Juvenile Justice Article Review

Juvenile justice concerns are taking care of the young offenders in the community. As much as persons who are under the age of eighteen also engage in criminal activities, it is critical to ensure that they receive a fair and sound judgment when they appear before the courts. Importantly, there are juvenile centers that offer training and counseling programs for the youths who are in detainment. Relatively, the articles for the study are detailed with information about impartiality when dealing with the young lawbreakers, and the paper aims at highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the journals.

First, the authors have managed to achieve their objectives which entail highlighting matters concerning young criminals by introducing sample cases. For example, there is a case about McKenzie who was accused of armed robbery when he was sixteen years old, but the judge decided to charge him as an adult. Furthermore, the journals also introduce the case about Lionel Tate, aged fourteen, whose murder accusation was transferred into the grown-ups court despite having committed the crime when he was only twelve years old. In New Mexico, on June 2016, a fourteen years old boy threw a stone at the police, and this led to his arrest after which they decided that he must face adult charges which would help him change his character (Lantigua, 2016). Evidently, the outline of these unlawful acts and the subsequent judgments is vital for the reader, since they get to understand that even the youth participate in crime and some of the decisions made by the juries are not right. While it is wrong for any person to engage in misconduct in the United States, it is also vital to ensure that the sentences are fair and match the ages of the delinquents. For example, all the stated examples of cases involving juveniles were unlawfully handled since their trials did not match their ages.

Second, while the articles are concerned about the underages rights, the writers also have the interest of highlighting factors that promote the increase in offenses involving this population. One of the authors argues that poverty is the focal reason why most youths decide to participate in the crime. In the journals, most teenagers who are arrested by police are mostly involved in wrongdoings which include money, and they come from the humble background (Robinson, 2017). Furthermore, another reading provides that mental issues can be linked with felonious acts such as mass shootings like the one involving Charles Williams who was only fifteen years old. The highlight on the aspects that influence crime amongst the younger generation is yet another reason why the articles compilation is perfect since this provides ideas for possible measures that can be taken to reduce juvenile injustices. While it is essential to find out why the courts decide to persecute the underage like adults, it is necessary to find the best strategies for minimizing the youths involvement in delinquencies.

Apparently, the juvenile justice system has also revolutionized overtime, and this discussion is also found in the materials. The information on the transformation that the system has faced is yet another reason why these readings are reliable since they have information from back in the 1700s. During the eighteenth century, the law did not distinguish between juveniles and adults as they were equally prosecuted (Sago, 2017). However, it is indicated that the difference between the young and those who had surpassed the age of eighteen was achieved in the nineteenth century after the establishment of the juvenile courts. Despite this evolution, things have recently changed as thousands of cases involving teenagers have been transferred to the grownups law court. For example, while in the past child murderers were just held at the juvenile centers and they got released when they reached the age of 25, today they risk facing life imprisonment. As initially provided, this detail indicates that the articles are consistent since they highlight what might be the reason for the harsh judgment against the youth. While they previously separated the underage and the mature felons, policemen state that there was a rise in crime since most children knew that they were on the light side of the law.

Moreover, it is also vital to state that the writers did well since they find the need to discuss some of the steps which are taken to ensure that juvenile crime is reduced. While it is essential to fight for the rights of these youngsters, it is relatively significant to create solutions to the problem. The main issue in this paper is that minors engage in crime, and that is what results to the harsh judgments. Instead of seeking for fairness, it is much easier if the involved parties establish platforms which will educate the adolescents on the importance of avoiding unlawful activities.

Although the readings are beneficial for persons interested in teenager-justice, the probable weakness noticed from the details is that they fail to address the issue of the victims. These writers have comprehensively analyzed reports about minors facing judgments which match those imposed on grownups and even went ahead to argue that the juries must reconsider their verdicts. However, they fail to write about the rights of those who suffer in the hands of the stated criminals (Scialabba, 2016). Although the persons in the discussion are young, they are armed with dangerous weapons which results to harming and killing of innocent people. Notably, whereas the relatives and attorneys of these minors complain that those decisions are stiff, it must also be considered that the victims suffer and they need justice. For example, it would only be fair and reasonable if the authors suggested that a felon such as Charles Williams who participated in a mass shooting faced a life sentence.

In brief, the paper has centered on juvenile justice article review, and the general verdict is that the readings are well composed. First, the main strength of the paper concerns the address of cases featuring persons under the age of eighteen. From the highlight of the circumstances, the readings create a good picture for the reader to understand why they are seeking to find out the reason behind the harsh trials. Additionally, there is a discussion on matters concerning the progress of juvenile justice from 1700s. The development of the minors rights is significant in because one finds out that the change in the laws is because of increase in crime amongst the adolescents. However, the flaw of in the journals is that they also fail to discuss matters concerning the victims of juvenile delinquency. While it is vital to protect the rights of the young felons, it is more important to consider the people who die, lose their property, or get harmed in the hands of these offenders.

References

Lantigua, J. (2016). Is Juvenile Justice Beyond Repair? The Atlantic, 2(3), 22-25.

Robinson, B. (2017). 2 teens at center of juvenile crime debate. ABC News, 12(13), 18-23.

Sago, R. (2017). Sentenced to adulthood: Direct file laws bypass juvenile justice system. Chicago: npr.

Scialabba, N. (2016). Should juveniles be charged as adults in the criminal justice system? New York: Accredited Business.