From the time it was established in the late 18s, the juvenile court has served as a significant part of the overall justice system. It is important to note that before it was established, all the under seventeen offenders went through the same justice system as their adult counterparts.
This was seen by psychologists as inappropriate as the commission of crimes by juveniles was largely due to a myriad of factors, some of them psychological.Today, the rehabilitation of juveniles is the primary focus of the juvenile justice system. It is hence a deviation from the normal justice system which seems to be more inclined towards punishing offenders (Elrod & Ryder 2009).
Because of the relevance of the juvenile justice system, many states have since come up with or established juvenile courts which are specifically meant to try juvenile offenders. States with these juvenile courts include but are not in any way limited to Coraldo as well as Massachusetts.In the juvenile justice system, juveniles may enter a “not-delinquent” or “delinquent” plea on arraignment. This is a significant deviation from the “not guilty” or “guilty” pleas which are entered at the regular courts.
It is also important to note that a judge as opposed to a jury is charged with the responsibility of hearing and determine cases involving juveniles. However, when it comes to the juvenile prison system, there is no significant deviation from the regular prison system. However, there are specific privileges which are available in the regular juvenile prison as opposed to the regular prison system. These include but are not in any way limited to attending classes/schooling as well as organized sports.
References
Elrod, P. & Ryder, R.S. (2009). Juvenile justice: a social, historical, and legal perspective. Jones & Bartlett Learning
