No Matter How Loud I Shout
analytical Essay
1530 words
The book, No Matter How Loud I Shout, takes an in-depth look at the juvenile court system in the state of California in the 1990s. Through a colorful narrative story the author, Edward Humes, paints of vivid picture of the how dysfunctional the system truly was. The main focus is on the various ways the system has failed many of the juveniles that it is intended to help. Peggy Beckstrand, the Deputy District Attorney, says it best “The first thing you learn about this place, is that nothing works.” (No Matter How Loud I Shout, 1996, p.31) The one beacon of hope the juvenile court has is Judge Roosevelt Dorn. Judge Dorn is known in the court systems as one of the toughest judges. He was known for harsh sentences and often trying children in the adult courts. However, Judge Dorn may seem cruel he is merely doing what he feels is best for the child. He sees the same cases and scenarios day in and day out. He knows that stability is the thing these kids need most. Through the eyes of the juveniles, they feel that they are a product of the states neglecting. Many, such as George Trevino, were shuffled from foster home to foster home. Having never received a loving and supporting home environment he was forced to turn to street gangs for a sense of community. It was no surprise that he ended up in the system early and often. For others it was the fitness laws that failed them. The fitness law states that any juvenile at or above the age of sixteen can be tried in the adult courts and sent to a federal penitentiary. However, a juvenile under the age of sixteen must be tried in the juvenile system and receive lesser punishment than those tried in the adult courts. In both instance the court fails juveniles. Too often ... ... middle of paper ... ...d time involved but in the long run keeping children out of prison and the adult system in general will save more money. This quote by Edward Humes sums it up the best, “The fundamental question Juvenile Court was designed to ask - What's the best way to deal with this individual kid? - is often lost in the process, replaced by a point system that opens the door, or locks it, depending on the qualities of the crime, not the child.” (No Matter How Loud I shout, 1996, p. 325). The courts need to focus on what is best for the child and finding punishment that fits the child not the crime. Works Cited Humes, Edward. No Matter How Loud I Shout: A Year in the Life of Juvenile Court. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996. Vito, Gennaro F., and Clifford E. Simonsen. Juvenile justice today. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edward humes' no matter how loud i shout takes an in-depth look at the juvenile court system in california in the 1990s.
- Opines that judge roosevelt dorn is the beacon of hope the juvenile court has. he is known for harsh sentences and often trying children in the adult courts.
- Analyzes how juveniles feel that they are a product of the states neglecting. many, such as george trevino, were forced to turn to street gangs for community.
- Analyzes how children like george trevino get stuck in the vicious cycle of poverty, violence, and crime. they turn towards their gangs, the only real ‘family’ they have ever known.
- Analyzes how the case of george trevino was an exceptional one in which his real family was no longer in the picture. his brother proved to be the worst type of influence, getting him into trouble by running away and joining gangs.
- Argues that juveniles in adult courts are forced to accept a punishment that does not allow for the nurturing and growth that they need.
- Analyzes how andre's case shows how much of a difference learning how to care about life again can truly make.
- Opines that sister janet, a worker in the juvenile hall, can see this best. she works with the kids daily writing personal short stories and poems.
- Analyzes how society has given up on juveniles and the whole system in general. even joseph gutierrez can see how dysfunctional the system is.
- Opines that this attitude makes most cases fail and sends kids back onto the streets to commit more time. their presence in court can make all the difference and get the juvenile the help and discipline that they require to become functioning adults in american society.
- Opines that peggy beckstrand is fighting her hardest to get these children in the system that they deserve. a 16-year-old who commits murder and takes another's life deserves adult punishment.
- Explains that gerry gault's case changed the court system forever. the supreme court heard the case and created the juvenile justice system. california experienced a boom in juvenile crime rates.
- Explains the changes that took place due to the gault case, such as that evidence was "obtained under dubious circumstances" was to be inadmissible in courts, and acts addressing the rights of juveniles.
- Analyzes how edward humes researched the juvenile court system in california in the 1990s. the juvenile system was dysfunctional, and the state was covering its problems with bandages instead of healing the root of the problem.
