...Introduction The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is the principal federal program through which the federal government sets standards for juvenile justice systems at the state and local levels. It provides direct funding for states, research, training, and technical assistance, and evaluation. The JJDPA was originally enacted in 1974 and even though the JJDPA has been revised several times over the past 30 years, its basic composition has remained the same. Since the act was passed in 1974, the JJDPA focused solitary on preventing juvenile delinquency and on rehabilitating juvenile offenders. Since the original enactment of the JJDPA in 1974, the periodic reauthorizations have been controversial, as the Act's opponents have sought to weaken its protections for youth, reduce prevention resources, and encourage the transfer of youth to the adult criminal justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act follow a series of federal protections, known as the "core protections," on the care and treatment of youth in the justice system. The four "core protections" of the act are, the Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO), Sight and Sound separation, Jail Removal, and Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC). The "DSO" and "Sight and Sound" protections were part of the original law in 1974. The "Jail Removal" provision was added in 1980 in response to finding youth incarcerated in adult facilities resulted in "a high suicide...
Words: 6750 - Pages: 27
...Running head: CHILD MALTREATMENT & JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 1 The Correlation Between Child Maltreatment & Juvenile Delinquency April 6, 2014 CHILD MALTREATMENT & JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 2 Abstract Research suggests that there is a correlation between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency. The findings indicate that children, who have experienced abuse or neglect during childhood, are at increased risk of committing crimes in adolescence. A substantial number of children enter the juvenile justice system with a history of abuse, with approximately one third of these adolescence are actively associated with a child welfare agency at the time of their initial arrest. This paper attempts to establish a clear definition of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as, neglect, while also reviewing a pattern of subsequent delinquency. The effects of racial, ethnic and gender differences in criminal behavior will be explored. A collaborated effort among youth serving agencies is discussed as a method of prevention of child maltreatment and future delinquency. CHILD MALTREATMENT & JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 3 Juvenile delinquency is a serious public health concern. Throughout literature, child and adolescent maltreatment are consistently identified as powerful predictors of juvenile and adult crime. In 2009, law enforcement agencies arrested approximately 1.9 million persons under the age of 18 “ (Ryan, Williams, & Courtney, 2013, p.454)...
Words: 3599 - Pages: 15
...Minors and Violent Crimes ENG 215 August 27, 2014 Minors and Violent Crimes Juvenile crime has been a national crisis for quite some time. Research from 2010 showed that there were approximately 225 arrests for violent crime offences for every 100,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 17. The violent crimes committed by juveniles has been reported to be at its highest during the after school hours. Research has also shown that approximately 8% of all homicides in the U.S. were committed by juvenile offenders (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention). These alarming statistics prove that minors should be held accountable and be tried as adults in the judicial system. Some may argue that minors have a better chance of being rehabilitated but at the same time minors could become “career criminals”. Steinberg (2001) remarks with the following: Variability among individuals older than 12, but younger than 16, requires that some sort of individualized assessment of an offender's competence to stand trial, blameworthiness, and likely amenability to treatment be made before reaching a transfer decision. The U.S. judicial system should treat minors who commit violent crimes as adults to enforce accountability, to prevent repeat offenders, and to deter others. Factoring Accountability Holding teens accountable for the violent crimes they commit by punishing them as an adult is a social complexity but it is incumbent. Some may view a minor being tried...
