as Adults? The United States is the world leader in convicting children as adults. Unfortunately once a child is charged as an adult the likelihood of a fair trial is very small. Over the past 30 years there have been changes in many states laws which have led to a dramatic increase in the number of juveniles tried as adults and housed in adult jails and prisons. These get tough laws have made it easier for more and younger juvenile offenders to be prosecuted in criminal court. The purpose of juvenile court is to treat, not deter. Changing the social environment in which juveniles live is a more effective way to reduce juvenile violence than punishing the juvenile offenders in adult courts. The premise of the juvenile court is sound since children have not filly matured, they shouldn’t be held to the same standards of accountability as adults. In some states certain juvenile offenders are automatically tried as adults. Even though juveniles are committing serious crimes at an alarming rate they are not being reformed because juveniles being charged as adults do not comprehend the nature of their crimes. What is America to do? Is charging them as adults reforming them or contributing to the problem once they return to society. The Illinois Juvenile Court...
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...Running Head: Juvenile Justice Juvenile Justice Case Law Capella University PSF5372 - History of the Juvenile Justice System Introduction Approximately 12, 8-10 year old children commit suicide every year because they are victims of bullying, whereas 1.3 million children a year bully others. Recent incidents of school violence have brought bullying to the nation’s attention in a dramatic way. Research shows that approximately 30% of teens in the United States either bully, are targets of bullying, or both (National Youth, n.d.). Some bullies attack their targets physically, which can mean anything from shoving or tripping to punching or hitting, or even sexual assault. Others use psychological control or verbal insults to put themselves in charge (Hurst, 2005). Two of the main reasons people are bullied are because of appearance and social status. Bullies pick on the people they think don't fit in, maybe because of how they look, how they act (for example, kids who are shy and withdrawn), their race or religion, or because the bullies think their target may be gay or lesbian. One of the cases associated with bullying is that of Megan Taylor Meier (November 6, 1992 – October 17, 2006) an American teenager from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, who had committed suicide by hanging three weeks before her fourteenth birthday. Meier attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Dardenne Prairie, with a uniform and policy against makeup and jewelry that the Meier’s...
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...create federal crimes and unfair punishment, just like Britain did. The Eighth Amendment was created to prohibit the government from using torture and other cruel punishments like the British judges had previously done. The Eighth Amendment was introduced to the Constitution to protect American citizens from the harsh punishments Americans have faced in the past. Furthermore, the Eighth Amendment is still used in today's society. A controversial topic that had come up in a few cases was whether or not life in prison for juveniles without the option of parole would be an infraction of the Eighth Amendment. In the case Miller v. Alabama, the Court barred life without the possibility of parole for juveniles, because it would violate the Eighth Amendment, with the exception of the rarest of cases whose crimes reflected permanent incorrigibility ("Jones v. Mississippi"). The Court decided that it would violate the Eighth Amendment with the exception of rare cases with juvenile offenders, whose crimes were permanent. An example of this is the case Jones v. Mississippi, where a fifteen-year-old Brett Jones killed his grandfather. Jones was given life in prison without the option of parole. People were unsure if this was a violation of the Eighth Amendment, but in the end, it was decided it was one of those rare cases. The Eighth Amendment’s cruel and unusual provision has also been used to challenge prison conditions like exceedingly unhygienic cells, overcrowding, inadequate medical care...
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...burning of the American flag constitute as "symbolic speech” which is protected by the First Amendment? C.) The burning of the flag was found to be considered as free speech which is protected by the First Amendment. D.) The majority of the court believed Johnson’s acts to be a representation of symbolic speech. While many might be angered by the action, Johnson’s right of free speech cannot be taken away. F.) Writing for the dissent, Justice Stevens argued that the flag's unique status as a symbol of national unity outweighed "symbolic speech" concerns so the government could lawfully prohibit flag burning. Case 2: Escobedo vs. Illinois (1964) A.) Danny Escobedo was arrested without a warrant for the murder of his...
