Youth Criminal Justice System

1178 Words3 Pages

There are many challenges with the criminal justice system that are emerging and starting to be more of a problem in our society today. Here are just two problems that are affecting the criminal justice system and why they need to change for our future. I will first discuss youth in the criminal justice system and then cover the inaccuracy of lie detectors. “If things were different I wouldn’t be here, but I don’t have anybody looking out for me. It’s just me.” Seventeen-year-old Martin (older youth in pre-trial detention at the closed custody detention facility) this is just one of the thousands of young people who are affected by the system. This gives us an insight why we need to make alterations to our youth criminal justice system.
Youths …show more content…

We must ensure the proper treatment is used in an age-appropriate manner. We are looking to better their lives by learning about their emotional, behavioral, and developmental differences that separate youths from adults. A regular occurrence in our society today is that youth become subject to adult Criminal Justice System and drawn into its corrupt issues. The injustice is rooted in the incarceration of youth without parole. The Youth Criminal Justice Act was founded on the belief that young people have the ability and potential to change and grow. Nearly 2,500 people have been denied any opportunity to prove that they have been successfully rehabilitated and are safe to integrate back into society. This is just one issue with the Youth Criminal Justice Act, not only is it affecting our youth but also causing difficulties into adulthood. This highlights errors in the system such as; over the punitive treatment of youth, mandatory minimum sentences and lack of judicial discretion, and inadequate assistance of counsel. Starting with over punitive treatment of youth, young people are wired differently than adults, they do not have the same levels of judgment, decision making, and impulse control. Research shows that these parts of the brain are not fully developed until he or she is in their early twenty’s. Even though these youths are exposed to excessively harsh treatment in …show more content…

There are over 200,000 youths under the age of 18 that are removed from the juvenile justice system and tried as adults each year. Issues with this change are that young people become eligible for mandatory sentencing and life without the possibility of parole when no longer being tried under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Furthermore, youths are at a higher risk of abuse, assault, and death. This is due to the overwhelming punishment that causes these young people to take their lives rather than being tried as an adult. There is no further protection for these young people when being tried as adults.
When a crime is committed, the system decides an appropriate sentence for the offense. However, the increase of mandatory minimum sentencing and lack of judicial discretion have slanted this core value. Denying juries, the ability to deliberate the factors of the case to make an appropriate punishment. This issue of youth criminal justice is especially important in cases of youth that have been sentenced to life without parole. With their ability to change and grow, mandatory minimum sentences are both predominant and problematic throughout the criminal justice

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