Juvenile vs Adult Courts Essay Example
Juvenile and Adult Courts: A Comparative Analysis
Although the current juvenile justice system in many states now closely resembles the adult criminal justice system, they remain two separate systems of justice, founded on different philosophies. Generally speaking, while the adult criminal justice system emphasizes the punishment of criminals, the juvenile justice system is based on the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. In the early twentieth century, the Progressives began to perceive children in a new manner. Industrialization and modernization led to the view that children were corruptible innocents whose upbringing required greater structure than had previously been regarded as prerequisite to adulthood. Social scientists reported that because children are not fully developed, either mentally or physically, they are not accountable for their actions in the same way as adults are accountable. Criminal behavior by children, it was believed, resulted from external forces such as impoverished living conditions or parental neglect. Juvenile criminality was seen as a kind of youthful illness, which possibly could be cured by relocating the juvenile to a better family life in a rural setting.
Differences in Juvenile Court and Adult Criminal Court
There are many differences in juvenile court and in adult court. In the juvenile justice system rehabilitation and treatment, in addition to community protection, are considered to be primary and viable goals. In criminal adult court rehabilitation is not considered a primary goal in the criminal justice system, which operates under the assumption that criminal sanctions should be proportional to the offense. Deterrence is seen as a successful outcome of punishment (Vermont Judiciary, 2004). Limitations are placed on public access to juvenile records because of the belief that juvenile offenders can be successfully rehabilitated, and to avoid their unnecessary stigmatization. Court proceedings may be confidential to
Although the current juvenile justice system in many states now closely resembles the adult criminal justice system, they remain two separate systems of justice, founded on different philosophies. Generally speaking, while the adult criminal justice system emphasizes the punishment of criminals, the juvenile justice system is based on the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. In the early twentieth century, the Progressives began to perceive children in a new manner. Industrialization and modernization led to the view that children were corruptible innocents whose upbringing required greater structure than had previously been regarded as prerequisite to adulthood. Social scientists reported that because children are not fully developed, either mentally or physically, they are not accountable for their actions in the same way as adults are accountable. Criminal behavior by children, it was believed, resulted from external forces such as impoverished living conditions or parental neglect. Juvenile criminality was seen as a kind of youthful illness, which possibly could be cured by relocating the juvenile to a better family life in a rural setting.
Differences in Juvenile Court and Adult Criminal Court
There are many differences in juvenile court and in adult court. In the juvenile justice system rehabilitation and treatment, in addition to community protection, are considered to be primary and viable goals. In criminal adult court rehabilitation is not considered a primary goal in the criminal justice system, which operates under the assumption that criminal sanctions should be proportional to the offense. Deterrence is seen as a successful outcome of punishment (Vermont Judiciary, 2004). Limitations are placed on public access to juvenile records because of the belief that juvenile offenders can be successfully rehabilitated, and to avoid their unnecessary stigmatization. Court proceedings may be confidential to