- Quotes edward humes to summarise how the fundamental question that juvenile court was designed to ask is often lost in the process, replaced by a point system that opens the door, or locks it, depending on the qualities of the crime.
Related
- analytical
- opinion
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- America's Juvenile Justice Systemanalytical essayThe 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the juvenile justice system, since its conception over a century ago, has been one at conflict with itself.
- Opines that our modern approach is ill-equipped to reduce crime or deal with chronic delinquents while at the same time protecting their due liberties.
- Analyzes the different theoretical issues pertaining to the modern juvenile court, determines their origin, and suggests a course of action for resolving these issues.
- Explains that colonial american children were perceived to be small adults, able to interact with grown-ups and participate in mature society. they were placed in the homes of others or, as technology enabled the industrial revolution, in factories and other locations of modern industry.
- Analyzes how the 'child saving' movement worked to segregate children from society both directly and indirectly based on middle class, protestant, white, rural idealists who viewed childhood as a stage of moral immaturity and impressionability.
- Analyzes how the progressives formed the first juvenile court in chicago in 1899, creating a formal age-based distinction between juvenile and adult offenders and their institutional separation.
- Explains that the progressives' concept, known as parens patriae, gave the court broad authority to substitute its own control over children for that of the natural parents when the latter appeared unable or unwilling to meet their responsibilities.
- Explains that hearings were closed and juvenile records were sealed. euphemisms are used for every step of the process, such as juvenile offenders being referred to as 'delinquents'
- Explains that early juvenile court, by its very nature, was a highly informal system of paternal justice. due process was unnecessary because the interests of the child and the judge were seen as mutual.
- Explains that a lack of due process made some punishments wildly inappropriate. in re gault, the supreme court mandated that all juveniles have the right to most forms
- Analyzes how gault, along with a series of related decisions, formed the warren court revolution that afforded numerous protections and forms of due process to juveniles.
- Analyzes humes' book on the need for an adversarial system. both the defense and the prosecution are obliged to take extreme positions.
- Analyzes how judge dorn is presented with a kid who hit the school bully over the head for tormenting him repeatedly. the child's public defender refuses to let him plead guilty.
- Analyzes how the situation is exacerbated when lawyers are lazy or incompetent or the juvenile decides to waive counsel altogether — something that is possible even without parental consent.
- Explains that in mckeiver v. pennsylvania, the rehabilitative nature of courts allowed this portion of a juvenile's due process to be waived because children were not subject to punishment for their offenses but rather treatment.
- Analyzes how judges, as feld demonstrates, are more likely to find suspects guilty, whereas substantive criminal guilt represents a complex social assessment of moral culpability and legal guilt.
- Explains that two short years after the creation of the first juvenile court, its jurisdiction was expanded to include youth who were?incorrigible? or growing up in 'idleness.
- Argues that allowing for status offense statutes creates numerous problems, including inconsistencies and discrimination.
- Explains that three post-gault reforms changed status offenses in america during the 1970?s. diversion conserved valuable resources and skirted the due process problem by allowing nuisance cases to be handled informally through alternative means.
- Analyzes how judge dorn terrorizes the public defender's office by opening his court to parents of status offender youth. he calls these meetings the juvenile system?s best chance to help families.
- Analyzes how the court operated on a pretense of rehabilitation that rationalized its lack of due process in the gault decision.
- Explains that many states have changed their juvenile codes' statement of legislative purpose from suggestions of rehabilitation to those of accountability and punishment. this overt change stems from a complex?get tough? social movement that has been at work since the 1980s.
- Explains that in order to mollify public fears of older, dangerous juveniles, policy makers brought retributive, adult punishment into the purview of the juvenile court. mandatory sentencing laws are one such manifestation.
- Opines that stricter sentencing guidelines lead to racial and class-based discrimination. rehabilitation is difficult without considering the structural condition of a juvenile's situation.
- Explains that juvenile justice waiver laws were changed to decrease judges' discretion and pull more youth into the adult criminal system based on retribution and tough sentencing.
