StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Juvenile Offenders and Criminal Justice - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the paper "Juvenile Offenders and Criminal Justice", the focus will be on having an understanding of the possible outcomes, when young criminals are dealt with in regular law courts. These outcomes are in relation to both the juveniles and also the overall society…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.3% of users find it useful
Juvenile Offenders and Criminal Justice
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Juvenile Offenders and Criminal Justice"

?Juvenile Offenders and Criminal Justice Introduction This paper would first elaborate about the history and evolution of the juvenile justice system. It (paper) would then go on to focus on the related current state of affairs where, countless juvenile offenders are being tried in criminal courts, owing to intensity of the concerned crimes. After that, the focus would move on to having an understanding about the possible outcomes, when young criminals are dealt with in regular law courts. These outcomes are in relation to both the juveniles and also the overall society. History and evolution of the juvenile justice system The juvenile justice system came into existence during the initial phase of the twentieth century, based on the principle that there is a striking difference between adults and children. Also, it was considered that the state is vested with the responsibility of reforming juvenile offenders. This would be possible only when there is a separate system of justice for the young criminals. Earlier, the same criminal justice system was applicable to all criminals, irrespective of their ages. (1) In the US, the first law court for handling cases related to juvenile offenders came into being in the year 1899. And twenty five years subsequent to that, almost all states of the country (the US) were having a separate juvenile justice system. The primary objective of adhering to this separate justice system was to reform the younger criminals, by treating them in a highly humane manner. At this point, it needs to be understood that it was only after a struggle of nearly three centuries that a separate system of justice for the younger offenders came into vogue. (1) Juvenile criminal justice system- too liberal to be effective Since the start of the 1980s, the society’s perception of juvenile crime started to get transformed, courtesy the alarming rise in criminal acts attributable to younger perpetrators. Many quarters of the society strongly opined that the juvenile criminal justice system was too liberal, and that it should be abolished. As a direct result of this public outcry, several key changes were initiated in the legal avenue. Because of that, a new pattern emerged where; it became rather simple to be transferring cases of juvenile criminals to the regular law courts. Gradually, the focus shifted from “reforming” to “punishing”. (1) Presently, trial of a juvenile offender in a criminal court is permitted in all the fifty states of the US. Whether or not a case needs to be transferred to the adult law courts is subject to the discretion of the juvenile court judge. In fact, this transfer is termed as ‘waiver’. Since the preceding few years, more and more young offenders are being tried in regular courts, and there is a highly valid reason for that. There has been a drastic rise in the incidence of juvenile crime. And what is most perturbing is that many of these crimes were extremely violent ones. In light of that, it is but the need of the hour that the hitherto lenient approach towards juvenile offenders is discarded. (2) The following statistic would just go on to add weight to the points discussed in the preceding paragraph. A study showed that, between the years 1988 and 1992, there has been a 68 percent rise in the crimes involving severe violence where, the perpetrators are juveniles. Also, CECP (Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy) strongly voices the view that it is but inevitable that there is a further rise in juvenile crime. (2) There is also another factor, which has led to an increasing number of cases being transferred from juvenile courts to the adult courts. The legal fraternity is of the opinion that there are some crimes so serious that there is no possibility of reforming the doer, even if they happen to be a juvenile. The criminal justice system is the one that is apt for dealing with all such cases. (2) Transfer of cases from juvenile courts to adult courts- Consequences It has to be candidly admitted that carrying out the trial of juvenile criminals in criminal courts are not without some adverse consequences, in the long run. Firstly, it needs to be specifically mentioned that when similar crimes are considered, the sentences handed out in criminal courts are more severe than those given by juvenile courts. Various studies that have been conducted on this issue show that when juveniles are brought to criminal courts, the same does not bring about a decline in crime rate (committed by juveniles). (3) Several leading studies also suggest that when a juvenile is handed out punishment in a criminal court, they are more likely to repeat the crime, after being released from the prison. Likewise, it is also seen that when young offenders are given sentences as per the juvenile law, they are less likely to again indulge in crime. As a matter of fact, these studies subtly point out that it is rather unfair to be subjecting young people to the waiver process. (3) Some logical conclusions can be drawn from the last two paragraphs. When more and more juvenile offenders are punished as per the criminal justice system, there is every possibility that they would grow up to be professional criminals. The harsher sentences would invariably make them develop hatred towards the society and the legal system! As a consequence of that and with the passage of time, there would be an avoidable rise in the number of criminals endangering society. It is not at all an exaggeration in maintaining that, it is the harsh treatment by the criminal court that transforms a juvenile into a habitual criminal. On the other hand, when criminals (juveniles) are handed out sentences as per the juvenile law, there is opportunity for them to get reformed and become responsible members of the society. Conclusion This paper can be concluded with the hope that judges of juvenile courts are very careful before transferring cases to criminal courts. A balanced approach needs to be adopted towards the juvenile offenders where, the aspect of rehabilitation is given paramount relevance. The topic of this paper is an exhaustive one and it is not possible to cover all its aspects in a brief paper such as this one. Yet, a sincere attempt has been made to encompass the most salient of all the points. Sources 1) “Juvenile Justice History”, cjcj.org/juvenile/justice/juvenile/justice/history/0, Internet, Center of Juvenile & Criminal Justice, ND. 2) “Juvenile Justice Reform Initiatives in the States”, ojjdp.gov/pubs/reform/ch2_j.html, Internet, NP, ND. 3) “JUVENILE JUSTICE”, pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/stats/kidslikeadults.html, Internet, WGBH Educational Foundation, 2011. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Analysis 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Analysis 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/law/1433918-analysis
(Analysis 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
Analysis 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words. https://studentshare.org/law/1433918-analysis.
“Analysis 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/law/1433918-analysis.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Juvenile Offenders and Criminal Justice

