Question

Discretion is the use of personal decision making and choice in carrying out operations in the criminal justice system.                                 Should juvenile officers have that discretion? Why or why not? Explain your answers.

Answer 1

Juvenile officers work closely with troubled youngsters in an attempt to rehabilitate them. One of the key purpose of their job is to make sure that the youngsters do not get into trouble, commit serious crime and return back to the legal system.

Considering that we should also understand that the young people are easily influenced and often their behavior is a subjective outcome of their upbringing. Naturally they need to be handled with care. Due to this, a juvenile office should use discretion and take decision in case of a minor mishap. Apart from the legal system the juvenile officers can also set an example and behave as a big brother/sister to the youth.

Blindly following rules and the legal system is often necessary but the legal system has a purpose. The purpose was to build a better society. This is not something that can be imposed on young minds who often make mistake. Naturally, this is why the juvenile officer should have a discretion to determine if it is the ethical thing to do to send the youngster for prosecution or let him/her go with a warning.