- Analyzes humes' case of john sloan before judge dorn, where a good middle-class kid with no prior criminal record is caught in an inept attempt to rob the man at gunpoint
- Analyzes how george trevino, abandoned at age six by his parents, commits crime after crime without serious punishment until he is caught in a botched home robbery attempt where the only person hurt is an accomplice.
- Argues that stopping juvenile crime early through preventative programming is important when reforming the juvenile justice system.
- Proposes that individual communities develop concise statutes to identify chronic truancy or curfew violators as?at-risk? youth.
- Opines that if a judge determines youth to be at-risk, he could place them into programs similar to the children at risk program to encourage school attendance, provide familial crisis relief and other services.
- Argues that the approach based on objective measurements related to the risk youth pose to a community would pass the strict scrutiny found in other areas such as curfew regulations.
- Analyzes hirschi and gottfredson's ridiculous assertion that if people can be excused from the penalties of the law because they have low self-control, we would be forced by the same logic to excuse adult offenders.
- Suggests that the focus should shift from rehabilitation and preventative programming to deterrence and retribution after growing up as a chronic offender.
- Analyzes dawson's argument that a wholesale merger of the adult and juvenile systems would result in net decrease in the resources now devoted to the two systems combined.
- Opines that removing older youth from the system would further concentrate our thin resources and focus them on those who may still be malleable to reformation.
- Argues that if only 1% of older offenders are waived, this problem will be mitigated.
- Argues that drawing one line is the only way to avoid the problems associated with waiver laws that provide too much discretion that lends itself to discrimination and to provide consistency.
3741 wordsRead More - History of the Juvenile Justice Systemanalytical essayThis paper will discuss the history of the juvenile justice system and how it has come to be what it is today. When a juvenile offender commits a crime and is sentenced to jail or reform school, the offender goes to a separate jail or reforming place than an adult. It hasn’t always been this way. Until the early 1800’s juveniles were tried just like everyone else. Today, that is not the case. This paper will explain the reforms that have taken place within the criminal justice system that developed the juvenile justice system.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the history of the juvenile justice system and how it has come to be what it is today.
- Analyzes how the progressives pushed for universal reform in the criminal justice system. they viewed juvenile offenders as adolescents in need of care and direction, not punishment.
- Explains the rise of parens patriae, which said that the state had an assenting duty to get involved and care for the less fortunate kids. juvenile hearings were held in private and the juvenile's records were sealed to avoid the disgrace of a criminal conviction
- Explains that houses of refuge are charitable institutions that provide refuge and shelter to the homeless, impoverished, and delinquent children.
- Explains that early reforms to the justice system were made because society had a liability to recuperate the lives of its youthful offenders before they became immersed in the criminal doings.
- Explains how the 16th century educational reform movement in england inspired the movement for the juvenile justice system reforms.
- Explains that juvenile courts have original power over all criminal acts done by juveniles. there are three plausible methods of taking a juvenile affair to criminal court, which can occur only when authorized or mandated by statute.
- Explains that the public's view of youth hostility has led to extensive support for the dismantling of the juvenile court system and the execution of tougher crime legislation.
- Explains that juvenile courts process over one million delinquency and status offense cases yearly. juvenile courts adjudicate these cases and might order probation or housing placement.
- Explains that the rehabilitative form of juvenile justice was popular during the first half of the twentieth century, but it unraveled in the 1960s.
- Analyzes how conventional politicians questioned the juvenile justice system and showed elevated recidivism rates as proof that treatment and rehab was not a success.
- Explains that as adolescent crime rates, predominantly homicide, rose, politicians around the nation hurried to pass strong policies through various governmental strategies.
- Concludes that the criminal justice system and juvenile justice have completely changed over the last few hundred years.
- Cites cannon, a., and beiser, v. (2004). juvenile injustice.
- Explains greene, sprott, madon, n. s., & jung, m. punishing processes in youth court.
- Analyzes how procedural justice, court atmosphere, and youths' views on the legitimacy of the justice system are discussed in canadian journal of criminology & criminal justice.
- Analyzes klein, eric k., "dennis the menace or billy the kid: an analysis of the role of transfer."