Words: 2190 - Pages: 9
...Annotated Bibliography: What the Literature Says About Juvenile Sex Offenders The following articles, factsheets, and studies have been compiled to assist attorneys and individuals working on behalf of youth charged with sexual offending. The information contained in these resources aim to help others realize the fundamental differences between adult sex offenders and juvenile sex offenders, which include positive responses of juveniles to treatment, low recidivism rates of juveniles and negative impact of registries on youth development. It is our hope that this information will be used to improve legal outcomes for juvenile sex offenders, and uphold the purpose of the juvenile justice system as a rehabilitative, not punitive, system. PUBLICATIONS BY TOPIC Recidivism Rates/Amenability to Treatment Judith V. Becker, What We Know About the Characteristics and Treatment of Adolescents Who have Committed Sexual Offenses, 3 CHILD MALTREATMENT 317, (1998). The author states that comprehensive data does not exist to support the notion that if adolescents commit one sexual offense, they will go on to develop a pattern of sexual-offending behaviors or develop a psychosocial disorder. Michael F. Caldwell et al., An Examination of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act as Applied to Juveniles: Evaluating the Ability to Predict Sexual Recidivism, 14 PSYCHOLOGY, PUBLIC POLICY AND LAW 89, (2008). This study compared 91 juvenile males who had been treated in a secure correctional...
Words: 4199 - Pages: 17
...Castro Maldonado CJA/374 Juvenile System and Process July 29, 2014 Prof. Victor Candelario- Vega Crime Causation and Diversion Paper As a prerequisite for the course, we were to analyze two different programs for juvenile offenders, this could be to prevent, to intervene or divert juveniles into committing any crime. On this paper, you will find two-intervention programs practiced in Puerto Rico, in a wish are focused to a certain type of crime or accountability. Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws. The program EUDL is focused on the prohibition of selling alcoholic beverages to minors, and it also focuses on the purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors. OJJDP's EUDL program supports and enhances efforts by States and local jurisdictions to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. The program encourages close partnerships between law enforcement agencies and community groups involved in preventing and intervening in underage drinking. OJJDP also offers comprehensive training and technical assistance to guide States and communities in their efforts. Underage drinking contributes to youth violence, traffic injuries and fatalities, crime, suicide, high-risk sex, and a host of other problems. In 2005, underage drinkers (defined as individuals younger than21 years old) consumed 15 percent of all alcohol sold in the United States (Miller, 2006). To address this serious problem, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) Enforcing...
Words: 1524 - Pages: 7
...Running head: Juvenile Reentry Juvenile Reentry Making an Effective Transition Jodi Calvert Capella University PSF 5372 – History of the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Abstract This paper explores the transformation of the Juvenile Justice System over the past century and how it impacts today’s youth. Juvenile delinquency has become a well-known phenomenon as youth have taken experimentation and violence to a new level. More adolescents are being diagnosed with medical disorders while many find themselves not having the means to access the proper treatment. Family and moral standards are not as they were a century ago and the economic strain of today can make it difficult for children to develop the necessary skills to transition through their developmental stages. Chaos, confusion and loss of identity play a significant role in many of the adolescents that find themselves in contact with the Juvenile Justice System. New interventions for these adolescents are greatly needed to improve not only their own well being, but to create a prosperous community. Juvenile Reentry Juveniles are released from institutions across the country everyday, but many do not have the knowledge required to make permanent changes for themselves, their families, and their communities. The first Juvenile Court in the United States was established in Cook County, Illinois in 1899 and within 25 years all but two states had established separate juvenile justice systems...
Words: 4250 - Pages: 17
...| | |College of Criminal Justice and Security | | |CJA/374 Version 3 | | |Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes | Copyright © 2011, 2010, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course is a general orientation to the field of juvenile justice, including causation theories and the development of system responses to delinquent behavior. The problems facing juveniles today are addressed, and adult and juvenile justice systems are compared, including initial apprehension, referral, and preventive techniques. Specific issues examined include chemical dependency, mental illness, and compulsive and habitual offenders. Special attention is given to the problems inherent in the police handling of juveniles and the function of juvenile courts. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject...
Words: 2517 - Pages: 11
...| | |College of Criminal Justice and Security | | |CJA/374 Version 3 | | |Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes | Copyright © 2011, 2010, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course is a general orientation to the field of juvenile justice, including causation theories and the development of system responses to delinquent behavior. The problems facing juveniles today are addressed, and adult and juvenile justice systems are compared, including initial apprehension, referral, and preventive techniques. Specific issues examined include chemical dependency, mental illness, and compulsive and habitual offenders. Special attention is given to the problems inherent in the police handling of juveniles and the function of juvenile courts. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject...
