1. Warm Up
Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper in complete sentences.
What is parens patriae? Do you agree with this idea? Explain why or why not.
What is the difference between a delinquent offender and a status offender?
Should attendance at school be mandatory? Why or why not? What should be done about students who are chronically absent from school?

2. Having a record
As a juvenile

3. Having a record
A juvenile who is found delinquent does not have a criminal record.
If asked, a juvenile may legally say that he/she has not been convicted of a crime.
Juveniles who are adjudicated do not lose any civil rights, such as the right to vote when eligible.

4. Problems down the line
Although there is no “criminal record” a juvenile record still exists.
In many states, information on juvenile cases becomes public record.
This means that individuals and agencies, including employers, can access it.
A defendant with no criminal record may still receive a harsher sentence if they have a juvenile record.

5. Most employers include an employee pre-screen section in their job application
Should employers who conduct background checks be able to access juvenile court records?

6. What Bill of rights amendment does it violate?
people have petitioned against this section of job applications by stating that it is unconstitutional.
What Bill of rights amendment does it violate?

7. Clean slate
In some states, juvenile records are sealed or expunged (destroyed) when the juvenile reaches the age of 18 or 21.
This is meant to give those individuals a “clean slate”.

8. In Most states
The record remains unless the person, now and adult, requests for his/her record to be expunged.
To be eligible for a request:
Several years must pass since the offense.
That person must not have committed any further offenses during that time.
Only then may a person go before a judge to request the record be expunged.
If the judge approves, there will no longer be a public record of the person’s involvement in the juvenile justice system.

9. Closing activity
Directions: Work with a partner to find out what South Carolina does with juvenile records once that person becomes an adult. Write your findings on a sheet of paper to be turned in before you leave class.