Juvenile Corrections After a juvenile is found delinquent the court needs to decide what to do with him/her…what is the disposition of the juvenile? The court will try to place the juvenile where he/she has the best opportunity to rehabilitate.

options Juvenile detention center: usually a short term sentence.

Options Training schools: Meant for the most serious offenders Secure Residential facilities: only about juveniles and an equal number of staff. Confine violent offenders Camps and Ranches: emphasize discipline and school work. Boot Camps : similar to basic army training. Strict discipline. Take teens for short time and try to shock behavior change.

Wilderness programs: attempt to build self esteem in wilderness settings.

Group Homes : “halfway house” Usually house about 20 juveniles. Function like normal teens but they must obey house rules.

Substance abuse treatment centers

Foster homes In home Placement : Return to homes however, may be subjected to highly intensive probation, treatment programs, or summary probation

Problems that can be encountered when locking up teens Violence Increased suicide rate Psychological scarring

U.S. v Kent Before sending a juvenile to be tried in adult court a hearing must be held. The hearing officer must consider the following: 1.How serious was the crime? 2.Was the crime committed in an aggressive manner? Was it premeditated? 3.Was the crime against persons? 4.Will the adult court prosecute the crime? 5.How mature is the individual? 6.What is the juvenile’s record? 7.Can the juvenile be rehabilitated through normal procedures?

Roper v. Simmons (2005) “Because of their immaturity juveniles are less culpable than adults” To receive the death penalty a defendant must be 18 years of age.

Why try juveniles as adults? IN FAVOR : Deterrence and incapacitation. Juveniles will be locked up for longer periods of time and when the states “get tough” on crime this will deter other juveniles from committing the same offenses. AGAINST: The state will give up on the juvenile. The adult system cannot properly rehabilitate juveniles and they will become hardened criminals.

The Death Penalty…Capital Punishment and Juveniles

Graham v. Florida Sentencing a juvenile to life without the possibility of parole in a non- homicidal case amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, thus violating the Eighth Amendment.

Are teenagers the new “superpredator”? I Look at self defense cases in the news