Words: 2307 - Pages: 10
...Future of the Juvenile System John Doe CJA/374 Future of the Juvenile System The future of the juvenile system in today’s economic environment has put a magnifying glass on all things government. In this discussion, it will be recommendations for the future of the juvenile system as a whole. The included parts will be on the community, courts, juvenile corrections, law enforcement, privatization, and the justification for the juvenile system. Community and Courts The purpose of the community and court systems is to provide all governments, communities, organizations, and advocates all areas of the Juvenile System along with the requirements for the system. Having this system in place is to improve the justice system for all juveniles who commit crimes with discipline and structure. We have so many people of all cultures and aspects of life which commit crimes on a daily basis. Crimes are being committed for many reasons, it could be to support someone’s family, a person who has a drug problem where someone would do anything to support their habit, lost of job, lack of education, low self-esteem, or either the person may feel worthless. There could be different reasons why a person commits a crime but that does not give anyone a good reason to break the law and hurt someone in the process. Some recommendations which I would see may help throughout the justice system would be everyone who has something to do with the assessment involving the court system should have...
Words: 1557 - Pages: 7
...Juvenile Offenders Juvenile crimes make up an overwhelming amount of arrests in the United States. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported that in 2010, courts with juvenile jurisdiction disposed more than 1.3 million juvenile offender cases. Also in 2010, there were 225 arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses for every 100,000 youth between 10 and 17 years of age (OJJDP, 2012). Violent crime committed by juvenile offenders peaks during the after school hours. Nearly one-third (29%) of all violent crime committed by juvenile offenders occurs between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m (OJJDP, 2010). According to the 2011 Juvenile Offenders and Victims: National Report Series, in 2009, 22% of arrests involving youth who were eligible...
Words: 1457 - Pages: 6
...delinquent crimes. Sometimes a researcher has to get to what he or she thinks is the root of the problem to figure out what spawns a certain issue. What provokes a child to become delinquent and what makes the child gravitate so easily towards this lifestyle? It is necessary to explore how family life influences juvenile delinquency. Juveniles are more likely to become juvenile delinquents if there is little structure provided for them in their families. Children who are rejected by their parents, who grow up in homes with considerable conflict, or who are inadequately supervised are at the greatest risk of becoming delinquent. Literature reviews, focused on the relationship between child abuse and juvenile delinquency, indicate that juvenile delinquents are often products of families that consciously or unconsciously neglect their childhood needs. Corporal punishment by parents often leads to overt and aggressive misbehavior. Neglect and extreme punishment can cause children to become rebellious adolescents who use misbehavior to "pay back" the family. Childhood abuse and neglect has been linked to a number of other adolescent problems. Compared with non maltreated matched control groups, abused or neglected children are significantly more likely to engage in violent behavior, become pregnant during adolescence, use drugs, have lower GPAs, and/or experience mental health problems. The growing body of research on these issues uses a variety of methodologies but leads to a similar...
Words: 1676 - Pages: 7
...Drug Courts: Adult and Juvenile Rehabilitation Programs Eugene Berry Crj2200 Introduction to Criminal Courts Drug courts handle nonviolent substance abuse offenders, drug courts are used primarily to solve a problem rather than to send someone to jail or lock an offender away with less chance of rehabilitation. In the United States there are currently almost 2500 drug courts in the 50 states as well as the U.S. territories of Guam, and Puerto Ricco. Drug courts got their start in Florida, in 1989 judge Gerald Wetherington, Judge Herbert Klein, and state attorneys designed the court for non-violent offenders in Miami-Dade County, to battle a rising crack-cocaine problem in there city’s. Drug courts are a program the can involve different levels of intensive supervision by the courts themselves, this includes drug testing and substance abuse clinics or treatment programs. Drug court judges gain a lot of discretion and leeway in this system and can give the offenders instant or gradual sanctions if the offenders fail to meet the standards of the program given. To help keep the offenders compliant the courts can offer fewer drug tests, fewer court dates, and even the possibility of reduced or completely dismissed sentences if they programs are fully completed. Drug courts are proven to keep offenders from repeating their offences and the overall reduction in recidivism rates on these charges. There is research being done today that shows this treatment method could reduce drug...
