Law enforcement in the juvenile system

Page Law enforcement In today’s society, juvenile justice is a world wide concern of law enforcement. The main concern has been on the extent to which the laws and the penalties are used towards the youths and children in the world. Many individuals feel that all the laws should be implemented to the fullest, while others believe that the minor offenses should be dismissed so as to avoid tarnishing their future and their records. This paper intends to look at the juvenile justice system in relation to law enforcement.
The juvenile justice system involves a network of agencies that normally deals with juveniles whose conducts are normally in conflict with the law (Myer, 2008). The common agencies for the justice system include probation, court, detention, prosecutor, police and the Department of juvenile corrections. The goal of the juvenile justice system is to put off juveniles from future illegal acts and to protect the community from young offenders. The first juvenile court was established in 1999 in Chicago, United States and has tremendously grown over the past 100years. The juvenile justice system has weathered important modifications since the late 1960s, resulting from federal legislation, changes in state legislation and Supreme Court decisions (Brian, 2005).
Law enforcement creates an entrance into the juvenile justice system mainly through arrests. Incase a juvenile is apprehended for violation of the law, It is normally the responsibility of the police officer to determine if the juvenile moves to the next level of the justice system or is diverted. According to Myer (2008), law enforcement agencies divert many juvenile offenders out of the justice system. For instance, in 2003, 20% of the arrests made on the juveniles were handled within the police department and the remaining arrests were referred to other agencies. The highest percentage of delinquency cases referred to juvenile courts is accounted by law enforcement.
Recommendations for the system
The juvenile justice system should be stricter with even minor, nonviolent offenses since the juvenile’s record may be studied to predict future violators. It should also focus on identifying the group of chronic offenders and incapacitate them through a longer period of incarceration. In addition, the system should keep the young offenders away from the correction facilities for they are dangerous to be in a position to protect them
Justification for the system
The juvenile justice system plays a significant role in ensuring that the juveniles are rehabilitated from their delinquency habits. The system has also played a critical role in ensuring that children are treated differently from the adults as far as the ruling is concerned. It also ensures that youth offenders are kept away from the violent world of adult prisons hence decreased potential of future criminal behavior As a result of juvenile courts, youth crime rates have gradually decreased since 1900 (Brian, 2005). Statistics shows that youths who underwent juvenile courts had lower chances of going back to criminal behavior than those who went through adult courts.
Considering juvenile justice system’s role of rehabilitating juveniles, it is imperative that the state legislative provides adequate funds to promote rehabilitation programs including education and job training.
References
Brian, B. (2005). The future of the juvenile justice system. New York: New York
University Press.
Myer, G. (2008). American’s Justice System. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allan and Bacon.