Juvenile Justice

Quickwrite #1 If you committed a crime do you think it would be fair for you to be punished the same way as an adult who committed the same crime? Does age alone make a person a juvenile or do other qualities give a person that designation?

What is the difference between… ChildJuvenileAdult

Difference Between the Juvenile and Adult Justice Systems. the juvenile system emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation, while the adult system concentrates on punishment of offenders The juvenile justice system also consists of a large number of non-law enforcement agencies. Social services agencies, schools, and community-based organizations all provide services to both juveniles "at-risk" of committing crimes and to juveniles who have committed crimes.

The State of Juvenile Crime in California. Juvenile crime peaked in California in 1974 and then decreased through This decrease occurred at the same time as the proportion of juveniles in California's population was declining. Juvenile crime has increased since It is likely that juvenile crime will continue to increase given the projected future increase in California's juvenile population.

What Is Juvenile Crime? In its simplest definition, "crime" is any specific act prohibited by law for which society has provided a formally sanctioned punishment. This also can include the failure of a person to perform an act specifically required by law.

Types of Offenses. A felony is the most serious offense, punishable by a sentence to a state institution (Youth Authority facility or adult prison). Felonies generally include violent crimes, sex offenses, and many types of drug and property violations. A misdemeanor is a less serious offense for which the offender may be sentenced to probation, county detention (in a juvenile facility or jail), a fine, or some combination of the three. Misdemeanors generally include crimes such as assault and battery, petty theft, and public drunkenness. An infraction is the least serious offense and generally is punishable by a fine. Many motor vehicle violations are considered infractions.

Categories of Crimes. In general, felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions fall into one of three broad categories: violent, property, and drug- related. Violent crimes refer to events such as homicide, rape, and assault that result in an injury to a person. Property crimes are offenses with the intent of gaining property through the use or threat of force against a person. Burglary and motor vehicle theft are examples. Drug-related crimes, such as possession or sale of illegal narcotics, are generally in a separate category altogether. This is because such offenses do not fall under the definition of either violent or property offenses.

Key Terms Homicide – is the killing of one person by another, either intentionally or unintentionally. Homicide includes accidents and murder. Murder – is killing someone with malice of forethought. It could be done while committing another crime. Murder is always illegal. First-degree Murder – is killing a person with malice of forethought; the killing was planned. It was done deliberately.

Key Terms Continued Second-degree Murder – is a killing done during a crime deemed dangerous to a human life. The crime was most likely not committed with the intention of killing. Voluntary manslaughter – is killing someone intentionally but without malice of forethought. For example, if the killing was a crime of passion, the intent was not to kill. However, there was no malice of forethought because it was not planned.

Key Terms continued Involuntary manslaughter – is killing someone unlawfully but without malice of forethought. It was committed without intent to kill and without a conscious disregard for human life.

Matching Activity Read the actual situation and fill in the crime or the conviction.

Activity 3 – Surveying the Text What do the titles of the two articles “Supreme Court to Rule on Executing Young Killers” and “Kids are Kids” tell you the articles will be about? “Kids are Kids” was published by The Sacramento Bee. “Supreme Court Rule” was published by The New York Times. How do you think the articles will be the same? How do you think they will be different? What issue do you think they will discuss? What positions will Liptak and Lundstrom take?

Activity 4 – Making Predictions and Asking Questions What do you think “Supreme Court Rule on Executing Young Killers” is going to be about? What do you think is the purpose of the text? Who do you think is the intended audience for this piece? How do you know this? Based on the title and what you have heard so far, what information and ideas might this article present?

Activity 5 – Introducing Key Vocabulary Create a semantic map by brainstorming terms that come to mind Put the words in categories based on relevance Write down the terms that you do not know and look up their definitions.

Read “Kids are Kids” Silently Read the first six paragraphs: What is Lundstrom’s opinion on the topic of juvenile crime? Turn the title into a question to answer as you read the essay.