...head: YOUNG OFFENDERS Young Offenders Carol Welles Coker College Abstract Youth offenders are those persons charged with serious crimes who are usually under a specified age. Every nation has its own policy about dealing with young offenders. In the United States, each state has its own juvenile offender standards. The treatment of juvenile offenders in the United States has been uncertain, uneven, and controversial since colonial times. Recently the United States Supreme Court changed the juvenile justice system by declaring the frequently applied life without parole sentence to be unconstitutional. Juvenile justice systems have been forced to rethink options for punishment for youth offenders convicted of a serious crime. The juvenile justice system has developed new approaches and new methods of rehabilitating juveniles whose crimes previously may have merited the life without parole sentence. Rehabilitation through education has replaced incarceration in most newly revamped governmental policies at the state level. Several organizations in Europe and the United States have developed in the last few years devoted to liberalizing juvenile justice policies throughout the western world. The definition of a young offender is universal. A young offender is a person within a specified age range who commits a criminal offense. A variation in the specified age for a young offender is the main difference between a young offender in Abu Dhabi and a young offender...
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...Discussion about The Juveniles Law: Abolish vs Maintain As Juveniles crimes are increasing, there is criticism that the punishment for juvenile offenders is too soft. In recent years of Korea, juvenile crimes has proved that juvenile offenders became crueler than ever. The case of Busan juvenile violent crime was committed by five middle school students. The victim was their friend. They beat her six hours and threaten her with scissors. However, this is not only big problem in the South Korea, but also in the United States. According to the research of Police Department, between 1980 and 2005, 43,621 juveniles were arrested for murder in the United States. The picture is just as bleak with respect to arrests for 109,563 rapes, 818,276 robberies,...
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...History of Juvenile Justice System Roger King University of Mount Olive Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes CJC 310 Timothy Malfitano February 7, 2015 Abstract This paper will discuss the history of the juvenile justice system. I started this paper by looking at the history of the juvenile justice system, which showed how laws and legal measures involving juvenile offenders have an extensive history. There were no isolated courts or laws, and no services for juveniles, up till the 19th century, children who committed serious offenses were punished and restrained in prison the same way as adults. The changes in legislation rose the age at which individuals officially became adults. This change helped many juveniles escape the cruel treatment in the adult prisons. These changes were based on new understanding of the relationship between physical, mental maturity and acknowledgment. The American juvenile justice system has evolved over the past century with variation that embellished from the adult criminal justice process. The first juvenile's court was acknowledged in 1899, in Chicago, Illinois, and by1945, all states had juvenile courts. The juvenile crime rates particularly homicide rose during the 1980s and 1990s. Therefor the system faces a vast of questions about whether young offenders should be tried and sentenced in a different way than adult offenders (Lawrence & Hemmens, 2008, Chapter 1). The juvenile courts wanted to turn young felons into...
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...Chapter 7. DELINQUENCY Juvenile among young people, as they negotiate the transition from childhood to adulthood in an increasingly complex and confusing world, is the issue that this chapter first examines. Some basic assumptions relating to delinquent behaviour are presented, followed by a description of the various factors underlying or contributing to this phenomenon. Some regional variations are highlighted. Effective approaches and measures for preventing juvenile delinquency are detailed, with particular attention given to the development of educational, professional development and community programmes, improvements in family relations and parenting skills, and the value of restorative justice for both perpetrators and victims. The chapter concludes with a summary and recommendations for future action. Delinquent and criminal behaviour For many young people today, traditional patterns guiding the relationships and transitions between family, school and work are being challenged. Social relations that ensure a smooth process of socialization are collapsing; lifestyle trajectories are becoming more varied and less predictable. The restructuring of the labour market, the extension of the maturity gap (the period of dependence of young adults on the family) and, arguably, the more limited opportunities to become an independent adult are all changes influencing relationships with family and friends, educational opportunities and choices, labour market participation...
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...Chapter 7. DELINQUENCY Juvenile among young people, as they negotiate the transition from childhood to adulthood in an increasingly complex and confusing world, is the issue that this chapter first examines. Some basic assumptions relating to delinquent behaviour are presented, followed by a description of the various factors underlying or contributing to this phenomenon. Some regional variations are highlighted. Effective approaches and measures for preventing juvenile delinquency are detailed, with particular attention given to the development of educational, professional development and community programmes, improvements in family relations and parenting skills, and the value of restorative justice for both perpetrators and victims. The chapter concludes with a summary and recommendations for future action. Delinquent and criminal behaviour For many young people today, traditional patterns guiding the relationships and transitions between family, school and work are being challenged. Social relations that ensure a smooth process of socialization are collapsing; lifestyle trajectories are becoming more varied and less predictable. The restructuring of the labour market, the extension of the maturity gap (the period of dependence of young adults on the family) and, arguably, the more limited opportunities to become an independent adult are all changes influencing relationships with family and friends, educational opportunities and choices, labour market participation, leisure...
