Juvenile Offender Paper

Juvenile offender paper

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Introduction

Defiant youths are dealt with in Juvenile system as it is the only primary system that is capable of molding our youths today. The youths who engage in criminal offence and break rules are dealt with in Juvenile offender systems. Our youths pick behaviors from the community they live as well as from their parents. As they grow, they are subjected to life pressures where they develop habits and skills contrary to the norms and culture of the society. This paper gives a summary of key ways and processes of preventing juvenile delinquency as their right have never be taken as important till today.

The history of juvenile justice system development

In 1899, the first juvenile was enacted with 16 children in Chicago. Every state now got interested with the Chicago juvenile system and established their own by 1925. The established juvenile system had adequate authority governing juvenile affairs. Juvenile decisions were made for them in the court and in a way favoring the child’s interests. The juvenile court included punishment to the child which included probation, jail time and also verbal warnings. The punishments were meant to correct the child but not considered consequential.

The key philosophy of juvenile system is to rehabilitate the youths instead of punishing them by imprisonment. When the developmental skills and reasoning skills of juveniles have not yet developed, the juveniles might have very different skills set. It is therefore, important to treat them not like adults. Rehabilitating the juvenile is the only key in changing their habits because imprisoning them is not a solution. We should be investigating first why the juveniles commit crimes not putting them in jail direct. Imprisonment would even make them better criminals instead of molding them to become better people. We should carry adequate investigate on key reasons as to why juvenile has committed the crime and not all who commit adult crimes.

There are variety of differences which are evidenced in juvenile justice system and adult systems of law. In some cases, the differences differ from state to state whereby juveniles are not at all prosecuted for criminal offences but delinquent. In serious cases, the juveniles may be charged as adults although adult systems consist of harsher punishments. Juveniles receive less harsh punishments because most people think and feel that they have not yet matured enough to be treated like adults (Wilson, & Howell, 2003). Juveniles are also protected from trial by jury like it is always done by adults. The judge is in charge of listening to the juveniles’ cases and makes final decisions whereby the court is therefore left to decide what to do with the minor. On the other hand, the adult systems penalize and charge the adults.

On the side of dependency and delinquency, juvenile dependency involves the cases of young people with their parents or guardians harming them or improper care to them. These cases are therefore heard in juvenile courts and taken as dependency cases. The judge is responsible for making decisions on whether the child should be taken away from that particular environment (Cicourel, 2017).  The dependency cases mostly are involved with workers who have trained in protection of the child as well as making decisions concerned with the mishandling of the kid. Reunification is done between the guardians and the child because the court does not want to remove the child from that home. Strict orders and measures are put after unification to protect the child. Parenting classes are also provided to better the parents to ensure that they provide safe environment for their kids.

Juveniles are children between 10to18 years of age. These minor offenders go through adjudication and petition is filed by the prosecutor. The juvenile is charged with a crime of breaking the rules and regulations. If the charge declares that the juvenile is delinquent, the court can take over and decide prior discretions determining the kind of punishment to give fitting the crime committed by the minor. The punishment could be either probation or can also be detention sentencing (Cicourel, 2017). They might include counseling whereby the juvenile cannot be sealed criminal record. The record can only be sealed when they have reached 18 years of age.

In conclusion, there is much confidentiality in these cases consisting of juveniles because the minor’s mental makeup is not like that of adults (Wilson & Howell, 2003). The minor have hard time in making logical and rational decisions therefore the court gives them a chance of making finer decisions when they grow up. The juvenile justice system is very important in today’s generation as raising kids have become very hard task. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we produce productive youths in our society.

References

Wilson, J. J., & Howell, J. C. (2003). Comprehensive strategy for serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Cicourel, A. (2017). The social organization of juvenile justice. Routledge.