Abolish the Juvenile Courts
| Abolish the Juvenile Court: Youthfulness, Criminal Responsibility, and Sentencing Policy | Barry C. Field | | | |
| CJ523-01N: Critical Issues in Juvenile Justice
Page 1
The article Abolish the Juvenile Court: Youthfulness, Criminal Responsibility and Sentencing Policy by Barry Fields is power packed with his research, his opinions on the Juvenile Justice System. There is no question why he has reached the conclusions that he has because his research backs him.
One of the points that he makes is that the criminal justice system for juveniles is more like a social welfare agency than a punitive system. What Mr. Barry Fields feels is that there should be one court for juveniles and adults. He made some interesting points when he stated that because legislative amendments has changed the court’s atmosphere and now instead of justice being served by the juveniles for the crimes that they commit the court employs a more scientific and psychological approach for these juveniles.
Mr. Fields submits that to provide shorter sentencing for the juvenile offender does not need a different court system. What there should be is one court for the juvenile as well as the adult. The judge should be well versed with the law of the state that they are presiding or sitting and should have the ability to reign over both. Again there should be no separate courts.
It was in the nineteenth century that they had the formation to juvenile court reform. Then crime was not at an all-time high as it is now. They made the provisions to have a separate system so that they could address the needs of the individuals. This is when they became more social then punitive. It was here that the individual needs of the child Page 2 would be taken into consideration. The courts would look at the child and make an assessment it was then the courts would provide the services needed to rehabilitate the child.
Mr. Fields feels the way
| CJ523-01N: Critical Issues in Juvenile Justice
Page 1
The article Abolish the Juvenile Court: Youthfulness, Criminal Responsibility and Sentencing Policy by Barry Fields is power packed with his research, his opinions on the Juvenile Justice System. There is no question why he has reached the conclusions that he has because his research backs him.
One of the points that he makes is that the criminal justice system for juveniles is more like a social welfare agency than a punitive system. What Mr. Barry Fields feels is that there should be one court for juveniles and adults. He made some interesting points when he stated that because legislative amendments has changed the court’s atmosphere and now instead of justice being served by the juveniles for the crimes that they commit the court employs a more scientific and psychological approach for these juveniles.
Mr. Fields submits that to provide shorter sentencing for the juvenile offender does not need a different court system. What there should be is one court for the juvenile as well as the adult. The judge should be well versed with the law of the state that they are presiding or sitting and should have the ability to reign over both. Again there should be no separate courts.
It was in the nineteenth century that they had the formation to juvenile court reform. Then crime was not at an all-time high as it is now. They made the provisions to have a separate system so that they could address the needs of the individuals. This is when they became more social then punitive. It was here that the individual needs of the child Page 2 would be taken into consideration. The courts would look at the child and make an assessment it was then the courts would provide the services needed to rehabilitate the child.
Mr. Fields feels the way
Bibliography: 1. Fuller, John, Juvenile Delinquency, Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2009 2. Field, Barry C., The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Abolish the Juvenile Court: Youthfulness, Criminal Responsibility, and Sentencing Policy.