Social Characteristics of the Juvenile Court
Social characteristics of juvenile court demonstrate a community incentive to promote rehabilitation among juvenile offenders and protect abused and neglected children. Social characteristics also dictate how courts communicate with youth in the system and members of the public about juvenile court cases. A critical characterization of the juvenile court system is the inclusion of input from mental health professional trained in social science theories to encourage beneficial contributions from juvenile wards of the court.
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Privacy of Proceedings
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The most visible social characteristic of juvenile court is the privacy of court proceedings and records from public scrutiny. The protection of juvenile offender information is intended to prevent social stigmatization of youth and encourage the implementation of rehabilitation services. High profile juvenile cases, especially those that have been subject to media publicity, have been exceptions to this tradition. Ten states allow for the publicity of violent criminal juvenile cases: Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Colorado, Vermont and California.
Application of Consequences
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Youth convicted by juvenile court are subjected to the results of a post-trial dispositional hearing. Contrary to adult court sentencing, juvenile courts heavily weigh the results of mental health evaluations and assessments in determining a rehabilitative course of action. Input and evidence from psychologists, social workers and attorneys determine if young offenders receive probation, orders for boot camp attendance, incarceration or case dismissal.
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Socially Prosecuted Offenses
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Certain offenses in the juvenile court system are not categorized as criminal behavior if committed by an adult. These offenses are referred to as status offenses. Some include school truancy, aggressive behavior or voluntarily leaving domiciles. Prosecution of these offenses are handled predominantly by socially beneficial local programs such as community service options, educational training, foster or group home care and family counseling. This kind of justice is more lenient than incarceration, but in the process, juveniles are denied rights to counsel, proof beyond a reasonable doubt and protection against self incrimination.
The State as Parent
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A social characteristic exclusive to juvenile court is the presence of juveniles as a responsibility of the court. Juveniles are often victims of negligence or abuse from previous caretakers, and in juvenile court proceedings are under the protection of the court. Courts appoint guardians and attorneys to meet the needs of wards of the court.
Court Records
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In addition to protecting juvenile court records from public scrutiny, many states employ additional methods to keep juvenile case records confidential. Some records use juvenile initials throughout as identifiers instead of whole names. Some court jurisdictions accept petitions to seal juvenile records while others limit access to viewing or photocopying of records. California, for example, only allows convicted juveniles, parents, guardians and case attorneys to obtain copies of court minutes.
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References
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