Juvenile Delinquency Professor Brown

Unit 7: The History of Juvenile Justice and Police Work with Juveniles Unit Overview-This unit examines the history and development of the juvenile court and the rights currently afforded to youths. The first juvenile court was established in Initially, treatment was the emphasis of the court philosophy. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the juvenile court process was scrutinized in several important matters brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, which had far-reaching effects in altering juvenile court procedure and philosophy. The result was a movement away from its parens patriae origins toward procedures that more closely resemble those of criminal courts. The debate over the future of the court and its proper role has yet to be resolved. This unit also explores the importance of effective police work with juveniles, arrest procedures, and prevention programs. Police officers play an important role in the control and prevention of delinquency as they are the primary means whereby youths are brought into the juvenile justice system.

Chapter 11: The History and Development of Juvenile Justice The first juvenile court was established in From then until the mid-1960s, juvenile courts exercised the authority and enforcement power granted to them, but placed little emphasis on the legal rights of the accused. The assurances of due process characteristic of adult criminal proceedings were frequently absent, as "treatment" became the center of court philosophy. The private nature of the hearings also made it possible for judges to exercise a broad range of discretion in dispositions, and hear testimony without having its admissibility or legality questioned.

Chapter 11: The History and Development of Juvenile Justice During the civil rights era in the 1960s and early 1970s, the juvenile court process was scrutinized in several important matters brought before the U.S. Supreme Court. The decisions of the Court in these cases had far-reaching effects in altering juvenile court procedure and philosophy. The juvenile court has moved away from its parens patriae origins toward procedures that more closely resemble those of criminal courts. Critics of the juvenile court maintain that many serious offenders are given dispositions of treatment or supervision when immediate and just punishment is a better solution. Others feel the court has been ineffective in making any real changes in the youth referred there and should be completely abolished. The debate over the future of the court and its proper role has yet to be resolved.

Chapter 12: Police Work with Juveniles Police officers play an important role in the control and prevention of delinquency. Due to the wide variety of police encounters with minors, officers must have a thorough knowledge of the law, especially the constitutional protections provided to juveniles.

Chapter 12: Police Work with Juveniles Police officers are the primary means whereby youths are brought into the juvenile justice system. The decision on disposition is based on the seriousness of the offense; the offender's age, appearance, and attitude; the area in which the offense occurs; and the child's home situation and previous record. In addition, researchers have found that the background and training of the officers themselves affect the types of dispositions received. Some experts have urged police officers to become more actively involved in preventing delinquency through creative solutions to juvenile problems. Through community policing, officers can play important roles simply by being present in places or situations where juvenile misbehavior might occur, or through providing special programs or positive experiences for young people.

Key Terminology Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

“OJJDP, a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, accomplishes its mission by supporting states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles. The Office strives to strengthen the juvenile justice system's efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and provide services that address the needs of youth and their families.”Office of Justice ProgramsU.S. Department of Justicemission

Key Terminology Drug Court

“Juvenile drug courts are intensive treatment programs established within and supervised by juvenile courts to provides specialized services for eligible drug involved youth and their families. Cases are assigned to a juvenile drug court docket based on criteria set by local officials to carry out the goals of the drug court program.”

Key Terminology Community Policing

Link Broken Problem Solving The process of engaging in the proactive and systematic examination of identified problems to develop and rigorously evaluate effective responses. Scanning: Identifying and prioritizing problems Analysis: Researching what is known about the problem Response: Developing solutions to bring about lasting reductions in the number and extent of problems Assessment: Evaluating the success of the responses Using the crime triangle to focus on immediate conditions (victim/offender/location)

Key Terminology Problem - Orientated Policing

“Problem-oriented policing is an approach to policing in which discrete pieces of police business (each consisting of a cluster of similar incidents, whether crime or acts of disorder, that the police are expected to handle) are subject to microscopic examination (drawing on the especially honed skills of crime analysts and the accumulated experience of operating field personnel) in hopes that what is freshly learned about each problem will lead to discovering a new and more effective strategy for dealing with it.”

5 Minute Question There are multiple similarities and differences between the adult criminal justice system and the juvenile justice system. Do you feel that there are still enough significant differences and a pressing social need to justify having a separate juvenile system?

5 Minute Question What is it meant by police discretion. What factors affect the discretion of the police when dealing with juvenile offenders? What are the legal procedures they must abide by during custodial interrogations and the lawful arrests of juveniles?