- Cites myers, j. b., a short history of child protection in america, family law quarterly.
2654 wordsRead More - No Matter How Loud I Shout Summaryopinion essayThis an extremely well written and powerful book written by Edward Humes. Humes shared his thoughts, observations, and criticisms about the juvenile justice system after a “riveting ride” through the Los Angeles Juvenile Court within his book, “No Matter How Loud I Shout.” The manner in which the book is written makes it fairly easy to read, demanding your attention while allowing for a simple follow along. I feel as if the book has given me much more insight and broader knowledge of the juvenile justice system, particularly the juvenile court system of Los Angeles.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that edward humes' "no matter how loud i shout" is an extremely well-written and powerful book.
- Analyzes how humes reveals an in-depth view of the children's life, their treatment within the system, how they think and feel, and all the factors that influence their fate upon the decision of courts.
- Opines that the juveniles courts focus less on the children in danger, and focus more on dangerous children. this is the underlying reasoning behind juveniles being tried as adults.
- Opines that humes' book is important because it displays the voices of many that you normally wouldn't listen to. they felt that things were simply not right and that something needed to change or be implemented within the system.
- Opines that juvenile delinquency and crime needs to be addressed and funds should be allocated to research in order to control the increased rates of juvenile crime and provide more programs for rehabilitation. the voice of the juvenile is important when considering a grant proposal.
- Opines that humes' book displays the honest truth of how the juvenile justice system works and an eye-opening, experience-oriented view of the system.
651 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of The Criminal Justice Systemanalytical essayDuring one of our class sessions we discussed the different areas within the criminal justice system. The topic of courts and sentencing specifically of juveniles was mentioned. As we get to know the inside students we learn some of their backstory of how they ended up at Joseph Harp Correctional Facility, many of them had their first contact with the criminal justice system as a juvenile. Several of the inside students expressed animosity toward the courts when it came to sentencing of juveniles. They thought that some of the ways juveniles are sentenced is too harsh.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how inside students expressed animosity toward the courts when it came to sentencing of juveniles.
- Explains that many states have similar juvenile systems that stem from the juvenile system established in 1899. the states wanted a more effective and humane way of dealing with young criminals.
- Explains that the united states is the only place where life without parole exists for juveniles. according to austin and irwin (2011), at least 1,755 people are serving sentences for crimes committed when they were legally classified.
- Explains that pennsylvania has the once an adult always an adult rule, which means that once a juvenile has been processed in the adult court, their future hearings and sentencing will always be in an adult
- Explains that the u.s. supreme court decided that life without parole for juveniles could not be applied in cases of homicide. graham v. florida ruled that young people must be given some "meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation."
- Explains that one of the inside students was passionate about this topic because he has personally experienced being a juvenile sentenced to life without parole.
709 wordsRead More - Juvenile Delinquencyanalytical essayJuvenile delinquency is a problem that affects society as a whole. Understanding Juvenile delinquency is important because it is part of trying to figure out how people in American society should react to it; specifically, in terms of law enforcement officers, their agencies, and State legislators. When deviant behavior becomes "continuous, chronic and widespread it gets perceived as a significant part of the population as threatening to the general well-being of society" (Thompson and Bynum, 2010, p. 44). This is a societal problem that requires attention from various forms of social control. However, a lot of the burden is absorbed by an imperfect Juvenile Justice System. As time has passed, argument has ensued over what should be done with the Juvenile Court System. Should the court system be reformed or simply abolished? Barry C. Feld believes that there are enough factors to support the abolishment of the Juvenile Court System and supports an integrated approach (Hickey, 2010). Others, like Vincent Schiraldi and Jason Ziedenberg, believe that the transfer of kids "into adult court is unnecessary, harmful and racist" (Kelly, 2010, Lecture Unit 3). While reforming the system may seem like the best idea, there are certain factors that inhibit proper changes from being made. Creating a separate court system for juveniles has caused a number of consequences for youth.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that juvenile delinquency affects society as a whole. it requires attention from various forms of social control, but an imperfect juvenile justice system absorbs the burden.
