Juvenile Crime System
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This paper is a discussion of the pros and cons of having a separate system of justice to deal with juvenile crime. Since the first courts were established to provide for different ways of dealing with youthful offenders, American society has gone through alternating waves in its opinions about whether age should determine an individual=s culpability and what the primary purpose of juvenile justice should be. Research has tried to find out whether more severe penalties or the assignment of certain crimes to adult courts, despite the age of the perpetrator, have any effects on the frequency or the rate of recidivism of especially violent crimes, with mixed results. The system as it exists treats younger offenders inconsistently, often depriving them of rights which are routinely part of the adult system. Most experts agree that juvenile justice in America needs reform but disagree on the extent to which change is needed. This paper argues that children who break the law should in fact be treated differently from adults but that the existing structure needs, at the very least, modifications that take their relative youth into account.Juvenile justice as a concept in America has its roots in the early part of the 1800s. Lawrence M. Friedman (1985) writes, AAs early as 1825, New York set up a >House of Refuge= for juveniles@ (p. 598). Jeffrey M. Jenson and Matthew O. Howard (1998, July) note, AThe House of Refuge, and the development of institutions for juveniles in Massa
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he juvenile justice system in America. He (1999, October) writes, AMajor issues we see repeated in troubled institutions have to do with crowding, special needs populations (especially juveniles who are very young, mentally ill or mentally retarded), the increased use of adult correctional practices in juvenile facilities and education@ (p. 149).
Crowding stretches institutional resources and often prevents institutions from separating Avulnerable juveniles from those who may harm them@ (Rosenbaum, 1999, October, p. 149). It also makes giving adequate education difficult or impossible, magnifying the problems faced in ordinary classrooms with too many students and not enough teachers by adding the element of the delinquency of those students to an already complex mix.
Juveniles with special needs are sometimes more likely to enter the juvenile justice system and may not be properly diagnosed, since Apredictable behavior relating to mental illness [can be] interpreted by inadequately trained staff as disobedience, defiance or even threats (Rosenbaum, 1999, October, p. 151). Even when a proper diagnosis is made, the child=s special needs may not be met as effectively as they would be in the regular school system because of the l
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Lionel Tate, Department Justice, Jenson Howard, , House Refuge, Alex Kotlowitz, Richard Redding, Amanda Ripley, Steven Rosenbaum, July Youth, juvenile justice, justice system, juvenile justice system, 1999 october, rosenbaum 1999 october, rosenbaum 1999, howard 1998 july, 1998 july, howard 1998, ripley 2001, march 19, 2001 march, 2001 march 19, ripley 2001 march, friedman 1985,
Approximate Word count = 2123
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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