Case Study: You Do The Crime, You Do The Time

You Do the Crime, You Do the Time

The act of participating in a crime by a minor is considered juvenile delinquency. This criminal act may be punished by many different means, designed specifically to deal with those who are under the statutory age of majority, which is the threshold of adulthood in law. However, many people argue that the severity of the juvenile prosecution system isn't high enough to order proper punishment. Therefore, juvenile offenders should be tried under adult laws. In 1899, the Juvenile Court Act was approved which established the nation's first juvenile court. It was founded on three principles: young offenders are not ready to be held accountable, have not fully developed a sense of maturity, and can rehabilitate as well as change their behavior. Now, anyone charged with committing a criminal act before their 18th birthday is considered a juvenile offender. More than ever, the country has begun to question the reliability of the juvenile courts. The juvenile court system should be abolished. It is not only too unrestricted for the juvenile offenders, but is also an inefficient response to

They believe that juveniles are different from adults, and the due process requirements give the juveniles a wider chance of intervention. However, punishment for the juvenile offenders is the least effective means to change their behavior and it often has negative effects as well. The juvenile court system does not provide young offenders a second chance or the possibility for rehabilitation.

Many of the worst offenders that have been acquitted are back out on the streets; the chances of getting attacked are just too big of a risk. Instead of concentrating on minor crimes officials should focus on more serious cases, such as rape or murder. The smaller delinquents can soon turn into dangerous criminals and they won't be punished until it's too