Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Act
Juvenile offenders are different than the general population of adult correctional inmates in the United States. They are at a different point in their psychological development and many have the potential of leading crime-free adult lives. According to the American Bar Association, juvenile offenders often have mental illnesses, learning disabilities or problems at home and school that go unaddressed and contribute to their legal problems.
Other People Are Reading
-
The Facts
-
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act was passed by Congress in 1974 with the goal of improving the quality of the juvenile justice system for the youth offenders involved. It resulted in the creation of several agencies, including the National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (NIJJDP), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Runaway Youth Program. It was reauthorized in Congress throughout the first decade of the 21st century.
Features
-
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act requires juvenile corrections facilities to follow some core mandates in order to receive governmental funding for their operations. First, juveniles most not be held in adult correctional facilities for their crimes any longer than is absolutely necessary, such the as six hours before and after their court hearings and up to 24 hours, including weekends and holidays in rural areas and during unsafe weather conditions. This rule does not apply to juveniles who are convicted as adults. In the times when juvenile offenders are held with adults, they must not be able to see or hear the adults in the facility.
-
Social Significance
-
The logic behind keeping juvenile offenders separate from adults is so, at an age when they are so easily influenced, these young people will not be negatively impacted by the adult criminals. Under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, youth who haven't committed crimes, like school skippers, for instance, can't be held in detention centers along with kids who have stolen things.
Helping Youth Offenders
-
According to Act 4 Juvenile Justice, minority youth represent one-third of youth in the United States, but disproportionately comprise two-thirds of youth in the juvenile corrections system. The Juvenile Justice and Prevention Act requires juvenile correction authorities to monitor, analyze and take action to address disproportionate numbers of minority youth offenders, who are usually punished more harshly than white youth. This legislation also ensures that juveniles are treated appropriately for their age and, according to the American Bar Association, plays a "crucial" role in making sure preventative measures are taken with youth and their families in the United States.
History
-
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 was, historically, a follow-up to the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Control Act of 1968, which allowed for the creation of community-based crime prevention programs for youth. In 1994, Congress amended the 1974 Act to include provisions that allowed youth to be tried as adults for some violent crimes and weapons possession charges.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Grafiti en campagne image by Laura from Fotolia.com
