Status Offenders, Dependent and Neglected Youths, and Juvenile Victimizations

The criminal justice system has a branch for juvenile offenders. Established in the early twentieth century; it is the responsibility of this division to decide the fates of youthful offenders. This is administered by family court with support of social workers and family. With the increased number of youthful, violent offenders, many are being processed and sentenced as adults. Important issues such as culpability, severity of the crime, accountability, constitutional rights of the offenders and victims, and probability of rehabilitation,

When a juvenile commits a crime, it is not considered a crime, however it is considered juvenile delinquency. A massive problem throughout the US is juvenile delinquent acts. Juveniles acting out in a delinquent manner can be caused by many things. However, there is not just one reason why a juvenile may commit these acts. Instead there are many reasons that could lead up to delinquency. In this essay, I will be discussing a few theories as well as ways juveniles may receive treatment.

Reform struggles began in the 1960’s and it had changed the appearance of the juvenile justice system. New York passed legislation in 1962 which made a family court system. This court system took on the responsibility for all concerns which involves family life and heavy concentration on delinquent and neglected youths. The PINS (person in need of supervision) and CHINS (children in need of supervision) were also created by legislation which contains issues like truancy. When utilizing these labels it sets jurisdiction over youth, juvenile courts extended their roles as social agencies. The 1960’s and 70’s the juvenile justice system was changed when it released cycles of decisions that established the right of juveniles to receive due process of law as mentioned above. The goals of were to a) remove youths from incarceration at adult prisons, b) eliminate incarceration of delinquents and status offenders. In 1994, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act provide 100,000 police officers and billions of dollars for prisons and prevention programs for adults and youth offenders, (Siegel, L.J., & Welsh, B. C., 2012). The juvenile justice system today maneuvers jurisdiction over delinquents and status offender. The delinquent youth fall under jurisdictional age limit which is different from state to state and the condition of act committed in violation of penal code. Status offenders are defined as youths in need of supervision.

In this paper, I will be discussing both the juvenile and the adult justice systems. There are several differences between the two systems, which may surprise you. I will be discussing many aspects within the justice systems. These include Terminology, Due Process rights, the process of Arrest to Corrections, Juvenile crime compared to Adult crime, age limits and waivers for the adult system and the different community correctional options, which are available to the offenders. The two systems share many of the same terms but not all terms are shared by both systems. In summary, the juvenile justice system and the adult justice system, vary in many ways and are alike in many ways.

Facilities and workers in the juvenile justice system are not designed or trained to address these gender-specific problems. Not only does the juvenile justice system not address the root causes of the delinquent behavior, but many girls often feel re-traumatized from the status offender system, especially runaway girls (Godsoe, 2014).

Juvenile delinquency has become a controversial issue within the Criminal Justice system. In the United States, juvenile delinquency refers to disruptive and criminal behavior committed by an individual under the age of 18. In many states, a minor at the age of 16 to 17 ½ can be tried as an adult. Once the individual reaches adulthood, the disruptive and criminal behavior is recognized as a crime. However, the criminal justice system has divided juvenile delinquency into two general types of categories that has brought upon controversial issues of inequality and corruption. Yet, putting young individuals in juvenile detentions facilities seems to open the door for them to commit more crimes in the future. Therefore, under certain circumstances juveniles should be tried as an adult.

According to Caldwell (1961) the juvenile justice system is based on the principle that youth are developmentally and fundamentally different from adults. According to Mack (1909) the focus of the juvenile justice system has shifted from “was the crime committed” to “why did the child commit the crime”, “how can we help the child”. When performing as it is designed and up to the initial intentions, the juvenile court balances rehabilitation (treatment) of the offender with suitable sanctions when necessary such as incarceration. According to Griffin (2008) in some cases juveniles may be required to be “transferred” to adult court. In this paper I am going to discuss the three primary mechanisms of waiver to adult court: judicial waiver

In the paper I will be comparing the juvenile and the adult justice systems, there are several differences between the two systems. I will be discussing many aspects within the justice systems. These include but not limited to terminology, due Process rights, arrest to corrections, juvenile crime compared to adult crime, age limits and waivers to adult system and different community correction options available to offenders.

