Accountability Within The Juvenile Justice System

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November 21, 2011 Accountability within the Juvenile Justice System Criminal Justice Abstract: Administration of the juvenile justice system has made remarkable changes in the processing and treatment of juvenile offenders. Police officers play dual roles of crime fighter, public servant, and using the proper discretion in handling juveniles. Officers are also faced with the epidemic of juvenile crime rates rising due to the reckless use of firearms. Courts have made significant changes in administering justice to juveniles moving from a once brutal and ineffective system to now fostering the idea of rehabilitation and appropriate sentencing. Courts are challenged with an array of factors in establishing an effective system of justice for juveniles that holds juveniles accountable as well as prepares them for reintegration into society as productive citizens. Currently the nation is swept with controversy over Juvenile offenders. Of the many components of Juvenile Delinquency; the main issues raised reflects society’s views on Crime Control versus Due Process and how this pertains to juveniles. Are we incarcerating children into a system that does not hold them accountable? My paper will be an analysis of the juvenile justice system, recidivism rates, and how this process affects the outcome of children and administration in the Juvenile Justice System. “Modern legal regulation of children has its roots in the Progressive Era social and legal reforms of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Until that time governments took little interest in the health and welfare of its youngest citizens. The trend of harsh no-nonsense treatment toward youthful offenders was the breeding ground for change introducing the concept of “Hands off Doctrine” this enforced a more rehabilitation oriented method of managing adult and
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