Essay on American Juvenile Justice System - 2008 Words

The American criminal justice system is comprised of criminal courts, correctional facilities, and law enforcement officials. Each of these components also make up the juvenile justice system but the operations of each differs with juveniles than with adults who are suspected of committing criminal acts. A juvenile offender is an individual under a certain age who is suspected of having committed a crime or a status offense. A status offense is an offense that if committed by an adult, would be legal or acceptable. Examples of status offenses are truancy, under aged consumption of alcoholic beverages, and running away from home. Law enforcement officials use their discretion when determining how to pursue status offenses involving†¦show more content†¦In either case, evidence obtained in violation of Fourth Amendment rights are not allowed to be presented during a trial or hearing. Juveniles may be approached and questioned by law enforcement officers without probable cause and may walk away without answering questions. For example, an officer on foot patrol may stop a young person who just happens to look suspicious. The officer may ask for identification but the young person does not have to comply, and are well within their rights if they respectfully choose to ignore the request. If in the process of questioning, the officer feels that the youth imposes a danger to him, themselves, or any other person, they may conduct a Terry search or â€Å"pat down† to ensure that they aren’t in danger. While adult cases are held in adult criminal court, with offenders being tried by a jury of their peers, juvenile cases are referred to as adjudication hearings and do not involve a jury. Prior to a trial, an adult offender may be placed on bail. A youthful offender has a special hearing in order to determine if they will be allowed to remain with parents or an adult guardian outside of a detention center. Another difference between ad ult and juvenile processes are the initial investigations by law enforcement officers. Miranda warnings must be given to an adult prior to questioning or interrogation. Youthful offenders under the age of 14 must have parents or guardians present before they are questioned. ThoseShow MoreRelatedThe American Juvenile Justice System1043 Words   |  5 PagesThe American juvenile justice system had developed over the past century with a number of variables that makes it different from the adult criminal justice process. Juvenile justice advocates supports the differences on the youthful offenders. Juvenile crime policy over the course of the twentieth century talks about transferring the law’s conceptions of young offenders. Starting from the nineteenth century, many of the youths were tried and punished as adults. However, treatment of juveniles in theRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Juvenile Justice System1248 Words   |  5 PagesRace and Sentencing It has been brought up that certain race and ethic affects a person’s sentencing. Many studies have addressed the question are African Americans treated more severely than similarly situated whites? (Mitchell, 2005). Observers had indeed noted that black defendants get more severe sentencing than white defendants do (Spohn, 1981). For many years’ social scientist has examined this theory and came up with three explanations, racial discrimination, Wealth discrimination, andRead MoreThe High Incarceration Rate Of Juveniles1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe high incarceration rate of juveniles is a significant social problem that affects society as a whole as well as the youth’s individual welfare and developmental trajectory. Adolescents who are incarcerated in the juvenile justice system face a multitude of negative lifelong implications. The history of incarcerating youth in residential facilities such as juvenile halls, camps, ranches or group homes as a consequenc e for committing crimes has a deep-rooted history in the United States. â€Å"For moreRead MoreJuvenile Justice Systems833 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Juvenile crime is a term around the world that is difficult to pinpoint and although there are several definitions many fail to be concrete. There are many factors that play into sentencing juveniles or minors upon a crime committed. How old are they? Can they mentally form criminal intent? Are they old enough to no longer be treated as children? Some people would argue that a criminal is just that, regardless of age. Research on the other hand shows that juveniles have underdevelopedRead MoreThe Effects Of Incarceration On The Social Of African American Juveniles1487 Words   |  6 PagesDisciplinary changes applied to the juvenile justice system in addition to negative impressions of juvenile males have caused juvenile male incarceration rates to surge. African American male juveniles encounter racial differences in society everyday due to view that media portrays them to be. Racial bias amongst these juvenile African American males is the principal cause of their incarceration rates climbing higher each year. The lives of these juveniles are seriously altered after being incarceratedRead MoreDisproportionate Minority Contact739 Words   |  3 Pagesdisproportionately represented throughout juvenile justice systems in nearly every state in the nation. Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) in juvenile justice occurs when minority youth come into contact with the system at a higher rate than their white counterparts. African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans comprise a combined one-third of the nations youth population. Yet they account for over two-thirds of the youth in secure juvenile facilities (Armour Hammond,Read MoreThe Juvenile Justice System Is Creating A Criminal Class758 Words   |  4 PagesSuch reactions and critiques of the juvenile justice system enforce the notion that the juvenile system is creating a criminal class. Black’s theory states that patterns of relationships between the parties inv olved in a case predict the styles and forms of social control, relationships between intimates would result in more informal handling of cases. Law and formal control arise when informal control is weak and unavailable. Legal control by the state develops when social control of familiesRead MoreThe Juvenile Justice System Is Not Reflective Of Their National Population1612 Words   |  7 Pagesare roughly 79,000 adolescents held at juvenile facilities all across the United States (Sickmund Puzzanchera, 2014). Of that population, Latino and African American youth represent the majority of those in confinement. This is a problem because the overrepresentation of minorities within the juvenile justice system is not reflective of their national population percentages. Nationally, Latino and African American youth only comprise 38% of the total juvenile population combined, while CaucasianRead MoreShould Juvenile Offenders Be Punished?1423 Words   |  6 PagesTo Americans, justice is important. When harm is done to most Americans, often victims of harm say they want the juvenile offender to pay for what he/she has done. Making someone pay for the harm they have caused is an easy concept when it comes to adult offenders; however, what about juvenile offenders? Should juvenile offenders be punished for what he/she has done? When victims want the juvenile offender to be punished for the harm they have caused, this is called retributive justice. Often AmericansRead MoreJuvenile Offenders And The Criminal Justice System860 Words   |  4 PagesOnce youth is committed a crime he or she must face the criminal justice. Whether it is simple face to face contact with the police officer or trip to juvenile facility, juvenile is becoming part of the criminal justice system. For many youth it is their first contact with the justice system however for some others it is a very familiar process. So once juvenile is making face to face contact with the police officers, his life is in the hands of that officer who can make very important and sometime