Juvenile and adult justice system - Essay Example

Juvenile and Adult Justice System Juvenile and Adult Justice System There are several similarities and differences between the juvenile and adult justice systems. The similarities and differences between the two justice systems are based on the philosophy that the adult court system focuses on deterrence and justice as the rationale for prosecuting offenders whereas the juvenile system is committed to rehabilitating delinquent youths into better citizens (Yakov, 2011). Both courts however, protect the public and enforce the laws.

At the time of the arrest, both systems require the reading of the rights of both adult and juvenile suspects. Both parties also have the opportunity to admit to the charges, to avail of a lesser punishment. In the criminal courts however, it is called plea bargaining but in the juvenile courts, it is referred as modifying the petition. The adult and juvenile both have a right to hearings, appeals and a right to counsel in court proceedings. Adults are tried for crimes in the adult court while juveniles are tried in the juvenile court.

Unlike adults whose court proceedings are public, juvenile proceedings are not viewed as criminals and their records are confidential and are not normally accessible. In the case of adult trials, the “best interest” lies in reducing or foregoing the sentence, unlike in the juvenile trials where rehabilitation is the main focus. In terms of sentencing, although judges in both courts have leeway in determining the proper sentence, the judges in the juvenile court have far more room to decide on the sentence.

They have a broad range of options from immediate parole to placing delinquents in juvenile facilities or county jails (Yakov, 2011). Yes, I think that juveniles should continue to receive preferential treatments from the courts because the courts should focus on their rehabilitation and not in the punishment of the crimes that they commit. The juvenile courts should act as parents and must not direct their attention on the crime, instead focus on the individual, why he became that way and what must be done to save him from a downward path so that he can be a more responsible citizen of the state.

References Yakov, B. (2011). Similarities between adult court and juvenile court. eHow.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011. http://www.ehow.com/info_7899418_similarities-adult-court-juvenile- court.html#ixzz1O7FJdlea