Question

What are some major differences between the juvenile courts and the criminal courts? What are some principal components of the juvenile justice system? Why do some refer to this as a process rather than a system?

Answer 1

Both courts deal with the acts that constitute crime, but the process adopted by each court is different.

1. In juvenile court, the acts committed by the minors are called as delinquent acts, where as in criminal court they are crimes.

2. In juvinjuv court, minor doesn't have the right to a trail by jury and he cannot apply for bail where as a criminal defendant can.

3. Juvenile court proceedings are known as Adjudication hearing unlike a trail in criminal court. Such proceedings are not open to public unlike criminal court proceedings.

4. Final decision of judge in the juvenile court is known as 'disposition'. In contrast criminal court will pass a sentence and issue a judgement against the defendant.

Principle components of the Juvenile justice system

1. Law enforcement (Police)

2. Juvenile court (Court)

3. Juvenile corrections (Corrections)

Juvenile justice system is considered as a process because they don't consider the acts as crimes. Criminal justice is a system which punishes for the crimes a person does. But juvenile justice is a process unlike criminal court, the acts are not considered as crimes and so punishment is nothing but a process of making students change.