Essay on Juvenile Offenders and Adult Criminal Justice System
In actuality, the criminal justice system tends to develop different approaches to juvenile offenders and adult offenders. In this regard, the juvenile justice system is developed to implement a different approach to juvenile offenders compared to adults. However, the contemporary society tends to push on the criminal justice system to introduce stricter measures in relation to juvenile offenders, especially for severe crimes. The introduction of stricter measures is motivated by the growth of crime rates committed by juveniles and the nature of crimes, which are often quite severe. However, the public underestimates the difference of juveniles from adults that may lead to the erroneous approach to juvenile offenders being implemented by the criminal justice system. In this regard, juvenile offenders cannot be transferred to the adult criminal justice system, in spite of the severity of the crime they have committed, because they are not adults and it is the responsibility of the society to help them to turn to the right way in their life since, as a rule, it is the social environment that directly or indirectly pushes juveniles to commit crimes.
In fact, the current situation in the development of the criminal justice system tends to introduce stricter rules in relations of juvenile offenders, while many juvenile offenders are frequently transferred to adult courts in cases of severe crimes being committed by juvenile offenders. In this regard, Collier argues that crimes committed by juveniles have increased substantially, up to 60%, since 1984 (Collier, 533). The rise of crimes among juveniles increases the pressure of the public on the criminal justice system because people believe that severe crimes committed by juveniles should be punished as adults. The criminal justice system cannot always resist to the impact of the public opinion that leads to the growing number of cases, when juvenile offenders are transferred to adult courts.
At this point, one of the major factors that increases the negative attitude of the public against juvenile offenders and increases the demand of the public to introduce severe measures in relation to juvenile offenders is the cruelty of crimes committed by juveniles. In fact, crimes committed by juveniles are often accompanies by excessive cruelty (Collier, 535). As a result, the public, as well as judges, often perceive the severity of crimes as the key to take a decision on the transfer of juveniles to adult courts. However, they do not take into consideration the background of juvenile offenders and reasons why they commit crime. Often the public and judges often ignore the background of juveniles as well as specificities of their development. At the same time, the transfer of a juvenile offender, who has committed a severe crime, seems to be reasonable for them. In such a situation, many specialists argue that juveniles, who commit adult crimes knowingly, should be subjects to adult criminal justice system and rules (Collier, 535).
At the same time, it is obvious that juveniles are less culpable, less mature and less responsible than adults. The brain continues to develop in adolescence (Little Adult Criminals, 4). Moreover, juvenile offenders are different from adults. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that they often commit severe crimes because of their level of cognitive and psychological development. Juvenile offenders are not little adults (Little Adult Criminals, 5) because of their level of cognitive and social development.
Therefore, they cannot be fully responsible for their actions and their consequences. At least, they need a different approach compared to the adult criminal justice system and its rules. Juveniles commit crimes under the impact of their social environment. In fact, crimes committed by juveniles are committed because of the poor education of juveniles. They believe that there is nothing wrong in their actions, when they commit crime. In addition, they are always exposed to the impact of mass media, which also promote the idea of violence as a good concept. As a result, juveniles tend to romanticize crimes. In this regard, juveniles crimes should be viewed as the result of their education, while it is the society and family that are responsible for education of juveniles. In such a situation, the criminal justice system should not treat juveniles as adults.
Moreover, some studies “have shown that minors who have gone through the juvenile system, with its emphasis on rehabilitation through counseling, mentoring, education and vocational training, are less likely to be arrested again after being released than those who have served time in ordinary prisons” (Little Adult Criminals, 7). This means that the transfer of juveniles to the adult criminal justice system will lead to the dead end for juveniles and the society. Juveniles are likely to become criminals, if they are sentenced to term in prison as adults. In this regard, it is important to remind that the juvenile criminal justice system focuses on the rehabilitation of juveniles, while the adult criminal justice system focuses on the punishment of offenders mainly. The punishment of juveniles will not correct and rehabilitate them but, on the contrary, the punishment and prison will turn juvenile offenders in criminals and recidivists.
Therefore, sending juvenile offenders to prison, instead of their rehabilitation, means making them lifetime criminals with little, if any, chances for correction. Obviously, such approach to the juvenile justice is absolutely ineffective and destructive. In fact, this approach is dangerous not only for juveniles, who are doomed to remain criminals all their life, but also for the society because the society breeds adult offenders as courts send juvenile offenders to prison just like adults.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the contemporary criminal justice system needs consistent changes. Today, the juvenile criminal justice system tends to transfer many juvenile offenders to the adult criminal justice system. However, courts do not take into consideration the fact that juvenile offenders are not adults. They may commit crimes that are more severe than crimes committed by adults but still juveniles cannot be responsible for their actions as adults do. In this regard, courts should be aware of differences in the cognitive, psychological and social development of adolescents compared to adults. Adults are fully responsible for their actions, while juveniles are just in the course of their physical, psychological and cognitive development. Therefore, juvenile offenders should remain under the jurisdiction of the juvenile criminal justice system to provide them with the possibility of rehabilitation. The rehabilitation of juvenile offenders is more effective than punishment, which turns juvenile offenders into criminals. Hence, juveniles should stay in the juvenile criminal justice system.