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...Justice Potter Stewart believed that the right to counsel should not arise until indictment, and that this result would cause problems for fair administration of criminal justice. Case 3: Kyllo vs US (2001) A.) A Department of the Interior agent was suspicious of Danny Kyllo for illicit drug activity. He then used thermal imaging on his house to detect hot spots commonly found in areas involved with the growing of marijuana. He found these hot spots in his house and was arrested by the government where they in fact found a marijuana operation. Danny argued that the technology used to scan his complex violated his Fourth Amendment rights as an unconstitutional search without a warrant. B.) Does the use of a thermal-imaging device to detect relative amounts of heat emanating from a private home constitute an unconstitutional search in violation of the...
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...students,teachers, and staff. Every since I have started working with the different SROs , I can truly say that the work really hard to make sure every duty is completed with proficiency. I observed how a lot of students looked up to Sheriff Murant as a mother. They never seem to feel afraid to come a talk to her about any problems that they encountered. Also, at Howard Middle School I observed how the students respected all rules that were given to them. I enjoyed working with the students and hearing their stories. A Student Resource Officer is a job I think I would master and become comfortable in. A Student Resource Officer (SRO) is a law enforcement officer who is assigned to a middle or high school. Their main goal is to prevent juvenile delinquency by having a positive relationship with the youth . SRO of Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office( OCSO) have a program that places law enforcement in schools. Their goal is to create a safe, secure, and functional learning environment for the students, teachers, and staff. This SRO program reflects community's desire to make sure that the school's are safe,secure, and functional. SROs are important resources to our schools , because they are trained to fulfill two important roles. First, the sheriff's main purpose is to “ keep the peace” in their schools so the teachers can teach the students. Secondly, SROs are role models for the students....
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...BABY AND THE BATHWATER: THE PERILS OF HOLDING JUVENILES IN CONTEMPT RICHARD SEITZ UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE SCHOOL OF LAW FALL 2008 You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. - Franklin P. Jones THE CASE OF A.S. In December of 2007, A.S., a 17 year old female, was subpoenaed to testify as a state’s witness in a case against a man accused of assaulting another woman. When she failed to respond to the subpoena and did not appear at trial[1], St. Mary’s Circuit Court Judge C. Clarke Raley issued an order for her arrest. She was picked up by patrol officers on New Year’s Eve, and appeared before a different judge, who subsequently released her on her own recognizance. On January 9, 2008, Judge Raley issued another order, this time finding her in direct criminal contempt for her previous failure to appear as a witness, and summarily sentenced her to 30 days in the St. Mary’s County Detention Facility, the county’s general population prison for adult criminal offenders. A.S. was jailed in the detention center among the adult population; public defenders appealed to the judge on her behalf, claiming that her imprisonment was in violation of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act[2]. Judge Raley was not compelled by the argument, stating that she A.S. “was not best served by guidance, treatment or rehabilitation [in a juvenile facility], but by a brief exposure to the St. Mary’s County Detention...
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...Should Juveniles be Charged and Sentenced (including the death penalty) as adults? This is a very serious issue to me because we are talking about children. I do not believe children should be charge with the death penalty; the reason for this is some children are influenced and coerced by adults. The child is scared because he or she has been threatened by an adult to commit a crime. Adults prey on children that are vulnerable for example, no father in the home, the lack of finances and attention by their parents so they seek other alternatives. The child gets involved with the wrong people who make the child feel wanted and supplies them financially, and that’s when trouble begins. The child is intrigued by the offers and some go willingly due to their circumstances they experience at home. Juveniles should not be charged and sentenced (including the death penalty) as adults....
