Juveniles Essays - Criminology, Juvenile Court, Juvenile Delinquency

The Juvenile Justice system of New York City and North Carolina share many similarities. The juvenile justice system is separate and different from the adult criminal justice system. Adults are held fully responsible for their behavior. They can be arrested, charged with a specific crime, tried before a jury of their peers, found guilty or not guilty, and, if found guilty, sentenced according to the seriousness of the crime and the interest of the state. Young people are treated differently, having many, but not all, the rights of adults. Juveniles are not arrested, but rather are taken into temporary custody. Juveniles have no right to a trial by jury but instead are subject to a hearing before a judge, at which time the juvenile may be adjudicated as undisciplined or delinquent. The judge?s decision on the disposition (or sentence) is based on meeting the juvenile?s needs and interests and the interests of the state. The court attempts to do what is best for the juvenile to help make sure he/she is not brought into the juvenile justice system again or the adult system later. Detention of juveniles in New York City began shortly after the opening of the New York State penitentiary in 1797. Prior to that time, as juvenile crimes were rare, the state preferred to allow parents to deal with the misbehavior of their children - a practice rooted in English common law. Parental authority was the accepted first tenant of youth treatment, and the state was hesitant to assume the failing parent's duties. By the end of this year, New York may be the only state in the nation that treats all 16 and 17 year-olds as adults in criminal matters. Most states have raised the age of adulthood to 18 in criminal matters and Massachusetts, Wisconsin and North Carolina are considering raising the age to 18. In a front page article Sunday in The New York Times, reporter Mosi Secret chronicles the situation across the country with a focus on New York State