Juvenile Delinquency November 14, 2007

Daily Agenda  Review Section 2 Assessment  Section 16-3 Juvenile Delinquency  Chapter Review on page 380.  Reminder of Test Next Week over this section.  Gideon v. Wainwright  Miranda v. Arizona

Objectives for Today:  3.07 and 3.08 Continued

Causes of Juvenile Delinquency  Anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be a juvenile.  Young people who commit crimes are known as Juvenile delinquents. –Note that some states charge juveniles as adults for severe crimes.

So what actually causes delinquency?  Children and Teenagers commit many crimes every year. –Some are Misdemeanors –Some are felonies.  Children who group up in poverty and low- income neighborhoods are more likely to become delinquents.

Delinquency Continued –Not all children who grow up in these situations become delinquents!

What do you think?  Do you think if a juvenile commits a serious crime such as murder, manslaughter, or maybe a terrorist act that he or she should be tried as an adult? Especially if they are close to 18? Why or Why not?

The Juvenile Justice System  Juvenile Cases are handled in Juvenile Courts. –Their primary goal is to rehabilitate or correct a person’s behavior rather than punish the person. –Nearly 3/4s of juvenile cases begin when juveniles are arrested.

Juvenile Justice System Cont. –The rest are from petitions from: School Administrators Store Managers Or others that may file a case. –Parents who have trouble with their children may also petition the court for help. Behavior Problems, Curfew Problems (etc)

A bit of history….  Juvenile Courts have been around since the 1880’s. –You were tried as a juvenile up till the age of 14. –They were sent to the same prisons and received the same sentences as adults. –Today the guiding principle of juvenile courts is to do whatever is in the best interest of the young person.

Two Types of Cases:  Juvenile Courts handle two types of cases: –Neglect –Delinquency

Neglect Cases  Neglect Cases deal with juveniles who may be abused at home or have been neglected by an adults  The courts have the power to place a juvenile in a foster home.

Delinquency Cases  Delinquency cases deal with juveniles who commit crimes. –Juvenile Courts also handle cases where it is illegal for a minor or juvenile to do something at their age but not when they are adults. For example: Skipping School, Running from Home or Violating Curfew

Diversion or Detention  When a juvenile is arrested the police notify the parents of the individual. –Depending on the crime the person may be sent home or sent to a detention center to await their court date. –Most police departments have officers who specialize and work in juvenile law.

Diversion  If the crime is not that serious usually the delinquent is sent into a program to rehabilitate them back into normal society. –These rehabilitation programs include: Counseling On the Job Training Drug Treatment Programs

Detention  If a delinquent is a violent offender then the judge can decide if he or she is sent to a detention center.

The Trial  The trial phase for juveniles is similar to the adult phase only with a few differences: –During the court appearance, juveniles meet with their lawyer, parents, arresting officer and probation officer who investigated the case. –The meeting is less formal than an adult trial and the judge usually makes the decision in the case.

The Trial Continued  The judge holds another hearing for sentencing. –During sentencing the judge may: Send the offender home with a lecture Send the offender to a training school Reinforcement Center Teen Shelter

The Trial Phase  Often, delinquents agree to attend school and report to their probation officer.  If the delinquent obeys and completes probation then the charges will be dropped.