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...The Use of the Death Penalty A Paper Presented by the National Policy Committee to The American Society of Criminology National Policy Committee James Austin, Chair Kitty Calavita Roland Chilton Jeffrey Fagan Calvin C. Johnson Delores Jones-Brown Mark Moore Ira Schwartz Linda Teplin Franklin Zimring November 2001 The findings and opinions contained herein are those of the National Policy Committee and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the American Society of Criminology. Ronald Weitzer, Professor of Sociology, Dana Coleman, Research Assistant, and Sarah Benatar, Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute on Crime, Justice, and Corrections at George Washington University provided substantial assistance in the preparation of this document. Introduction Capital punishment is among the most hotly debated issues in American politics. Passions run high for both those who want the death penalty abolished and those who seek to preserve or expand its use. What follows is a summary of key issues in the death penalty debate, research findings on the application of capital punishment, and a discussion of policy considerations. The American Society of Criminology (ASC) is greatly concerned with the death penalty and its application in the United States. This year, ASC President Ronald Huff and the ASC Executive Board authorized the ASC’s National Policy Committee (NPC) to develop a policy paper that would focus on...
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...offense against humanity and the greater good of the world in general. In Florida alone in the past years has seen thousands of people working in Florida tomato fields against their will. Additionally, in South Haven, Michigan State, companies such as Adkin Blue Ribbon Packing Company have children as young as five years old working in their blueberry fields (Patel, Hill, Eslocker, & Ross, 2009). Chemicals and pesticides used in these fields are toxic to the workers causing serious respiratory and carcinogenic diseases. Unfortunately, most of these cases go unreported. However, over the years after outcries by human activists and other human rights organizations who are against this kind of labor force, law enforcement officials have worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to free thousands of ‘slaves’ and prosecute those involved in this outrageous crime against humanity. Some of those who found themselves in these unkind working conditions had come seeking better lives for themselves and their families while others were ‘sold’ into slavery. Ironically, most Americans know and ponder over child labor as a problem everywhere else except in America, and shamelessly I fall into that category. How much of a problem is sex trafficking in Charlotte, North Carolina and does this surprise you? Have you seen evidence of this issue or heard about it? Explain the story of Janet; why did she and so many other women end up on these farms...
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...Sociological Study of Family Structure and Juvenile Delinquency By Hillary R. Sheehan Advised by Professor Chris Bickel SocS 461, 462 Senior Project Social Science Department College of Liberal Arts CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY Winter, 2010 © 2010 Hillary Sheehan Delinquency 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Research Proposal…………………………………………………………………………3 Annotated Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...5 Outline……………………………………………………………………………………10 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..14 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………15 The “Broken Home”: Truth or Trend……………………………………………15 Statistics on Single-Parent Families and Juvenile Delinquency…………………21 Case Study……………………………………………………………………….23 Theories…………………………………………………………………………..27 Criticisms………………………………………………………………………...32 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….34 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..36 Delinquency 3 Research Proposal The goal of this research paper is to explore the topic of juvenile delinquency and to analyze the cause of such behavior. The topic of most interest is how the family structure plays a role in delinquent behavior and what can be said about the so called broken home. There is a lot of research in criminal justice that tries to explore the reasons behind people’s behavior and this paper is intending to address youth who have been involved in the system. By exploring this topic I hope to get a better understanding of juvenile delinquency facts and trends as well...
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...Ethical Dilemma Paper Ulises N. Sosa Professor: Jack Shippee Ethics in Criminal Justice University of Phoenix South Carolina police officer fired after classroom confrontation with students. Officer Ben Fields from the Richard county sheriff's department lost his job after he was witness throwing a student across the room during an altercation. The officer was called to the classroom after an unruly student had refused several times to stop using her phone and to leave the classroom. Officer Fields is seen struggling and consequently tossing a student off her chair by what it appears to be excessive force. The student repeatedly refused to stop using her cellphone. The student the strikes the officer several times on the neck are when the officer attempts to remove her from the classroom using physical force. This is when the officer is seen dragging her and tossing her across the room, and finally subduing the student by placing her on mechanical wrist restraints. The ethical dilemma here is the actions taken by the school resource officer Deputy Fields. He repeatedly directed the student to surrender the cell phone device and then to leave the room. He then used means of physical force and physically handle a student resulting on the tossing around of the same. Is believe that the officer was justified during the entire process up to the point when he is seen throwing the student across the room in what it appears an unorthodox method. The question that emerge after...
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