Words: 1367 - Pages: 6
...The Future of Juvenile Justice Clinton Hardy, Dominique Whitlock CJA /374 March 18, 2012 Bruce Clingan The Future of Juvenile Justice The state of juvenile justice system in American is at a crossroad. It is important that the states take more of an imitative at the local level to ensure the important components of the juvenile justice system are being met. This is a proposal for the juvenile justice system to adopt some of the aspects of the adult system by building a state of the art facility that houses probation, home confinement, work release, and community service all in one place. The necessity for these services is crucial to the commitment to rehabilitation of youthful offenders. This project is a joint venture with the Department of Corrections, the city government, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. There are three areas that this proposal will address as far as social need and the explanation for these services. The three areas of deficiency that have to be addressed in relation to delinquency are family life and financial need, diagnosis of mental disabilities, and the likelihood of offending based on ethnic background. The purpose of this new facility is not to punish, but to get to the root of the reason for offending. Mental Health of Juvenile Offenders The most effective way to diagnose the problems associated with juveniles who offend or continue to offend is to make sure that all offenders, at one point or another, have had a mental health...
Words: 1968 - Pages: 8
...Restorative Justice and Juvenile Courts Denise Gladden CRJS-450-1402A-01: Advanced Topics in Corrections April 12, 2014 Abstract This paper provides a brief overview of two different juvenile programs, aftercare and institutions. It provides contrasting differences between the treatment received by juveniles in housed institutions and community aftercare programs, and there effects on recidivism. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of both programs, in treating and rehabilitating juvenile delinquents is also discussed. Restorative Justice and Juvenile Courts Restorative justice refers to repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behavior. This is best accomplished through a cooperative process which includes all stakeholders (Restorative Justice, n.d.). The Intensive Aftercare Program is an intensive community-based research, and seeks to reduce recidivism among high-risk parolees by better preparing them for release back into the community. This program model is data driven research that show that a highly structured and enhanced transition from incarceration to the community can be beneficial to the parolees in areas of family and peer relations, education, jobs, substance abuse, mental health and recidivism without having a negative impact on the community. A valuable component of the Colorado’s Intensive Aftercare Program is the requirement that both surveillance and treatment services be provided. It has been determined to be relevant to success...
Words: 1382 - Pages: 6
...Juvenile Justice and Rehabilitation When discussing rehabilitation or punishment for juvenile delinquents, I believe there should be rehabilitation over punishment. Granted there are numerous cases that completely warrant punishment, but punishment isn’t always the answer. Adults are usually given second, third and fourth chances to change their lives. And sometimes rehabilitation isn’t involved. I believe since adolescents still have plenty of time to get counseling or learn about themselves and why they acted the way they did, there is always an opportunity for them to change. Adolescents don’t have the same thought process as adults. They tend to react emotionally, so if their emotions are flying high, adolescents aren’t always able to stop themselves from doing something foolish or harmful to others. This is also the point in their life when they are becoming curious about how their bodies are changing. Also add in drug or alcohol experimentation and that’s a recipe for trouble. There are numerous supporters for rehabilitation, just like there are individuals against it. As long as there is a juvenile justice system, there will always be a debate. One person that agrees with rehabilitation is Kurt Kumli, a supervising deputy district attorney for the Santa Clara County’s Juvenile Division in California. Mr. Kumli (2001) stated that there are different methods that work on different kids. But the one thing that is constant, is the need to get to the kids “sooner, than...
Words: 2500 - Pages: 10