- Explains that the original concept behind the juvenile court system was an emphasis on rehabilitation rather than punishment. the dichotomies of "treatment-punishment" and "child-adult" have been skewed.
- Argues that juvenile courts lack resources to provide social welfare for children because the responsibility of providing child welfare does not rest solely on the juvenile court.
- Analyzes how gerald gault challenged the juvenile code of arizona for lack of constitutionality. the supreme court granted some changes in rights but not all.
- Opines that juvenile courts lack conception and combine social welfare with state coercion, resulting in mediocre functionality at best.
- Asks whether feld is correct in his belief that the creation of a separate juvenile court system has led to unanticipated negative consequences for both children and justice.
- Explains thompson, w. e., and bynum, j.e. juvenile delinquency: a sociological approach.
- Cites fortas' opinion of the court supreme court of the united states: 387 u.s.
1498 wordsRead More - Life is precious and we live it only once, however, what we do with it is to our own discretion. It is a shame that many people at young ages decide to live a life of misdeeds and become what we call juvenile criminals, but, every action has a consequence and to deal with these unlawful adolescent we have the Juvenile Justice Department. The juvenile justice system is a network of agencies that deal with juveniles whose conduct has come in conflict with the law. These agencies include police, prosecutor, detention, court, probation, and the Department of Juvenile Corrections. However, when young offenders commit a series of crimes, constantly being in trouble with the law, they are waivered into Adult court where they will be subject to any
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the juvenile justice system is a network of agencies that deal with juveniles whose conduct has come in conflict with the law.
- Asks whether being tried as adults exposes juveniles to state penitentiaries and sentences up to life in prison without parole and even execution. is there an age limit for introducing them into the adult justice system?
- Opines that young delinquents come disproportionately from impoverished single parents homes located in disinvested neighborhoods and have high rates of learning disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse problems.
- Quotes ken stier's article, "getting the juvenile-justice system to grow up", which affirms that 200,000 youths are tried, sentenced or incarcerated as adults.
- Analyzes the psychological aspect of the difference between an adult criminal mind and a minor's in norman poythress, frances j. lexcen, thomas grisso, and laurence steinberg'
- Explains that juvenile delinquents are subjected to the harsh cruelty of penitentiary life where most are raped, beaten, and subject to any abuse seen and known in these prisons.
- Opines that society plays an important role in a child's development and the way they are raised. if the government, schools and local churches unite, crime rates would decrease, prison would not over populate, and teens would probably stay out of trouble.
- Argues that juvenile delinquents should be punished in accordance with the severity of their crimes, not the "tenderness" of age.
- Opines that humans adapt to their surroundings and are influenced by their upbringing that can determine who they may be in the future.
1252 wordsRead More - Juvenile Justice System Analysisexplanatory essayThe community and the courts began to view juveniles as capable of molding and rehabilitating, so thus began a modification in the court system and sentencing of juvenile offenders. In 1899, the first US court system existed in Cook County, Illinois which opened up doors to numerous juvenile court systems. “Children were no longer to be dealt with as criminals, but rather through the parens patriae power of the state were to be treated as wards of the state, not fully responsible for their conduct and capable of being rehabilitated (Davis, 1976, p. 3).” Parens patriae: the notion that grants the state power and authority to protect juvenile offenders who are unable to care for themselves is important because the court moved from viewing juveniles as criminals to juveniles as delinquents, a minor between the age of 10 and 17 who violated the law (Juvenile Delinquents). Juveniles violates laws while adults commit crimes. Instead of imprisonment of the juvenile delinquent the court assessed why the juvenile violated the law and tried to treat the child’s problem by sentencing them to an intervention program rather than placing them in prison. The judge, “the father figure,” stood dedicated to protecting the juvenile rather than punishing (Davis, 1976, p. 3) making sure to evaluate the best interest of the
In this essay, the author
- Explains the history of the juvenile justice system dating back to the 1760s when william blackstone published the commentaries on the laws of england.
- Explains that the first us court system existed in cook county, illinois in 1899, which opened up doors to numerous juvenile court systems.
