Juvenile Justice

Juvenile Punishment and Sentencing

By: Amanda Mccuen

March 2011

CJA/244

James Hazel

Children killing children is what this world has come too. It is extremely sad when parents have to worry and wonder whether their child is safe, if their next door neighbor’s child is a killer. Just because some crimes are committed by individuals who are not of age, mature, able to vote, drive, or even drink should not be ignored. Punishment for an adult can be unfair when applied to a child in some cases, especially when juveniles do not understand the consequences of their actions. When it comes to judgment of these crimes it should vary on a case to case basis. It should be taken into account whether the defendant’s crime was malicious, accidental or they could not understand the magnitude of their actions. Juvenile offenders should be tried and punished as adults do to the nature of the crime.

Both juvenile corrections and juvenile detention centers have common denominators; to adequately change the juvenile behavior of young children through various educational, personal, vocational, and social services. Juvenile facilities protect society from criminal youth offenders by removing them from society, hold the youth offender accountable for the crime the juvenile offender has committed, and possibly rehabilitating the juvenile offender and placing them back with their family and social settings such as school and neighborhoods. The juvenile court system’s goal is to treat and rehabilitate the youth through professional supervision and prevent the juvenile offenders from becoming repeat offenders.

Throughout each juvenile offender’s court proceedings, court alternatives are offered. A juvenile offender can be redirected from the juvenile system following the intake process and first hearing. The juvenile could ultimately either have their case dismissed or diverted to another court agency such as teen and drug courts, or the juvenile’s case could be...