The assignment being completed within this report asked the author of the report a number of related questions that all pertain to the juvenile justice system. The first question is when a child is considered an adult as far as criminal charges are concerned. The second question asks whether it is consistent throughout all of the different and interconnected justice systems and frameworks in the United States. The last questions asks whether the escalation to an adult punish for a non-adult being charged is based on the crime that is committed or not.

In today’s society there has been an increase in the crimes committed by juveniles. Most juveniles have underlining factors that have caused them to choose this type of lifestyle. Many children in the juvenile system have come from impoverish stricken neighborhoods and are festered with gang activity which has made them a product of their environment. The minds of adolescents do not allow them to see how they are affecting their lives. A study was conducted, and according to the article, “Adolescents in Adult Court: Does the Punishment Fit the Criminal?”, when children mature, they will look back at their past and possibly leave their surroundings. Think about two people committing the same crime, both with the same thought process and ability to make decisions, except one is a juvenile and the other is grown. Due to the lack of experience in decision-making or the time to evaluate the situation like the adult, the youth should be viewed as irresponsible. The fact that a child’s mind is still maturing should reassure people that they will not be the same person incarcerated a few years later.

Although based on the adult criminal justice system, the juvenile justice process works differently. Juveniles can end up in court by way of arrest, truancy or for curfew violations or running away. A youth may also be referred to the juvenile court system by school officials or a parent or guardian for being continuously disobedient. The juvenile justice process involves several different steps including intake, detention, adjudication, disposition and aftercare following release from a juvenile correctional facility. In this paper we will breakdown the numerous steps involved in the juvenile justice process as well as compared some

“The debates over the welfare versus justice models for juvenile justice have been superseded by a proves of simultaneous broadening of welfare concerns, as well as the promulgation of the ideology of the justice model. Young people are seen as being in need of guide and assistance (the welfare aspect), while at the same time offending is seen to be the result of calculated decisions by rational actors (the justice aspect)” (McElrea, 1994). The justice model is focused around the idea that the criminal justice system ought not be concerned with offender rehabilitation, however ought to constrain itself to the reasonable administration of disciplines fitting to the seriousness of the wrongdoing perpetrated. The justice model has been executed through determinate sentencing laws, sentencing rules and appeal court

Juveniles' propensity to display criminal and violent behavior can become rather difficult to control at time due to long-term effects of abuse and neglect. According to Hirschy & Wilkinson (2010), "Criminal and violent behavior, socioemotional difficulties, substance abuse, and alcoholism are just a few of the long-term consequences of abuse and neglect" (p. 116). The ramification of actions should not be based on the concept of an individual's age. Although it may seem that the juveniles are at a disadvantage when tried in adult courts, per se, they should be introduced to the rigid and yet hierarchical structured system. The penalties for committing crimes should not be overlooked in the matters of sentencing young offenders in the adult criminal system which are often proportional to their deeds. The threat of such harsh punishments will discourage the juveniles from committing heinous crimes and thus lower the statistical rates. The impartment of justice and punishment needs to be included in the juvenile philosyphy which is implanted in every juvenile court. Furthermore, the juvenile justice system, rather than being based on the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, should emphasize the punishments which will better help with the protection and safety of the public through the use of a system that responded to deviance activities carried out by juveniles who are maturing into

This paper will discuss the history of the juvenile justice system and how it has come to be what it is today. When a juvenile offender commits a crime and is sentenced to jail or reform school, the offender goes to a separate jail or reforming place than an adult. It hasn’t always been this way. Until the early 1800’s juveniles were tried just like everyone else. Today, that is not the case. This paper will explain the reforms that have taken place within the criminal justice system that developed the juvenile justice system.

subjected to the juvenile justice system, but an alarming number of youths are transferred to