In this article, we shall evaluate the effectiveness of the measures that have been taken to control the children and adolescents who have a high risk of future offending. According to researchers, there has been a lot of arrests of young children and adolescents. Law enforcement in the United States for example arrested 2.4 million children aged 18 years and below. This was a 18% of all arrests made, 33% of all property crimes and 17% of the criminal activities that were committed that year (Snyder, 1999). More significant is that cases of cases of youthful offenders are on the rise on among the young female compared to their male counterparts and this situation is raising an alarm (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1999).
This study will also try to offer suggestions as to how further studies can be improved and how to solve the problem of juvenile delinquency. It will also present some of the limitations that can be faced when conducting studies on this topic of juvenile delinquency. Definition of terms Juvenile delinquency- this is the broad-based term given to juveniles who commit crimes. Juveniles are defined as individuals who haven’t reached adulthood or the age of majority. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-juvenile-delinquency.htm) Delinquency- this is defined as, failure or omission of duty; a fault; a misdeed; an offense; a misdemeanor; a crime.
During this era members in society began to recognize the developmental difference between the juvenile delinquent and the adult criminal offender. The new focus was on rehabilitating the juvenile and repairing the family in order to assist them in becoming more productive members of society. The juvenile justice system was developed based on a rehabilitative model that would focus on the mitigating factors surrounding the juvenile’s delinquency and ensure the juvenile is provided with the necessary programs to successfully recover their lives. The juvenile justice system would take into account childhood abuse and the child family situation and develop programs designed to change their perception and behavior and assist in restoring the family. While this was the focus of the juvenile justice system
How did the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 change the sentencing process for young people? The 1999 Criminal Evidence Act was introduced for the following reasons; to provide for the referral of offenders under 18 to youth offender panels; to make provision in connection with the giving of evidence or information for the purposes of criminal proceedings; to amend section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; to make pre-consolidation amendments relating to youth justice; and for connected purposes.’ [27th July 1999] The Act is about improving the effectiveness of the youth court and preventing offending by children and young people. This is now the principal aim of the youth justice system. Changes to the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act gave further reforms to the youth court, these changes created a new sentence of referral to a youth offender panel, known as a Referral Order. A Referral Order will be available for young people convicted for the first time and its primary aim is to prevent re-offending.
In order to address Goldson’s statement, regarding the effectiveness of imprisonment, alternative measures for rehabilitation of young offenders should be examined. However, simply introducing more constructive but seemingly passive methods of rehabilitation, such as restorative justice, are not always straightforward. The pressure exerted by the media can create ‘moral panics’ (Cohen 1973) which can greatly influence short term political decision- making. Goldson largely discusses what he perceives as the poor conditions of the prisons in which children are detained. In my analysis, I will attempt to also discuss the wider implications punitive methods have on society and how public scrutiny can alter processes in the treatment of young offenders.
Juvenile justice can be defined as the sector of the law applicable to persons not of legal age. Complying with the United Nations Conventions of the Rights of the Child, the juvenile justice system aims to combine the welfare and justice approaches to youth crime, in order to keep the best interests of the child as the most prominent of priorities. However, there remains a considerable list of aims to be addressed when the issue of responding to juvenile justice arises. These include decreasing rates of recidivism, providing rehabilitation into society, and ultimately recognizing that due to mental immaturity and lack of legal knowledge, young offenders require a degree of protection. The extent to which our legal system is able to adequately provide this is at times, questionable.
The youths that are being tried in the adult courts should be offered to better themselves as for they are not fully developed at the ages under eighteen. Punishing a teen by taking away their rights for life is not helping the betterment of society. Another person in prison means more local taxes for another set of clothing, more food, and occasionally, more space to be built. A psychologist could benefit from these children who caused trouble, especially if the trouble was un intentional. Juveniles have greater possibility than adults to make a change in their lives with the right help with counseling and rehabilitation.
Punishing and following up with rehabilitation through community supervision can help prevent crime. Punishment and community supervision should be based on the type of crime. If the appropriate sentence is issued upon a minor, it can help prevent them from future criminal activity. Each act of violent crime is different and every minor has a different back story. Once the crime is committed, the next step should be having a social worker and therapist speak with the minor.
Specifically it: Requires more juvenile offenders to be try in adult court Requires that certain juvenile offenders be held in local or state correctional facilities Changes the types of probation available for juvenile felons Reduces confidentiality protections for juvenile offenders Increases penalties for gang-related crimes and require convicted gang members to register with local law enforcement agencies Increases criminal penalties for certain serious and violent offenses (www.lao.ca.gov) Rehabilitation The juvenile criminal justice system for rehabilitation is a basic system that helps with education, schooling, and a job training; basically giving the juveniles a second chance on life. The Juvenile Justice System is intended to have goals for their public safety as well treatment in California. When it comes to California State Juvenile Justice System are programs that deal with community supervision who handles the juveniles, detention, and incarceration. The goals in the juvenile justice system includes that schooling have social workers that help the youth out on life and organizations that each individual participates in. For a minor who is a juvenile victim is arrested than law enforcement
Juvenile justice module 5 writing Name: Instructor: Task: Date: This chapter has highlighted some of the reasons behind the transfer of juvenile offenders to adult courts. The magnitude of offenses committed by some of the juveniles, for instance, fails to offer them the merit endowed to juveniles whose cases are conducted in juvenile courts. The transfer of such youths is beneficial to themselves as they are in a position to learn about the seriousness of their mistakes, therefore, trying to avoid them since they become aware of the repercussions (Elrod and Ryder 216). Moreover, such an action is beneficial to the society; as these youths do not have the freedom to walk about freely in their communities. Finally, these transfers benefit the system, as it is intricate to handle some cases committed by juveniles, while in juvenile courts.