Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

Juvenile Justice System Trends

The juvenile justice system in America is under fire. As juvenile violence continues to escalate, conventional methods of holding juveniles accountable for their actions have come under increasing scrutiny and criticism. The Northeastern University conducted study Trends in Juvenile Violence cites “a 22% rise from 1990 to 1994 in the rate of murder by teens aged 14 to 17. This jump occurred while the teenage population as a whole was on the decline” (Klein 2).

Conventionally, most Americans and the justice system has viewed juveniles who commit crimes as more deserving of a second chance than adults. However, in light of escalating crime committed by juveniles this mentality has begun to change. Along with the change has come pressure from politicians, citizens, and other groups who advocate more stringent forms of punishment and sanctions for juveniles who commit crimes. Because of this pressure, the juvenile justice system has responded with a series of changes that demonstrate trends with respect to juvenile sentencing, confinement, rehabilitation, and treatment.

When it comes to sentencing and confinement, more juveniles are being tried as adults for violent crimes like rape and murder. Along with those adult trials come adult sentences such as life in jail and even the death penalty. Most states have already passed laws making it easier to try minors as adults and, if successful, impose adult sentences on them. This trend continues even though studies show that jailing juvenile offenders increases the rate of recidivism and promotes more violent behavior “Jailing juveniles alongside adults will merely produce more street gladiators…In a study of fifteen and sixteen-year-old felons, researchers found that children tried in adult courts had higher rates of recidivism than those tired in juvenile courts for similar crimes” (Covering 2).

The problem with the current trends in

...

Page 1 of 3 Next >

More on Juvenile Justice System Trends...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
Juvenile Justice System Trends. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 19:40, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1685790.html