Essay On Restorative Justice System

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When you think of the United States criminal justice system, two words come to mind: retribution and punitive. However on the other side of the spectrum is Australia. Australia which is very well known for its restorative criminal justice program has become the top country in regards to what a lot of people think the United States criminal justice system should become more like. Especially in regards to how juvenile offenders are treated in both countries. By looking at Australia’s restorative justice program in regards to juvenile offenders, maybe there can be a balance found between the United States punitive criminal justice system and Australia’s restorative justice program when looking at juvenile offenders. Restorative justice hasn’t …show more content…

Even though the focus throughout history in the United States has always been back and forth between rehabbing these offenders and punishing them, its focus seemed to be chosen on whether or not juvenile delinquency is considered a social problem during the time period or not. This differences did not emerge in Australia which makes the United States different in regards to juvenile offenders from the beginning of the country’s history. The earliest juvenile institution in the United States was the House of Refugees. This House was formed to put juvenile offenders to work, but it was based off of a culture view that juveniles who were in poverty are seen as potential offenders. However it was reformed when childhood was looked at as innocents in need of protection and treatment instead of miniature adults. After the House of Refugees was dismantled in the 1890s. The Juvenile Court Act in Illinois passed in 1899 which created the first juvenile court and stated that the welfare of the children is imperative. (Artello, Muschert, & Spencer, 2015) By recognizing that childhood was different from adulthood, the juvenile courts focused on rehabilitation for those offenders and the discovery that adolescence

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