Introduction In 1899, the juvenile justice court system began in the United States in the state of Illinois. The focus was intended to improve the welfare and rehabilitation of youth incarcerated in juvenile justice system. The court mainly was focused on the rehabilitation of the youths rather than punishing them being that they still have immature ways and still growing. Specialized detention centers, youth centers, and training schools were created to treat delinquent youth apart from adult offenders in adult facilities. “Of these, approximately 14,500 are housed in adult facilities. The largest proportion, approximately 9,100 youth, are housed in local jails, and some 5,400 youth are housed in adult prisons” (Austin, 2000). The quagmire of placing juveniles in adult facilities is the risk factors juveniles may experience while incarcerated. Being that juveniles are young and smaller to the adult offenders, they may be seen as a prey or easy target for rape, assault, mental issues which eventually leads to suicide. We must keep in mind that juveniles are youth meaning they are still a child, not an adult and should not be exposed to adult incarceration environment. Although it is cost saving to place juveniles and adults under one facility, it is unethical because they are not built and yet mentally ready and prepared to experience adult facilities. Alternative strategies are available to assist juvenile detainees such as healthcare, education, recreation, and work experience. The Juvenile Court Act of 1899 gave leniency to youth under the age of 16. Placing youth detainees with adult offenders will result in the reduction of rehabilitation services for youth, while increasing the rate of being a victim as a potential prey o... ... middle of paper ... ...the national incidence of juvenile suicide in adult jails, lockups, and juvenile detention centers. National Criminal JusticeReference Service. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/73555NCJRS.pdf COLLOCATION OF JUVENILE AND ADULT FACILITIES. (2005). Journal for Juvenile Justice Services, 20(2), 9-10. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy121.nclive.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=f d377b14-7400-4d97-b4ab-0b2b13f5514a%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4210 Godinez, S. A. (1999). Managing Juveniles in Adult Facilities. Corrections Today, 61(2), 86. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy121.nclive.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=f d377b14-7400-4d97-b4ab-0b2b13f5514a%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4210# Wood, A. (2012). CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT: CONFINING JUVENILES WITH ADULTS AFTER GRAHAM AND MILLER. Emory Law Journal, 61(6), 1445- 1491
One of the fasting growing juvenile treatment and interventions programs are known as teen courts. Teen courts serve as an alternative juvenile justice, to young offenders. Non-violent, and mostly first time offenders are sentenced by their peers’ in teen courts. Teen courts also serve as juvenile justice diversion programs. Teen courts vary from state to state, and sometimes within the same state. With this program, all parties of the judicial setting are juveniles with the exception of the judge. Each teen court, is designed specifically to meet the needs of the community it serves. Teen courts were created to re-educate offenders throughout the judicial process, create a program with sanctions that will allow the youth not to have a juvenile record, and to also instil a sense of responsibility.
The Juvenile Justice system, since its conception over a century ago, has been one at conflict with itself. Originally conceived as a fatherly entity intervening into the lives of the troubled urban youths, it has since been transformed into a rigid and adversarial arena restrained by the demands of personal liberty and due process. The nature of a juvenile's experience within the juvenile justice system has come almost full circle from being treated as an adult, then as an unaccountable child, now almost as an adult once more.
Juvenile court is a special court that deals with under age defendants that are charged with crimes, who are neglected, or out of their parent’s control. The average age of the Defendants are younger than 18, but juvenile court doesn’t have jurisdiction in cases in which a minor is charged as an adult. The procedure of juvenile court is to involve parents or social workers and probation officers in order to achieve positive results and prevent minors from future crimes. However, serious crimes and repeated offenses can result in the juvenile offender being sentenced to a prison, with a transfer to a state prison when they reach adulthood. According to the film “Prison States”, Christel Tribble’s was a 15-year-old from Kentucky who was diagnosed
However, these benefits and services do not apply to all age groups within the prison system. Teens being isolated in prison can cause neurological and psychological damage, which constitutes as one of the major reasons for not allowing any barriers to prevent minors from receiving the help they need (Dimon, 2014). Adults on the other hand are more prone to encountering barriers when receiving the benefits and services entitled in House Bill 790 because the four-hour period in solitary does not apply them. The level of culpability is significantly different in teenage offenders than in adult offenders (Kirchner, 2014). Furthermore, the effects of solitary are proven to be more detrimental to juveniles than Adults (Kirchner, 2014). In House Bill 790 it is evident and required for minors to be well informed about how they are supposed to be treated and the services that are offered when being placed in solitary
Juvenile Courts in the United States find their origins in English custom and law. As early as the 16th century, poor laws and chancery courts were meant to protect minors, either through allowing the government to take custody, or protect their property rights respectively. These actions were justified by the legal philosophy parens patriae, which holds that the government is the true guardian of the needy and infirm, including dependent children, which gives the government authority to act on behalf of a child. This philosophy was the original guiding principle that the juvenile system held at the turn of the 20th century, although the juvenile system began to shift back towards crime control and the adult system during the late 20th century.