Major Topic in Juvenile Delinquency

The author of the "Major Topic in Juvenile Delinquency" paper discusses the history of juvenile justice, the juvenile justice system, which collaborates with the juvenile justice process to administer justice to juveniles, and the juvenile justice process.... The juvenile justice system, which works for hand in hand with the juvenile justice process, was established in order to handle such cases....
15 Pages (3750 words) Essay

Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems

Therefore, this document will point out some of the similarities and differences that exist between the two systems, juvenile justice and criminal justice systems.... Therefore, this document will point out some of the similarities and differences that exist between the two systems, juvenile justice and criminal justice systems.... Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that there exist some considerable similarities and differences between the juvenile and criminal justice systems....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Juvenile Justice and Status Offenses

Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Juvenile justice Module 7 Writing Introduction Status offending is any offense committed by juveniles but would not be considered as offense if committed by an adult according to the ordinances of the jurisdiction which the offense was committed (Elrod and Ryder 362).... Status offenses will escalate to more criminal behaviors in the future since running away from home may lead to robbery if the courts fail to intervene....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Sexual exploitation of children

The attitude that direct policy and exercise exerts is that youths who pledge sex offenses are in one way or another “dissimilar” from other criminal offenders, and need dedicated services, particularly “specific offence” management, in order to stop chances of reoffends.... Several researches have been carried out on juvenile sex offenders.... Contradictory to this viewpoint is the disagreement that young sex offenders have an “unrelenting tendency” and ought to be brought out for more strict sanctions based on their offense activities....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Applying the Death Penalty to Juvenile Offenders

The paper "Applying the Death Penalty to juvenile offenders" analyzes that in the recent landmark case of Roper v Simmons, the US Supreme Court declared and upheld by a 5-4 decision that the death penalty cannot be awarded to individuals less than 18 years old at the time that their crime was committed.... In most juvenile crimes, juvenile offenders are tried and sentenced in juvenile courts, which provide for softer sentences such as probation in a juvenile centre and are exempted from adult offenders' penitentiary system....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Juvenile and Adult Courts

The juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system are two dissimilar systems of justice and they are founded on different philosophies, although both the systems have close resemblance in many states currently.... By and large, the basic distinction between the two systems is that the juvenile justice system mainly focuses on the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders whereas the adult criminal justice system emphasizes the punishment of criminals....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The United States Juvenile Justice System

California probation officers should at least be high school graduates, whereas North Dakota officers should have at least a bachelors degree in criminal justice, social work or psychology/sociology.... About a century ago, the United States Juvenile justice System was created with the objective of redirecting young delinquents from the harsh sentences of criminal courts and promoting rehabilitation/ treatment according to the needs of the juvenile.... Differently treated from adult offenders, juveniles are not accused of crimes but with misbehaviors; they are considered innocent and adjudicated offenders; they do not go to prison but to a reformatory or The United s Juvenile justice System About a century ago, the United s Juvenile justice System wascreated with the objective of redirecting young delinquents from the harsh sentences of criminal courts and promoting rehabilitation/ treatment according to the needs of the juvenile....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Juvenile Delinquencies in the Contemporary World

The Ohio department of youth service confines juvenile offenders and provides intervention programs among other juvenile justice services (Wonnacott & Wagner, 2008, p.... The juvenile justice system in the United States involves children below the age of 18 years; in Ohio, each county has a juvenile court, which tries juvenile offenders.... he main purpose of the juvenile justice system is to protect the public from offenders, hold the juvenile offenders accountable for their criminal activities, rehabilitate juvenile offenders, protect, and care for the juveniles, and protect the victims' rights (Sartini, 2011)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us