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...Juvenile Crime Issues CJS 200 February 12, 2012 Juvenile Crime Issues Children and young adults today are exposed to media shows and movies that affect them. Many have broken homes, face poverty and have other problems in school that affect them and can cause them to do wrong things. The arrest rates for juvenile males are 70%, and 30% for females. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a juvenile. There are six categories of children in the juvenile justice system. The delinquent children are those who violate the criminal law. The undisciplined children are beyond parental control. The dependent children have no parents or guardians. The neglected children are those who do not receive proper care from parents or guardians. The abused children are those who suffer abuse at the hands of their parents or guardians (Criminal Justice Today, p.547). The status offender is a special category that embraces children who violate laws written only for them and they need supervision. This includes truancy, vagrancy, running away from home and incorrigibility. (Schmalleger, p. 547) Eight states have set a minimum age at which they are considered delinquent. Eight of them have the age as 10, Arizona s age is 8, three states is 7, and North Carolina has set the age as 6 to be delinquent(Fonseca, Associated Press, December 13, 2008, Used permission copyright laws) The officers today read their Miranda rights to juveniles before they ask any questions According to our...
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...Juvenile Crime Issues CJS 200 February 12, 2012 Juvenile Crime Issues Children and young adults today are exposed to media shows and movies that affect them. Many have broken homes, face poverty and have other problems in school that affect them and can cause them to do wrong things. The arrest rates for juvenile males are 70%, and 30% for females. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a juvenile. There are six categories of children in the juvenile justice system. The delinquent children are those who violate the criminal law. The undisciplined children are beyond parental control. The dependent children have no parents or guardians. The neglected children are those who do not receive proper care from parents or guardians. The abused children are those who suffer abuse at the hands of their parents or guardians (Schmalleger, P.547). The status offender is a special category that embraces children who violate laws written only for them and they need supervision. This includes truancy, vagrancy, running away from home and incorrigibility. (Schmalleger, P.547) Eight states have set a minimum age at which they are considered delinquent. Eight of them have the age as 10, Arizona s age is 8, three states is 7, and North Carolina has set the age as 6 to be delinquent(Fonseca, Associated Press, December 13, 2008, Used permission copyright laws) The officers today read their Miranda rights to juveniles before they ask any questions According to our book, Criminal...
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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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...Child Criminals: Is Punishment or Rehabilitation The Answer? Lisa Perdew Prof. H. Mathers Ivy Tech Community College With the growing number of crimes being committed by juveniles the question of whether punishment as adults or rehabilitation in a youth facility is the better option has never been more relevant. Some say that if a child commits a heinous crime, such as murder, they should be punished just as an adult would be. Others say child criminals are children first and criminals second and that they should receive counseling and rehabilitation in order to give them a chance at a normal adult life. Most states in this country do not have set laws concerning the prosecution and punishment of juveniles involved in serious criminal acts and thus the punishment is determined by the judge of each case. This can, and has, led to some juveniles being punished too severely and others getting entirely too light a punishment. The debate has come to the point of whether there should be a blanket law where in all juveniles guilty of terrible crimes are treated as adults no matter their age or if because of their age, under 18, they should all be treated as children no matter the severity of their crime. Social workers have long been at the forefront of this debate and have very strong opinions concerning these children. Most of them think rehabilitation, or even early intervention, is the better option for these children. Many of today’s...
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...Juvenile Delinquency and the Adult Court System Soc. 321 Juvenile Delinquency February 21, 2013 Table of Contents Abstract 3 Social Norms in Society 4 The founding father 4 Gangs 4 Juvenile Delinquent 5 Juvenile Justice 5 Juvenile Prosecution 6 Waivers 7 Factors for Waivers ...
