In Search of Justice and Accountability

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that juveniles, who are accused of serious crimes, should be prosecuted as adults. It describes the increase of the protection of the rights of the victims, the public, and the accused. The paper states that differential treatment of individuals in the criminal justice system based on age is misguided, and that criminal distinction should be based on the seriousness of offense, the ability of the defendant to participate in their own defense, and their ability to understand the consequences of their actions.

Table of Contents:

History of Juvenile Justice System
Should Juvenile Offenders be Tried As Adults?
Competence to Stand Trial
Punishing Juveniles as Adults
Concluding Remarks
References

From the Paper:

"While the overall crime rate has steadily decreased over the last decade throughout the country, there is one segment of crime that has been increasing: criminal offenses committed by juveniles (National Criminal Justice Reference Service: 2002). In the last 15 years, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the incidence of criminal offenses committed by juveniles (under the age of 15) increased 94%. While a number of these juveniles were convicted of committing petty crimes such as vandalism and theft, there has been a significant increase in the number of serious juvenile offenses such as robberies, weapons offenses, assaults, and murders. However, there is something that is not quantitatively measured in these crime statistics the increasing brutality and ruthlessness of the crimes committed by juvenile offenders."

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