The juvenile justice system faces a significant challenge in identifying and responding to the psychiatric disorders of detained youth because research has shown that it is difficult to define the best means to use and enhance the scarce mental health resources (Kessler & Kraus, 2007). According to Cocozza and Skowyra (2000) “Children’s and adolescents’ mental health needs have historically been addressed inadequately in policy, practice, and research and have only the number of youth with mental illness and their level of unmet needs recognized” (p 4). Furthermore, that the juvenile justice system has gone from treatment and rehabilitation to retribution and punishment, that the prevalence is higher for youths who are involved with the system have mental health disorders when compared to the general population. In this paper I will be discussing pathways of juvenile detentions, types of mentally ill juvenile offenders, working alliance, treatment/intervention options available, challenges of untreated mental illness, and research findings.
There has always been controversies as to whether juvenile criminals should be tried as adults or not. Over the years more and more teenagers have been involved in committing crimes. In some cases the juries have been too rough on the teens. Trying teens as adults can have a both positive and negative views. For example, teens that are detained can provide information about other crimes, can have an impact in social conditions, and serve as experience; however, it can be negative because teens are still not mature enough for that experience, they are exposed to adult criminals; and they will lose out on getting an education.
This paper describes the various legislations and movements that were established in 19th century to address the issue of juvenile justice system. It outlines the challenges faced by the legislation and movements and their implications in addressing the issues of the juvenile justice system.
The history of Juvenile Justice dates back to the early 1800s. Child were classified as adults when committing a crime. When a children reached the age of five they were put into society and were treated as adults. Changes to the juvenile justice system did not begin until the early 1800s. The first institution was the House of Refuge, which separated the children from the outside world. Many of the institutions that were made were designed to separate juveniles from adults and for them to be treated differently. The first juvenile court was established in Cook County, IL in 1899. The system wanted to help them find alternatives from doing wrong and treat them as way to stay out of trouble and ‘adult’ jail. Parens patriae plays a huge roll
Over the years many laws and policies have been created and altered. As a result many activities have become illegal. With so many laws in place now, juvenile crime is also on the rise. More and more juveniles are being sent to prison than ever before. The goal of the juvenile justice system was to rehabilitate but now it is more focused on punishment. However, many rehabilitation programs are still in place to help delinquent juveniles get back on the path to becoming successful productive members of society. One program that comes to mind is the restorative justice program.
The United States has been affected by a number of crimes committed by juveniles. The juvenile crime rate has been increasing in recent years. Everyday more juveniles commit crimes for various reasons. They act as adults when they are not officially adults. There is a discussion about how juveniles should be punished if they commit heinous crimes. While many argue that juveniles who commit serious crimes, such as murder, should be treated as adults, the fact is, juveniles under the age of eighteen, are not adults, and should not be treated as such.
The juvenile system was first established in the United States around 1899 when Illinois had their first court appearance including a juvenile. This then led to the Nation’s first juvenile system being created, which was for youth under the age of eighteen who have been convicted of crimes. Up until then, most youth were tried as an adult until the system was put into place. The system has different sections in which they youth is taken in such as: intake, adjudication, disposition, and post adjudicatory.
Due to the increased recognized differences between adults and juveniles in terms of needs and developmental capabilities, offender’s treatment differ depending on whether they are treated in an adult or juvenile court. In the adult court jurisdiction, public safety and retribution are the most salient tenets while in the juvenile courts the best the intentions are intended towards the best interest of the child focusing on rehabilitation. The best goals and objectives of the juvenile court sanctions aim at ensuring that the youth in trial at the juvenile court desists from delinquent behavior and thus easy to be reintegrated in the society once more. This fact is mainly achieved through offering the youth individualized case management programs
The Illinois Juvenile Court Act of 1899 was the first juvenile court established in the United States (Locked Up…). The juvenile court was created to handle the offenders on the basis on their rather than their crime. In the 1980’s and 90’s many states passed laws to try teens as adults (Should Juveniles…). The court system served to the minors under the age of sixteen. The courts didn’t typically support disciplinary actions. The people in charge did everything in their power to not have the victim spend time in a juvenile detention center or better yet prison. Remedial sentences were the most common types of discipline (Locked Up…).
Overall, based on these research and module articles, it is shown that young teens’ brains are still physically changing and that is what makes them different from adults. They are most likely immature and act impulsively, but their brain development is still progressing into adulthood. That shows that young people are not really in control of their mindset, and are more prone to doing irrational things. Lastly, juveniles’ backgrounds should not make them tried as adults. The crimes they have committed are like adults, but it doesn’t mean they are automatically adults. These young inmates needed help and support and it is rehabilitation. These articles’ purpose is to demonstrate an logical argument to emphasize the issues of why juveniles should