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...The Age and Time for the Crime in Juvenile Justice Natasha Yancey Strayer University March 16, 2014 The Age and Time for the Crime The adult criminal system is designed for the prosecution of adults not children. Both state and federal legislative have responded to juvenile crime by focusing on sending more and younger children to adult criminal court. How and where do we draw the line between adults and children? Where do we draw the line between justice and malice? Juveniles that commit crimes should be punished for the crimes that they commit, but they should not be tried as an adult. This paper will offer information on why there needs to be changes in the juvenile justice system, and it will analyze why the increased prosecution of juveniles in adult court is disastrous and nothing but a threatening policy. This policy is unjust, harmful to children and does nothing to increase public safety; consequently punishing adolescents as adults does more harm than good. Thomas J Bernard a professor of criminal justice and sociology at Pennsylvania State University explained how psychologists and sociologists saw young offenders. Bernard’s (2010) book The Cycle of Juvenile Justice recognized that minors are children and not adults. (p. 45) Bernard (2010) further explains that during the 18th century children were tried as adults. Juveniles as young as the age of seven could be tried and sentenced in criminal courts. (Bernard 2010) His research expounds on the Society...
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...Juvenile and Adult Courts: A Comparative Analysis Paper Cristal Irvin CJS/245 April 7, 2015 Samantha Brown Juvenile and Adult Courts: A Comparative Analysis Paper At one point in history there was only one system of justice for the people of the United States. As time went by, the justice system shifted into two structures which are known as the Juvenile and Criminal Justice System. It was recognized that children and adults were not committing the same crimes. The states responded to this issue by establishing a system that differentiates juveniles from adults by creating the juvenile court system. The Juvenile Court is a complex structure that in order to understand it, one needs to know the process of when a juvenile enters the system. The American Juvenile Justice System is put into place to focus and manage juveniles who are caught and convicted of crimes. The system is formulated by agencies that consist of police officers, prosecutors, juvenile courts, probation officers, and the Department of Juvenile Corrections. The system functions by agencies taking various steps when dealing with a juvenile. The first step is determining who is a juvenile. In most states a juvenile is considered a child between the ages of ten and eighteen and in some states they can set the maximum age as sixteen. When a police officer encounters a juvenile that has committed a crime the police officer has several options on handling a juvenile who has committed a delinquent act. Depending...
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...Juvenile Delinquency December 3, 2014 Juveniles in The Adult Prison Children as young as 14 years old have been tried as adults and are sentenced to die in prison without considering their age and the factors that led the individual to commit the offense. Society believes that a juvenile should be tried as an adult because it will help them understand the consequences of their actions, however, children and teenagers that commit crimes are too young and they don’t have the mental ability to understand the consequences of their actions. These juveniles are not aware of what they are going to face behind the adult’s prison bars. According to the National Juvenile Justice Network, it states, “ 200,000 youths are tried, sentenced, or incarcerated as adults every year across the United States.” Studies have shown that juveniles that are sentenced to adult prisons are more likely to commit crimes again after being released from prison. Juveniles are more likely to be sexually assaulted, abuse, neglect, suicidal, and depressed in adult prisons. The adult prison has shown failures to rehabilitate these juveniles. Laws like the Felony Murder rule has to shown to be cruel and unusual punishments towards teenagers and children. Society does not bothered to look into factors such as the juvenile’s brain, mental disability, and their living environment that causes them to commit the crime. “Children are five times more likely to be sexually assaulted in the adult prisons than in juvenile...
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...Juvenile Criminology Student’s name Institution My discussion question Adult prison system is unsuitable to meet the needs of young offenders as shown by various research studies. The process of maintaining public safety, successful integration of young offenders to the community, rehabilitation, skill development and treatment are the main goals of the juvenile system. As suggested by Howell, (2003), justice can never be served by forcing juveniles through a system never intended to process teenagers, moreover transfer laws have worsened the implications they intend to address. Juvenile justice system was essentially established because many teenagers were subjected to awful violations in adult jails and prisons hence resulting to the society as more hardened criminals. Placing young offenders in adult prisons heightens criminal behaviors after release according to the findings. There is well founded fear that several number of young offenders slated to be placed in adult jails are more likely to be assaulted ,commit suicide and raped. Juveniles are driven to desperation and abused regularly in adult prisons because they are not specific measures to protect the young offenders from the adult prisoners. My completes work Case summary Issue Roper v. Simmons’ main issue is whether the application of Death penalty on a person who committed murder at age 17 amounts to “Cruel and Unusual” sentence and thereby barred by the 8th and 14th Amendments (Dinkes, et al 2009) Facts The...
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...meaning of justice, and are letting criminals escape the punishment they are supposed to serve. Juvenile rights advocates argue that juveniles can learn the mistakes of their ways if given the opportunity. They believe that if they are able to rehabilitate these juveniles than they can decrease future crimes. Although this aspect of rehabilitation can be effective in fighting crime it has not been. Instead of this program decreasing future crime, it has in fact risen over the past decade. In the book “Statistics and Trends in Juvenile Justice and Forensic Psychology” it states that the number of juveniles in jail...
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