Juvenile Justice System Research Paper
Robert Harrison
Criminal Justice FALB10 Sec A
Prof. Cory Robbins
The question of whether we should have continued use of a separate juvenile justice system or should we abolish it is a huge debate in the U.S. Is the separate, juvenile justice system still feasible? If not, what can replace it? Policymakers need to confront these questions, and they need innovative answers. New policies should aim for more than simply abolishing the juvenile court's delinquency jurisdiction and sending all young offenders to conventional criminal courts. The focus of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate juveniles, rather than to imprison and punish them. Many states, such as Massachusetts, have special courts set aside to try juveniles. …show more content…
Juvenile records are often sealed (made so that they cannot be seen), and are sometimes even cleared when the juvenile reaches a certain age (usually eighteen or twenty-one). In Massachusetts, all court records, including juvenile court records, exist forever. Sealing or expunging a juvenile court record in Massachusetts does nothing. The record is still available to law enforcement agencies and the courts. It is common practice (and in some places even a law) for the news media to not report the name of any minor involved in criminal proceedings. Juvenile court cases are usually decided upon by a judge, rather than by a …show more content…
In many cases, felonious behavior is later outgrown, according to North Carolina Family Impact Seminars. Juveniles who commit crimes as youth may grow up to be upstanding citizens if they are surrounded by positive influences.
According to "The Memphis Commercial Appeal," violent youth are not dealt with severely enough in the juvenile system. In Tennessee, for example, if a youth's crime is not serious enough to transfer him to adult court, the offender is placed in the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. The department then decides whether the juvenile should be sent to a detention center, rehabilitation program or placed in a foster or group home. If placed in a group home, the offenders are back in the community, possibly becoming a threat again.
Officers in juvenile detention centers are trained to work with youth. When placed in the juvenile system instead of adult court, offenders have a better chance of receiving rehabilitation to prevent future crimes. According to the North Carolina Family Impact Seminars, juveniles in adult prisons are more likely to commit suicide or be sexually assaulted. In juvenile centers, the offenders are surrounded by youth their own age, creating a safer
Criminal Justice FALB10 Sec A
Prof. Cory Robbins
The question of whether we should have continued use of a separate juvenile justice system or should we abolish it is a huge debate in the U.S. Is the separate, juvenile justice system still feasible? If not, what can replace it? Policymakers need to confront these questions, and they need innovative answers. New policies should aim for more than simply abolishing the juvenile court's delinquency jurisdiction and sending all young offenders to conventional criminal courts. The focus of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate juveniles, rather than to imprison and punish them. Many states, such as Massachusetts, have special courts set aside to try juveniles. …show more content…
Juvenile records are often sealed (made so that they cannot be seen), and are sometimes even cleared when the juvenile reaches a certain age (usually eighteen or twenty-one). In Massachusetts, all court records, including juvenile court records, exist forever. Sealing or expunging a juvenile court record in Massachusetts does nothing. The record is still available to law enforcement agencies and the courts. It is common practice (and in some places even a law) for the news media to not report the name of any minor involved in criminal proceedings. Juvenile court cases are usually decided upon by a judge, rather than by a …show more content…
In many cases, felonious behavior is later outgrown, according to North Carolina Family Impact Seminars. Juveniles who commit crimes as youth may grow up to be upstanding citizens if they are surrounded by positive influences.
According to "The Memphis Commercial Appeal," violent youth are not dealt with severely enough in the juvenile system. In Tennessee, for example, if a youth's crime is not serious enough to transfer him to adult court, the offender is placed in the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. The department then decides whether the juvenile should be sent to a detention center, rehabilitation program or placed in a foster or group home. If placed in a group home, the offenders are back in the community, possibly becoming a threat again.
Officers in juvenile detention centers are trained to work with youth. When placed in the juvenile system instead of adult court, offenders have a better chance of receiving rehabilitation to prevent future crimes. According to the North Carolina Family Impact Seminars, juveniles in adult prisons are more likely to commit suicide or be sexually assaulted. In juvenile centers, the offenders are surrounded by youth their own age, creating a safer