458 wordsRead More - Children Tried as Adultsanalytical essayShook, J. (2005). Contesting childhood in the us justice system: The transfer of juveniles to adult criminal court. Childhood: A Global Journal of Child Research, 12(4), 461-478.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that it is unfair for american children to know that though they can be innocent, they are treated as adults when they turn thirteen in some states.
- Explains that age eighteen is accepted as a norm because the constitution states that under the 26th amendment, people can vote.
- Explains that there are no state laws or federal laws set to decide at what age a person is eligible to go to an adult court or prison if proven guilty for an unpardonable crime.
- Explains that the use of juvenile hall and adult prisons is decreasing because states are increasing the sending of delinquent children directly to an adult jail.
- Opines that the ydc has some flaws like child treatment abuse and neglect, but it is still better to confine the minor there than send him or her directly to adult prison.
- Analyzes how the book human rights in our own backyard finds that one-quarter of all african american teen males and one in ten latino teens have or will be in their lifetime, incarcerated for at least a year.
- Analyzes how the "war on drugs" caused disproportionality of people caged in terms of race for both adult jails and juvenile hall.
- Explains that the united nations has set up covenants and the universal declaration of human rights for every country to follow when treating juvenile delinquents.
- Explains that the united states had signed the iccpr on october 5, 1977 and ratified it on june 8, 1992, but the country has yet to employ fully the rights the child has under the treaty.
- Compares the iccpr's treatment of juveniles to the first amendment, which covers the freedom of religion.
- Argues that children's rights are abrogated regularly in the justice process, stating that they are at psychosocial disadvantages in terms of responsibility, peer influence, temperance and perspective.
- States that article 5 of the udhr says that there should not be cruel and unusual punishment. the united states was executing minors until 2005, but the supreme court declared it unconstitutional.
- Cites cottle, t, ellens, schnell, yamini-diouf, & wolfe, m. (2003). evaluation of a mental health treatment court with assertive community treatment.
- Cites marrus, e., rosenberg, i. and benekos, p. on waiver and juvenile justice reform.
- Analyzes redlich, quas, and ghetti's research on the perceptions of children during a police interrogation.
2235 wordsRead More - Arguments For and against Waiveranalytical essayJuvenile Justice Reforms in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2011, from Juvenile Transfer to Criminal Courts: http://www.ojjdp.gov
In this essay, the author
- Explains that racial disparity has become a huge concern especially with studies which have shown prejudice facts.
- Explains the process of transferring juveniles to adult courts has shown no effects on decreasing recidivism or a deterrent outcome.
- Argues that there are doubts in the effectiveness of the waiver process, citing studies that show youth transferred to adult prisons had a 30% higher recidivism rate than youth who stayed in juvenile system.
- Cites elizabeth w. mcnulty, p., and d. macallair, 'the color of justice: an analysis of juvenile justice
- Cites olson, j. k. (2005, may). waiver of juvniles to criminal courts.
928 wordsRead More - Current Views on Juvenile Probationanalytical essayWhitehead, J. T., & Lab, S. P. (2013). Juvenile justice: An introduction (7th ed.). Waltham, MA: Anderson Publishing.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that juvenile probation is not a new practice, but one that is always getting refined. there are some trends, both past and present, that point in the direction society as whole wants the programs to go.
- Explains that juvenile probation is a balanced approach that combines restorative justice, rehabilitation, and classical criminology.
- Explains that at least one state is joining the forces of the juvenile justice department and the child welfare departments to reduce truancy and further crimes by catching on to high risk juveniles early before they turn criminal.
- Opines that studies have been conducted on reentry programs and other interventions but have not found a clear cut or simple answer. the unfortunate issue is rehabilitation over incarceration.
- Analyzes probation departments' view of attack probation, which is getting away from the social service model of helping juveniles and moving towards finding a reason to charge them with more crimes.
- Explains that juvenile probation handles on average over 50 percent of all juvenile cases adjudicated delinquent, not to mention the cases that aren't.
- Cites peters, c. m. and urban, l. (2008). issues in juvenile program implementation: a case study.
570 wordsRead More